To get a United States passport, you must be a US citizen or a current US national, because a passport identifies you as a resident of the United States. If you are a citizen of another country remaining in the United States, you may be required to get a passport from your country of origin. Regulations will vary from nation to nation, so it is a good idea to check with your consulate when you are planning to leave the country.

What You Need to Get a US Passport

When you get to the passport acceptance facility, passport agency, or passport expediter, you will need to provide proof of your United States citizenship. For this purpose, a birth certificate is the most common choice of document. If you do not have a birth certificate, or if your birth certificate does not show that you were born in the United States, you can bring either a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a citizenship certificate or a naturalization certificate.

In addition, you will need a current photo ID such as a diver's license. If you do not have a driver's license, you can get a government issued ID from your state Department of Motor Vehicles. For this purpose, a certificate of citizenship or naturalization will also suffice, but a social security card will not. An old US Passport will pass for both proof of citizenship and for current ID, but it will not be accepted if it is damaged in any way.

Finally, you will need to bring two photographs of yourself. These must be identical, and sized 2"x2". They must be frontal shots of your face and shoulders only, against a blank background. Most photography studios can produce while-you-wait passport photos to regulation, which is frequently the easiest option.