U.S. Department of State · United States

Fill DS-3053 online — free with AI

Form DS-3053: Statement of Consent — U.S. Passport Issuance to a Child

Upload your blank DS-3053 from U.S. Department of State, let AI auto-detect every field, type or dictate your data, and download the completed PDF in seconds. Your first clean download has no watermark, and there is nothing to install.

By uploading, you confirm you have the legal right to use this document.

Free to startFirst clean download includedWorks on any deviceGDPR compliant

JustFill is not affiliated with U.S. Department of State. This is an independent third-party tool to help you complete DS-3053. Always download the current blank form from the official source and verify your completed copy before signing or submitting. Official DS-3053 from U.S. Department of State

Quick answer

Form DS-3053, Statement of Consent, is the U.S. Department of State form used when a child under 16 applies for a passport but one parent or guardian cannot appear in person. The current PDF (edition 10-2024) is a free download from the State Department at eforms.state.gov, linked from the travel.state.gov Passport Forms page; it is English-only and is not in the online Passport Form Filler. The non-applying parent completes Sections 1–3, signs Section 4 only in front of a notary public or passport authorizing officer, and attaches a photocopy of the front and back of the ID shown at signing. It is handed in with the child's DS-11 within 90 days of that signature. With JustFill you upload the blank DS-3053 PDF, the AI auto-detects every field, you type or dictate your details, and the first clean completed PDF download is included at no charge.

Form
DS-3053
Issued by
U.S. Department of State
Country
United States
Free allowance
First clean download
Official edition
DS-3053 10-2024 (OMB 1405-0129, expires 10-31-2027)
Source checked

What is DS-3053?

Both parents or guardians normally must appear in person when a child under age 16 applies for a U.S. passport. When one of them cannot be there, Form DS-3053 is how the absent parent gives written consent. JustFill turns the official PDF into a fillable form you complete in your browser — the signature must wait for the notary, but you can prepare every other field cleanly instead of handwriting it. That matters here because the form says to print legibly or type in black ink and, if you make an error, to complete a new form rather than correct it. That matters here because the form says to print legibly or type in black ink and, if you make an error, to complete a new form rather than correct it. The absent parent fills in the child's details (Section 1), the name and relationship of the adult who will attend the appointment (Section 2) and their own name, address, phone and email (Section 3), then signs Section 4 in front of a notary public or passport authorizing officer and attaches a photocopy of the front and back of the ID presented at signing. The applying parent then brings the notarized DS-3053 to the passport appointment with the child's DS-11. It expires 90 days after notarization.

Download the DS-3053 form PDF — free

Download the current Form DS-3053 (edition 10-2024, OMB control number 1405-0129, expires 10-31-2027) free from the State Department at eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds3053.pdf, the link used on the travel.state.gov Passport Forms page. The form is published in English only; the Spanish-language travel.state.gov page links the same English PDF. DS-3053 is not one of the forms the State Department's online Passport Form Filler covers (those are DS-11, DS-82, DS-5504 and DS-64), so you either handwrite it or type it in a PDF tool. Upload the official blank to JustFill, complete Sections 1–3 on screen, print it single-sided on letter paper, and leave Section 4 for the notary. The first clean completed download is included at no charge.

Get the official DS-3053 PDF from U.S. Department of State

Who fills out DS-3053?

  • Parents or legal guardians who cannot appear in person at their child's passport appointment
  • Non-applying parents giving notarized consent for a passport for a minor under age 16
  • Divorced or separated parents when only one parent will attend the DS-11 appointment
  • Parents who are deployed, traveling, or working abroad on the application date
  • Legal guardians providing consent on behalf of a child in their custody

Field-by-field breakdown

What each section of DS-3053 asks for. JustFill’s AI will detect these fields automatically when you upload the PDF — review the breakdown below so you know what to enter.

Child's information

The minor's full name and date of birth exactly as they appear on the DS-11 application.

Non-applying parent details

Section 2 names the adult who will appear in person with the child and their relationship (Legal Parent, Legal Guardian or Third Party). Section 3 carries the full name of the parent or guardian who cannot appear (a second blank for a second absent parent), their street address, city/state/country/ZIP, phone and email, and an optional line to limit consent to a passport book only or card only.

Statement of consent

The declaration consenting to the issuance of a U.S. passport to the named child.

ID presented to the notary

The type and number of the identification the absent parent shows when signing — a photocopy of both sides must be attached.

Signature

The non-applying parent signs and dates the form in front of the notary, not before.

Notary section

Completed by the notary public or passport authorizing officer — signature, date, location (agency or city and state) and seal. The signed date starts the 90-day validity window and must match the date you sign. The notary must not be related to you.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • 1Signing the form before the appointment — Section 4 says "STOP HERE! Do not sign this form until requested to do so by a Passport Authorizing Officer or Notary", and your date must match the notary's date.
  • 2Forgetting the photocopy of the front and back of the ID the absent parent presented to the notary.
  • 3Submitting a DS-3053 notarized more than 90 days before the child's DS-11 application — it expires and must be redone.
  • 4Using a relative as the notary, or correcting a mistake on the form — the notary must not be related to you, and the form says to complete a new copy instead of correcting an error.

