obtaining a copy of an ancestor's passport

by Kelly
(Staten Island, NY)

Question: I am looking to obtain a copy of my great-grandfather's passport if that possible.

Answer: The way you obtain a passport record depends on when the passport was issued. For passports issued between 1925 to the present,

1. Your full name at birth and any subsequent name changes;
2. Your date and place of birth;
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. Your passport numbers or any other information that will help locate your records; and
9. A copy of requester's valid photo identification

Since your are requesting a passport record of someone other than yourself, you also have to include one of the following.

* Notarized consent from the owner of the passport records,
* Proof of guardianship,
* Death certificate, or
* Court order signed by a judge of competent jurisdiction requesting the Department of State to release passport records.

There is no search fee for records. However, if you need a certified copy, a fee of $50 applies. 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:

US Department of State
Law Enforcement Liaison Division
CA/PPT/S/L/LE
1150 Passport Services Pl, 4th Floor
Dulles, VA 20189-1150
(202) 485-6550

For passports issued before 1925, all you have to do is write to the The National Archives and Records Administration. The address is provided below.

National Archives and Records Administration
Archives 1
Reference Branch
8th & Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC
(866) 325-7208