You may bring someone with you to your appointment. We have several assistive devices to help you complete your application and communicate with passport employees.

All our agencies and centers are accessible to individuals who use wheelchairs or mobility devices. If you have questions about going to a passport acceptance facility, contact the facility.  

You may bring your service animal to your appointment. Your service animal does not need to wear a vest or tag. You do not need to bring any identification or training documents for the animal. You may learn more about bringing a service animal on the U.S. Department of Justice’s website. 

Print our Social Story to prepare for your appointment. A social story shows social situations and may help customers who are on the autism spectrum apply at a passport agency. 

You may wear a hearing aid or cochlear implant in your passport photo. You do not need to provide a signed statement from a doctor or medical professional if you wear a hearing aid or cochlear implant.

If you have difficulty facing forward or keeping your eyes open, we will accommodate you. You will need to provide a signed statement from a doctor or medical professional. Go to our Passport Photos page to learn more about taking a photo.

If you cannot speak or have difficulty speaking, you do not need to respond to the oath by speaking. You can sign the application.  

If you cannot write or have difficulty writing, complete the application using our Form Filler tool. You may also have someone else fill out the application for you.

If you can make a mark (such as an “X”) on the application, you may sign it by mark. Bring someone to your appointment as a witness that this is your signature if your ID or previous passport has a signature instead of a mark. The witness must bring a valid, government-issued photo ID.

If you cannot make a mark, you should bring someone who has legal authority to sign on your behalf. You should also bring a copy of the court order that gives someone legal authority such as a guardianship document or power of attorney.

If you are the legal guardian of an adult who cannot legally sign a passport application, submit an application for the adult. Include a copy of the court order, power of attorney, or other guardianship document that proves you have authority to make decisions for the applicant. Parents do not automatically have legal guardianship of their children over the age of 18. The court order or power of attorney must:

• Include your name and the ward’s name, and
• Give you the authority to sign legal documents (such as travel and citizenship documents) on the ward’s behalf.

A ward is a person who has a guardian, appointed by a court, that takes care of them.

All legal guardians on the court order or power of attorney must be present. The legal guardians must sign the application or provide a notarized statement that approves another adult to submit the application with the ward.

You can get the statement notarized at a notary public. A notary is a person who verifies your identity, witnesses you sign a document, and confirms it is a real signature. The statement must say you approve issuing a passport to your ward.

If you are concerned your ward will apply for a passport, send a letter to us that your approval is required before we issue a passport. Include the following information:

• A copy of your photo ID(s),
• A copy of the court order from a U.S. court declaring your legal guardianship, and
• Your contact information.

Send the information to:

CA/PPT/S/A/RA
44132 Mercure Circle, P.O. Box 1243
Sterling, VA 20166-1243
Fax number: (202) 485-6496

If your ward already received a passport without your approval (if required), you can also send a letter to us requesting that we cancel it. Include the following information:

• Provide the name of the applicant (your ward), the passport number, and the date it expires,
• A copy of your photo ID(s),
• A copy of the court order from a U.S. court declaring the applicant legally incompetent, and
• Your contact information.

Send your request to the mailing address in Sterling, VA of the agency or center that issued the passport. If you do not know which one issued the passport, send it to the agency closest to you. We will send a letter to the guardian confirming that we revoked the ward’s passport.

Complete our customer survey if you want to give feedback about your experience applying for a passport.

Learn about the Department's commitment to accessibility.

We have legal obligations to persons with disabilities under both federal law (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973) and regulations (22 CFR Part 144).

If you already applied and believe that you have experienced discrimination based on your disability, you have a right to file a complaint by contacting the Department’s Office of Civil Rights. In most cases, you must file your complaint within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory act. Failing to meet this deadline may result in your complaint being dismissed.

To file the complaint, submit Form DS-4282 by mail, e-mail, or fax.

• Mail: 2201 C Street, NW, Suite 5806, Washington, DC 20520 
• Email: SOCR_Direct@state.gov
• Fax: (202) 647-4969 

For help completing Form DS-4282, call (202) 647-9295 or email SOCR_Direct@state.gov.