How do I find out if a passport was issued to my child?

Question: I have primary custody of my children. My ex-wife has recently moved to Canada with her new husband. My children go to spend summer vacations and Christmas with their mother. When my children came home this past time they indicated that they had passports.

My question is who do I contact to find out if this is true? I never authorized them to have passports. They were able to get into and out of Canada with their birth certificates.

Answer: You can submit a request for a passport record for each child. This record will show if an application was submitted and, if so, what supporting documentation was provided.

The Privacy Act allows you to obtain copies of records in your own name and the records of your minor children. To request these records, please submit a typed or clearly printed NOTARIZED request that provides:

1. Full name of your minor children;
2. Date and place of birth of your minor children;
3. Your current mailing address;
4. Your current daytime telephone number;
5. Your current e-mail address, if available;
6. Your reason for the request;
7. The dates or estimated dates the passports were issued;
8. Any other information that will help locate the records; and
9. A copy of your valid Federal or State issued photo identification (driver’s license)

There is a $150.00 fee to search for each passport record. A check or money order made payable to “Department of State" must be included with your request.

Certified copies of passport records may be requested. If you would like a certified copy of a passport record, the certification fee is $50.00. Checks or money orders should be made payable to “Department of State".

All requests for passport records issued from 1925 to present should be mailed to:

Department of State
Office of Legal Affairs
Law Enforcement Liaison Division
1111 19th Street, N.W. – Rm. 500
Washington, DC 20036