Applying for a passport can be a confusing tangle of forms. Completing them correctly and providing the documentation requested can speed up your passport application. It can also save you several hours of repeat visits, and eliminate frustration.

First of all, consider whether you can renew your passport by mail. If your current passport is less than 15 years old and is undamaged, you may qualify. However, you must be at least 16 years old now and when the original passport was issued. If your current name differs from your passport, you can still renew by mail but you must provide legal proof, such as a marriage license, that documents your new name.

If it is during the busiest time of year, such as the summer, it can take up to 3 months to receive your passport. During off-peak periods, it may only take 4 or 6 weeks. These times can be halved if you wish to pay an extra $60 for expedited service. When mailing in an application, place the passport forms and your documentation in an envelope that will protect it from the weather. It is also best to use a carrier that allows you to track your mailing and verify proof of delivery.

If you have never had a passport, or if your old one is beyond the time frame of 15 years, you must appear in person. You must also make a personal application if under age 16 either at the present time or when the prior passport was issued. If your previous passport was stolen, lost, or damaged, you cannot renew by mail but must go in person to make the application. Name changes for which you do not have legal documentation also require that you complete the application process in person.

Typically, most people choose to apply at their local post office or office of the county clerk. There are several official passport agencies located across the country, but these are regionally based and may be quite distant from your home. Every office will keep different hours, so it is best to call ahead. Every one, however, will need the same types of documentation. You must prove you are a citizen of the United States by providing an official birth certificate or proof of naturalization. Consular reports or notice of birth can serve if you were born abroad and your parents were citizens of the U.S. If you have an undamaged passport, this will also serve to document citizenship.

You will also be required to prove your identity. A passport can serve for this purpose as well as your proof of citizenship. The most common documentation is a current driver’s license or state issued identification card. If your license was issued by a state other than the one in which you are making your application for passport, you will need a second form of identification. The agency will accept your social security card, your credit card, or your employer identification card. You must also provide a copy of all identification used for the application. This cannot be a duplex copy, or copy with dual sided printing.

Photographs are one area that lead to many rejections. You will need two identical photos, each 2 x 2 and in color. They cannot be more than 6 months old and should show how you currently appear. They must be full face frontal views. The space between the bottom of the chin and the top of the head must fall between one inch and one and three-eighths inches. You should wear your normal style of dress and pose against a white or near-white background. If you normally wear glasses or a wig, you should wear them in the picture. No hats are to be worn, and ladies should refrain from hair trims that hide the hair or hairline.

Children, emergency passports, and passports for those traveling on official business all have varying requirements, and no attempt has been made to address them in this article. But for the typical traveler, this information should help make your U.S. passport application go more smoothly. The most important thing to remember is to assemble your US passport form form and take it with you when you go to apply.