We all lead busy lives that take us away from the office and home. You may have ordered a new passport, and the passport office has notified you that your new passport is ready for pickup while you are going to be out of town, in the hospital, or otherwise occupied. The passport is needed for an upcoming trip which cannot be delayed; however, picking it up requires sending someone else in your place to collect your new passport on your behalf.
The passport office has requirements that must be met whenever a passport is being collected. They need to ensure that the person collecting the passport is the passport owner or authorized representative acting on your behalf. This post explores more details about this process and how an authorization letter for collecting a passport must be prepared and presented by your representative before they can legally collect the passport.
What Is an Authorization Letter for a Passport?
An authorization letter for a passport contains all of the personal details of your representative and yourself. It authorizes your representative to collect the passport in your place. Signatures of both parties indicated that you are both in agreement that your representative should collect your passport.
There are typically four parties involved in the process of preparing and receiving the authorization letter for a passport. They include:
- The official owner of the passport
- Your representative authorized to collect the passport on your behalf
- A notary authorized to witness your signature and your representative’s signature after verifying both identities.
- Government employees who receive and process passport applications
How to Write an Authorization letter for a Passport?
Your letter should follow a standard business format and be professional, short, and direct to the point. The following guide can help readers prepare an excellent authorization letter to collect a passport on your behalf:
- Personal information details – include your full name as it appears on your passport, along with the street address, city, state, and zip code. This information should also correspond to government identification. e.g., driver’s license.
- Current date – add the date the letter was prepared
- Recipient details – add the recipient’s full name, street address, city, state, and zip code. Note that this information should correspond to government-issued identification. For example, the person’s driver’s license and passport should reflect the same details you provide in the letter. They will be asked to prove their identification and address.
- Include the authorized duties in detail – provide a clear statement authorizing your representative to collect your passport on your behalf. You may want to check with your state’s passport office for any specific details that should be included in the letter regarding your representative.
- Include the date or dates of authorization – if there is a specific day the passport is to be collected, specify this date; otherwise, indicate a range of dates to offer your representative some flexibility regarding when they collect your passport.
- Provide a reason for the authorization – which can include travel out of state, being in the hospital, or being unable to get away from work on the specific day and time offered for pickup at the passport office.
- Have the letter notarized – before signing the authorization letter for a passport; consumers should be aware that the passport office requires these letters to be notarized by a notary for your state. He or she will confirm your identity and that of your representative, request signatures from both parties on the letter, and will then notarize the letter. Once notarized, this letter becomes a legal document accepted by the government’s passport office.
The following are several examples of authorization letters:
Sample Authorization Letter for Submitting Passport
[Your full name]
[street address]
[City, State, Zip Code]
[Date]
[Passport office name]
[street address and floor number]
[city, state, and zip code]
To Who It May Concern
I, [Your full name], as identified on my driver’s license [Drivers license number] and passport number [current passport number], authorize [Your agent’s name], holding identification [indicate ID and number of ID] to collect my passport on my behalf.
I have attached photo IDs of myself and my agent as well as attested both signatures herein.
The details of my passport are:
[Your full name]
[Passport number]
Authorized by: [Your name – print]
Signature [affix your signature]
[your phone number]
Authorized agent: [Your agent’s full name – print]
Signature: [Your agents signature]
[Your agent’s phone number]
Yours sincerely,
[Your name – printed]
[Your signature]
Sample Authorization Letter for Passport Collection
[Your full name]
[street address]
[City, State, Zip Code]
[Date]
[Recipients name]
[street address and floor number]
[city, state, and zip code]
Greetings,
This is to certify and confirm that I [Your full name], passport number – [passport number] hereby authorize [Your agent’s full name], ID [add ID name and reference number] to collect my passport on my behalf on [Date] from your location. I am unable to pick up my passport due to business travel requirements on [Date].
Name as it appears on passport: [name]
Passport number: [number]
Principle name: [your name]
Signature: [your signature]
Agents name: [Your agent’s name]
Signature: [Your agents signature]
Sincerely,
[Your Name-printed]
[Your signature]
[contact information]
Sample Authorization Letter for Passport Renewal
[Your full name – as shown on passport]
[street address]
[City, State, Zip Code]
[Date of signing]
[Passport office name]
[street address and floor number]
[city, state, and zip code]
Greetings,
This letter is to certify and confirm that I [Your full name], passport number – [passport number] authorizes [Your agent’s full name], ID [add ID name and reference number] to collect my passport renewal on my behalf, the week of [Date -Date] from your passport office. I am unable to pick up my passport due to hospitalization for surgery.
Name as it appears on passport: [Your name]
Passport number: [number]
Principle name: [your name – must agree with passport and other ID provided]
Signature: [your signature]
Agents name: [Your agent’s name – must agree with ID provided]
Agents Address: [Address]
Signature: [Your agents signature]
Sincerely,
[Your Name-printed]
[Your signature]
[contact information]
Notary Contact Details: [Notary name, address]
FAQs
The following are some of the frequently asked questions about passport collection and preparing authorization letters for passport collection.
A passport can be collected by someone else; however, before the passport office will release the passport to your friend, buddy, or even a family member, they will have to have in their possession the authorization letter for passport release that has been signed by both parties and notarized.
If you find yourself in a foreign country, check with or call the embassy in the country to report it stolen and also arrange to have emergency travel documents or a temporary passport issued. Note that most airlines will not allow you to board unless you have a valid passport in hand. That includes traveling from the US to a foreign country.
If someone else has your passport, hopefully, they will turn it in; however, thieves may use the passport for identity theft endeavors, leading to illegal activities and implicating you in crimes of which you were not part. Always report the passport missing immediately and guard your passport carefully to avoid losing it, leading to misuse.
Aside from someone stealing your passport, or if the owner of the passport misplaces the passport, passport offices will not release your passport to just anyone. A person must be able to offer a notarized authorization letter for releasing the passport. The details listed on the letter must be the same on all of the identification used, which the notary reviews and notarizes the letter. For example, the complete name shown on the passport must be shown on the letter, and the same name must be shown on support identification, e.g., driver’s license.
Your application will be returned, and a notice will be provided indicating your passport application was rejected. If you feel there were errors made on the initial application, contact your local passport office to determine the appropriate action you can take to resolve your passport application refusal.
A passport application can be rejected for many reasons. Failing to pay the renewal fee, or there were errors on the application, or perhaps the information provided does not match the information provided in supporting documents. Names, spelling, etc., must be the same. There may be legal reasons why your passport is also rejected. Federal warrants for arrest, criminal court orders, parole conditions, probation conditions, or requests for extradition are just a few of the reasons passport applications are rejected.
Key Points
An authorization letter for your passport release to your agent allows the passport office to release your passport to your designated agent.
The letter should be short, business-like, and clearly show all of the information required. It must be notarized to demonstrate that this is a legally accurate letter. It must be typewritten and follow standard professional formatting.
As the applicant, you must have a valid reason for delegating the collection of your passport from the passport office by your agent. The letter will include the date the passport is to be collected or specify a period when your agent is to retrieve your passport.
Your passport is an important document. If it falls into the wrong hands, it can be used for identity theft and other illegal activities. Always ensure your passport is protected and only allow it to be carried by someone you trust and have provided a letter of authority allowing them to collect or carry your passport.