DS-3053 example — what a filled-out form looks like

A nine-year-old is applying for a first passport. One parent will take the child to the acceptance facility with the DS-11; the other parent is working out of state and completes DS-3053 instead of appearing in person. Both parents share custody.

Section 1a — Child's name (LAST, FIRST MIDDLE)

SAMPLE, AVA ROSE

Copy it exactly as it appears on the child's DS-11. The form's own example is "SMITH, JOHN ROBERT".

Section 1b — Child's birthdate (MM-DD-YYYY) and the "age 16 or 17" box

03-14-2017 — box left unchecked

The child is nine, so the 16-or-17 box stays empty. That box only matters for the one-parent "awareness" rule for older teens.

Section 2a–2b — Adult applying in person with the child

SAMPLE, JORDAN LEE — Legal Parent

This is the parent who will attend the appointment, not the one signing the consent. Tick one relationship box only.

Section 3 — Name of the parent who cannot appear (blank space 1)

Casey Morgan Sample

The absent parent is the "affiant". Blank space 2 stays empty because only one parent is absent.

Section 3 — Book/card restriction line

Left blank

Blank means consent covers both a passport book and a passport card. Write "Issue passport book only" or "Issue passport card only" if you want to limit it.

Section 3 — Address, phone and email of the non-applying parent

100 Sample St, Anytown, WA 98000 — (555) 010-0123 — casey@example.com

Contact details let Passport Services reach the consenting parent if anything needs confirming.

Section 4 — Signature and date

Left blank until the notary appointment

The form says "STOP HERE! Do not sign this form until requested to do so by a Passport Authorizing Officer or Notary." Your date and the notary's date must match.

Section 4 — Identifying document presented

Driver's License — Casey Morgan Sample — ID number WDL•••••••• — Washington — issued 2023, expires 2029

Record the exact ID you hand to the notary, then attach a photocopy of its front and back to the form.

Notary block (signature, date, location, seal)

Completed by the notary, not by you

The notary must not be related to you. The 90-day validity window starts from the notary's signed date.

These values are made up. They are here to show what belongs on each line, not to be copied — every name, number, and address on your own DS-3053 has to be your own.

How JustFill helps you complete DS-3053

AI field detection

Upload your blank DS-3053 PDF and our AI maps every fillable region — no manual drawing required.

Save as template

Fill DS-3053 once, save the layout, then reuse it instantly for the next client, employee, or filing.

Your data stays yours

GDPR compliant. Export or delete all your data anytime from your account settings.

Ready to fill DS-3053?

Drop your blank DS-3053 PDF below. Free account, no credit card.

By uploading, you confirm you have the legal right to use this document.

Frequently asked questions

No. The State Department publishes DS-3053 in English only. Its Spanish-language passport forms page describes the form in Spanish but links the same English PDF and labels it "en inglés". Complete the form in English; the instructions on the Spanish page match the English ones — one parent who cannot appear in person signs it, and it goes in with the DS-11.
The form is free to download from travel.state.gov. JustFill is free to start and includes the first clean completed PDF download; further clean exports use a one-time pack or a plan. Notary fees and the government passport fees for the child's DS-11 application are separate.
Download the current DS-3053 PDF (edition 10-2024) free from eforms.state.gov/Forms/ds3053.pdf — the link on the travel.state.gov Passport Forms page — then upload it into JustFill to complete Sections 1–3 online before you visit the notary. Passport acceptance facilities do not hand out the form for you to fill in on the spot.
Yes. The non-applying parent signs it in front of a notary public or a passport authorizing officer and attaches a photocopy of the front and back of the ID presented at signing. The State Department accepts electronically notarized consents where state law allows them, but you must bring a printed copy to the appointment. In some countries the form must be notarized at a U.S. embassy or consulate rather than by a local notary.
For 90 days from the date the notary or passport authorizing officer signs it. The child's DS-11 application must be submitted within that window, or a new DS-3053 is required. It is handed in with the DS-11, not mailed separately.
DS-3053 only works when the absent parent can sign. If you cannot find the other parent but both of you still have custody, submit Form DS-5525 (Statement of Special Family Circumstances) instead; the State Department may ask for more evidence, such as a custody or restraining order. A parent who refuses to consent is a different situation — DS-5525 does not cover it, and you would need a court order granting you sole custody or permission to apply for the passport. No consent form is needed if you can show sole authority, for example a sole-custody order, a birth certificate listing only you, or the other parent's death certificate.
The State Department accepts electronically notarized statements of consent when your state's law allows remote notarization, but you must bring a printed copy to the child's passport appointment. Check with a notary in your state, and remember that some countries require notarization at a U.S. embassy or consulate instead.
Yes. The form itself says a separate notarized written statement containing all the details on the form may be submitted in its place. Using the official form is simpler because it prompts for every required item, including the ID details the notary must record.
Yes — the worked example above walks one absent parent through every section, from the child's name to the ID the notary records. The values are fictional; use it to see the shape of a completed form, not to copy from.

Official source: DS-3053 on U.S. Department of State’s website

Edition checked: DS-3053 10-2024 (OMB 1405-0129, expires 10-31-2027). Verified against the official source on .

JustFill is an independent product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by U.S. Department of State or any government agency. Always verify your completed form on the official version before signing or submitting.