Q: What is a passport?

A: A passport is an internationally recognized travel document that verifies the identity and nationality of the bearer. A valid U.S. passport is required to enter and leave most foreign countries. Only the U.S. Department of State has the authority to grant, issue or verify United States passports.

Q: What's in a passport file?

A: These records normally consist of applications for United States passports and supporting evidence of United States citizenship, and are protected by the Privacy Act of 1974. Passport records do not include evidence of travel such as entrance/exit stamps, visas, residence permits, etc., since this information is entered into the passport book after it is issued.

Q: Who can access an individual's files?

A: The Privacy Act allows passport holders to obtain copies of records in their own name and the records of their minor children. Any federal, state or local law enforcement agency can request information from U.S. passport files for official use.

Q: Can a passport be revoked or application denied?

A federal or state law enforcement agency may request the denial or revocation of a passport, most often when there is a federal warrant for arrest, a federal or state criminal court order, a condition of parole or probation forbidding departure from the United States.

Q: How do I get a passport?

A: One applies for a passport at one of the roughly 9,000 passport-issuing offices across the country. To qualify for a passport, a person must present a certified birth certificate issued by the city, county or state with a registrar's raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal, registrar’s signature, and the date the certificate was filed with the registrar's office, which must be within one year of your birth.

Q: What if I don't have any required records?

A: If you do not have a previous U.S. passport or a certified birth certificate, you will need something called a Letter of No Record, issued by your state with your name, date of birth, which years were searched for a birth record and that there is no birth certificate on file for you.

Q: What if I was born in another country?

A: If you claim U.S. citizenship, although you were born in another country, you will need to present your naturalization certificate; a current, valid driver's license; and depending on your circumstances, a valid government ID or military ID.

Source: U.S. State Department