City of Charlotte Passport Acceptance Facility

U.S. Department of State/Get a Passport.

If you do not want to print the online form, you can obtain the form from the City of Charlotte Passport Acceptance Facility when you come in to apply for the passport. Should you decide to complete the form in our office, you must arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment. Should you have more than one applicant in your party, this will apply for them as well.

Should you make an error, carefully mark through the error one time in black ink then legibly write the correction on top or below the error.

NOTE: Do not sign your passport application! You will be required to sign the application after the Passport Acceptance Agent reads your oath.

All applicants are required to submit evidence of U.S. citizenship, with color copy of evidence, in order to be issued a U.S. passport.

The most common documents used as evidence of citizenship for persons born in the U.S. are:

• U.S. birth certificate.
• Full-validity U.S. passport book or card.
  • The full-validity U.S. passport book or card may be expired but should not have more than routine wear-and-tear damage.

Copies alone are not acceptable and must be accompanied with the certified document.

• If you are in need of a certified copy of your birth certificate and you were born in Mecklenburg County, the Register of Deeds, located at 720 E 4th Street, Charlotte, NC 28202, will be able to assist you.
• If you are in need of a certified copy of your birth certificate and you were born in a North Carolina county outside of Mecklenburg County, the Office of Vital Records, located at 618 N College Street, Charlotte, NC 28202, will be able to assist you.
• If you are in need of a certified copy of your birth certificate and you were born in a state outside of North Carolina, you will need to contact the Vital Records location of your birthplace for more information.

Persons born outside the United States will need to bring one of the following:

• Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Currently Form FS-240, previously Form FS-545).
• Certification of a Report of Birth Abroad (Form DS-1350, no longer issued but still acceptable).
• Certificate of Citizenship.
• Certificate of Naturalization.
• Previous full-validity U.S. Passport without extensive damage.

Should you be unable to obtain one of the items listed above, there is a list of secondary evidence for U.S. Citizenship that may be provided. View the list on the website of the U.S. Department of State/Citizenship.

Please bring one of the following forms of identifications, with color copy of front and back, when you come in to apply:

• Current and valid:
  1. Driver's license (not temporary nor learner’s permit),
  2. Government Employee ID: city, county, state, or federal, OR
  3. Official U.S. Military ID: military and dependents.
• Previous U.S. passport.
• Foreign passport.
• Naturalization Certificate with identifiable photo attached.
• Certificate of Citizenship with identifiable photo attached.

Minors under the age of 16 will use the parent's identification.

Should you be unable to obtain a one of the items listed above, there is a list of secondary evidence of identity that may be provided. View the list on the website of the U.S Department of State/Identification.

Save time by having your passport photo taken at the City of Charlotte Passport Acceptance Facility when you present your application!

The fee for a passport photo is $15.00. Payment for the photo is accepted in check or money order only.

Should you choose to have your passport photo taken elsewhere, a single, color photo, meeting the passport photo requirements bellow is required:

Attire:

While uniforms, such as military or police, may not be worn, religious clothing worn daily may be so long as it is not obscuring the face. Except for religious purposes, no hats or head coverings are permitted. A signed statement regarding religious headgear will be requested.

Photo must not show head phones or a wireless device, such us Bluetooth headset or earbuds, with the exception to hearing aids, should they be normally and consistently worn.

Glasses:

Glasses must be removed for a passport photo even if glasses are routinely worn, unless submitting a signed medical statement stating that glasses cannot be removed due to medical reasons. In this case, frames must not cover the eye(s) nor there be glare, shadows, or refraction on eyeglasses that obscure the eye(s).

Pose and Expression:

While a natural smile is accepted, a neutral facial expression is preferred. The subject must be facing the camera and looking straight ahead, with shoulders square to camera, and both eyes open and clearly visible.

Obscuring the Face:

Full face must be visible and free of shadows and without hair or clothing obscuring the face. An accessory or facial decoration is acceptable if it is normally and consistently worn and does not obscure the face, such as: jewelry, piercings, wigs, and hearing aids.

Background:

Must be a plain, white or off-white, shadow-free background with no other person appearing in the photo.

Size, Resolution, and Image Specifications:

The passport photograph must be 2 x 2 inches in size with the image size, being measured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head (including hair), not be less than one inch or more than 1 3/8 inches.

The photo must be undamaged and have been taken within the past 6 months, without visible pixels, printer dots, or smudges, on matte or glossy quality paper. Photo must have the subject in focus and be sharp with fine detail, while representing a good likeness of the subject.

