If the State Department denies your passport application, you don’t get a passport, and it keeps the $130 application fee and $35 execution fee. Most problems are fixable, though. Usually you get a letter first that explains what’s missing or wrong, and you have 90 days to answer it before your application stops moving.
Your original documents come back to you by mail. Once you fix the problem, you can reapply or send what the letter asks for. Here’s why the State Department denies applications, what happens to your fees and documents, and what to do next.
Already applied on your own? If you applied directly through an acceptance facility or by mail, your application is with the State Department, and we can no longer assist with it. If you’re applying again and your trip is coming up, that’s where we help. We’re The Passport Office, and our experience reviewing applications every day helps minimize denials caused by common paperwork errors. Call us before you reapply.
Denied or on hold? Read the letter first
Many “denials” start as a request for more information. The State Department puts your application on hold and sends a letter or email that says what it needs: a better photo, a missing document, a corrected form, or a signature.
You must respond to that letter or email within 90 days of the date on it. If you answer in time with everything it asks for, the same application keeps going, and you don’t start over or pay again. If you don’t, the application can stop, and you’d have to apply again with new fees.
Why passport applications get denied
Most denials come from problems with the application itself:
- Missing or incomplete information on the DS-11, such as a skipped question
- Proof of citizenship that isn’t accepted, like a digital birth certificate, a photocopy instead of the original, or a document without its official seal
- A photo that doesn’t meet the rules
- A missing signature, or a form signed before the acceptance agent asked
- Payment problems, such as a check made out to the wrong payee
These are the errors we check for at every appointment with us. We go through each document and each answer on the DS-11 with you before the acceptance facility seals anything. That way we catch a missing copy or a skipped question while it’s still easy to fix.
A smaller group of denials are legal holds, and you need to resolve these before the State Department can issue a passport:
- Child support debt over $2,500. Federal rules don’t allow a passport until it’s paid down. You pay the state child support agency, which tells the Department of Health and Human Services, and HHS clears your name. That takes at least 2 to 3 weeks. See the State Department’s page on passports and child support.
- Seriously delinquent federal tax debt. If the IRS certifies the debt to the State Department, the State Department delays or denies your application until you resolve it. See passports and unpaid federal taxes.
- A federal arrest warrant or certain court orders, including some criminal court orders that bar travel.
The letter tells you which reason applies. If it’s a legal hold, the agency named in the letter (or a lawyer) is the right first call. We can’t clear a legal hold for you, but once it’s resolved we can help with the new application.
Do you get a refund if your passport is denied?
Usually not. By law, the State Department keeps the application fee and the execution fee even when it doesn’t issue a passport.
| Fee | Refunded after a denial? |
|---|---|
| $130 application fee (adult book) | No |
| $35 execution fee | No |
| $60 expedite fee | Only if the State Department didn’t process your expedited application within 15 business days. You request it, and it’s reviewed case by case |
The State Department’s expedited fee refund page explains how to ask for that one. If you answer a request letter in time, you don’t pay the fees a second time. If the State Department closes your application and you apply again, you pay the fees again. Reapplying with us? The government fees work the same way, and our service fee is separate, on top of them.
What happens to your documents
The State Department mails your original proof of citizenship, such as your birth certificate or naturalization certificate, back to you separately by First Class Mail. If you sent in an old passport, that comes back too. Keep the address on your application current, and keep a copy of everything you sent.
How to fix it and reapply
- Read the letter closely. It lists exactly what’s wrong and how to send it back.
- Fix every issue it names, not just the first one. A second request letter means more waiting.
- Answer within 90 days if it’s a request for information, using the method the letter gives you.
- Resolve any legal hold first. Pay down child support or settle the tax debt, then wait for the record to clear before you apply again.
- Reapply with a new DS-11 if the State Department closed your application. Bring fresh copies of your documents and pay the fees again.
Our guide to fixing mistakes on your passport application covers the most common form errors.
How to avoid a denial
Check the basics before you apply: the right form, a single-sided printout, an unsigned DS-11, original citizenship documents with clear photocopies, and a photo that meets every rule.
That checklist is exactly why our service stands out when you have travel coming up. A denial costs you more than the fees. It costs you the weeks it takes to apply again. Our experience reviewing applications helps minimize denials from common paperwork errors. We check your documents and complete the DS-11 with you before the acceptance facility seals it. We also take passport photos at our offices, so a photo problem is one less thing to worry about.
Our step-by-step guide on how to get a passport for the first time walks through each one, and our photo rejection guide covers the most common photo problems.
If you need to travel soon
We’re The Passport Office, a registered courier service, and we hand-carry applications to a U.S. passport agency. We can only expedite an application we handle from the start. If you already applied directly through the normal routes, we can no longer assist with that application, and we can’t answer the State Department’s letter for you.
What we can do is help with a new application once you’ve fixed the problem:
- Start online and mail it in. You can start your new application online through our service and mail it to us from anywhere in the U.S.
- Or come in person. Book an appointment by phone, or walk in at most of our offices. We have offices in Atlanta, Clearwater, Hollywood, Kissimmee, Miami, Orlando, Seattle, and Tampa (near the airport).
- Bring your documents, proof of your upcoming travel, and a signed authorization letter for our hand-courier process.
- We review everything and complete the DS-11 with you, so the problem that caused the first denial doesn’t happen twice.
With our Emergency service, we can get your passport in as fast as 2 to 3 business days. You still pay the government fees, including the $60 to expedite, and our service fee is on top of that. Call us to talk through your dates, or see our pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Can you be denied a passport?
Yes. Most denials come from a missing document, a photo problem, or an incomplete form, and you can fix those. A smaller number come from legal holds, such as child support debt over $2,500, seriously delinquent federal tax debt, or a federal arrest warrant.
If my passport application is rejected, do I have to pay again?
Not if you answer the State Department’s letter within 90 days and the application keeps going. If the State Department closes the application and you apply again, you pay the government fees again. The application and execution fees from the first try aren’t refunded.
Can The Passport Office fix my denied application?
Not the one the State Department already has. If you applied directly, we can no longer assist with that application. We can help you apply again with a new application. We review it with you before the acceptance facility seals it, and our courier hand-carries it to a passport agency if you need it fast.
How long does it take to clear a child support hold?
At least 2 to 3 weeks after you pay the state agency. The state has to notify the Department of Health and Human Services, and HHS then updates its records. Apply again after that.
Will I get my birth certificate back if I’m denied?
Yes. The State Department mails original citizenship documents back to you separately from any passport. If something doesn’t arrive, contact the National Passport Information Center.