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A Ticket to the World

Every American should get a U.S. passport. Here's how
By Paul Lasley and Elizabeth Harryman
Our friend had been a student leader in the former Czechoslovakia during the Prague Spring of 1968, when hopes for democratic reform briefly flourished, only to wither before an onslaught of Soviet tanks. When we met him in 1980, he had immigrated to the United States and was teaching international relations at UCLA Extension.
"I don't understand why so few Americans have passports," he told us one evening back then. "An American passport is the best bargain in travel. In many nations, citizens are not allowed to travel outside the country except with special government permission. An American passport lets you go almost anywhere in the world."
Today, a U.S. passport is still a good deal (new ones cost $97), but even now, not very many Americans own one (fewer than 23 percent). If you don't have a current passport, what's stopping you? Here's how to get one.

Where to start:

• Go to www.travel.state.gov and click on "Passports."
• If you don't have Internet access, call the U.S. National Passport Information Center at (877) 487-2778.
  
  

What you need:

• Application Form DS-11, available from the website or at one of Southern California's many passport acceptance facilities, most of which are housed in post offices, libraries, and municipal offices.
• Proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a certified copy of your birth certificate or, if you're a naturalized citizen, your certificate of citizenship.
• Proof of identity, such as your current driver's license.
• Two passport photos, two-by-two inches square. You can get them for $8 at your local Auto Club office.
• The applicable fee: $97 (a $55 fee, plus a $12 security surcharge and a $30 execution fee) if you're 16 or older; $82 (a $40 fee, plus a $12 security surcharge and a $30 execution fee) if you're younger than 16. Anyone under 18 or applying for the first time must apply in person; children under 14 must appear with both parents, who must show proof of their relationship to the child. (One parent may appear with the second parent's notarized statement of consent.)
  

Where to go:

• One of the 15 Passport Agencies around the country, all of which are listed on the website. They're open by appointment only.
• One of the 7,000 passport acceptance facilities. You can search on the website for one near you.
  
  

When to apply:

• Now — it will typically take six to eight weeks for your passport to be completed.
• To speed the turnaround time to about two weeks, request Expedited Service. You'll pay an extra $60, plus overnight delivery costs.

Your passport is good for 10 years. It's still the best bargain in travel.

This article first appeared in Westways,
the magazine of the Auto Club of Southern California.