Lighting, Color, Contrast, and Brightness:

Photos must not contain red eye, shadows on face or background or shine or hotspots.

Lighting must be sufficiently bright so that facial features are clearly visible, with illumination uniformly across the face. Pupils and irises must be clearly visible.

Digital Alteration and Retouching:

Photo cannot be altered, adjusted, retouched, or manipulated, including but not limited to: digital or darkroom techniques such as airbrushing, image enhancing, photo retouching, adjustments to aspect ratio, or adjustments being made to facial features or to the image's background

Head Size and Position:

Head must be centered, facing forward, with the camera not too close or too far away from the subject.

For more information on passport photo requirements, please visit the website of the U.S. Department of State/Passport Photos.

Required Fee - Paid to: City of Charlotte

Payment to City of Charlotte - must be paid SEPARATELY by check or money order

• Application Fee: $35.

Optional Fee - Paid to: City of Charlotte

• Optional Passport Photo: $15.

Required Fee - Paid to: U.S. Department of State

Payment to U. S. Department of State - must be paid SEPARATELY by check or money order.

• Passport book: $130 for adults, $100 for minors (15 years of age and younger).

• Limited-use passport card: $30 for adults, $15 for minors.

• Both passport book and limited-use card: $160 adults, $115 for minors.

Optional Fees - Paid to: U.S. Department of State

• Optional Expedited Service Fee*:  $60 (per applicant).

• Optional 1-2 Day Delivery Return Service Fee*: $21.36 (For passport book only, per application).

• Optional File Search Fee*: $150.

*Expedited Service expedites the processing time of the passport application, per applicant, providing door-to-door processing in roughly three weeks. Processing times are subject to change.

*1-2 Day Delivery Return Service expedites the return of the newly-issued passport book from the Passport Center to the applicant. Fee is to be paid for each applicant desiring the service.

*File Search Fee is necessary when an applicant is unable to present evidence of U.S. citizenship or verification of a previous issued U.S. Passport or Consular Report of Birth Abroad. Along with application, the applicant must submit a written request for a file search.

There is a $35.00 returned check fee.

All fees are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information regarding passport fees and payments, please visit the website of the U.S. Department of State/Passport Fees.

Bring all above original materials, with colored copies, to the City of Charlotte Passport Acceptance Facility in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, 600 East Fourth Street, Charlotte, NC 28202. We are located on the 1st floor in Room 159; left of the Council Chamber.

If completing the application at the facility, please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment, per applicant.

A Passport Acceptance Agent will:

1. Verify that the photograph is a true likeness of the applicant.
2. Verify that the identification presented is a true likeness of the applicant.
3. Screen evidence of U.S. citizenship.
4. Record the identification documentation presented on the application.
5. Review the application for completeness (all provided information must be legible and easy to read).
6. Collect the required passport fees and forward to the Department of State.
7. Verbally administer the oath to the applicant and witness their signature.
8. Print/sign their name, and affix the office’s authorized stamp on the application.
9. Ensure all documents are handled and stored securely and that the applicant’s personally identifiable information (PII) is protected.
10. Mail passport applications to the appropriate address at least daily using traceable mail.

If your minor child also needs a passport, he or she will need to appear in person accompanied by both parents or legal guardians. Both parents' proof of identity will be required on behalf of the minor. If one parent or guardian is not available, the unavailable parent may provide the parent who will accompany the child with a notarized affidavit form and copy of proof of identity to be submitted with the application.

View or download the Passport Application Checklist (PDF, 145KB)to ensure you have all necessary items to bring with you to your appointment.

You can check your application status online or by phone.

You will need the following information:

• Last Name.
• Date of Birth.
• Last Four Digits of the Social Security Number.

You can check online by accessing the Online Passport Status System.

You can also call the National Passport Information Center at 877-487-2778 or 888.874.7793 (TDD/TTY).

Passport forms, including form DS-11, are available at the U.S. Department of State/Passport Forms

If you are unsure of which form you need to complete, please visit the "What Form Should I Use?" page.

View answers to Frequently Asked Questions on the U.S. Department of State Travel website.

The City of Charlotte Passport Acceptance Facility is located at 600 East Fourth Street, Charlotte, NC 28202 We will be located on the 1st floor.

There is a parking deck located at 232 South Davidson Street, with its enterance between 3rd and 4th Streets.

Onstreet metered parking is also available on Third and East Fourth Streets.

For information on public transit, please visit the Charlotte Area Transit System's website.