The issuing authority for a US passport is the US Department of State, acting through its Bureau of Consular Affairs, under the authority of the Secretary of State. Post offices and libraries only accept applications, and they never issue the passport.
If a form asks who is the issuing authority for a US passport, the short answer is the US Department of State. The longer answer matters when you want to understand who handles your application, why a post office cannot approve it, which offices print the book, and what to write on forms that mix up authority, country and place of issue. This guide explains who issues US passports, what each office does, what the law says, what to enter on common forms and how to avoid sites that pretend to be the issuer. The official parts come from a Congressional Research Service report updated on 19 November 2024, a State Department Inspector General audit from August 2021 and the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 22, Part 51. The form-filling tips come from a passport photo company’s blog updated in March 2025 and a user forum, which are secondary sources. Check your own passport and the form instructions before you submit anything. For the full overview of the process, start with our US passport guide.
Who Is the Issuing Authority for a US Passport?
The US Department of State issues US passports, and the Bureau of Consular Affairs runs the work. Congress has given the Department the power to grant, issue and verify passports.
The Congressional Research Service report says the Department of State, through its Bureau of Consular Affairs, issues US passports, and that Congress vested the power to grant, issue and verify them in the Department. The State Department Inspector General’s 2021 audit says the Bureau of Consular Affairs is responsible for adjudicating and issuing passports and that, by statute, the Secretary of State has authority to grant and issue them. The audit cites the provision titled “Authority to grant, issue, and verify passports.” The federal regulations repeat the point: a passport is a travel document issued under the authority of the Secretary of State that attests to the bearer’s identity and nationality. In plain terms, one federal agency is the issuer. No state government, county office or private company is.
What Law Gives the State Department This Power?
Federal statute and the Title 22 regulations give the Secretary of State the power to grant, issue and verify passports. The Department of State carries it out through the Bureau of Consular Affairs.
The Inspector General audit points to the statutory provision on the authority to grant, issue and verify passports, and the Congressional Research Service report says Congress placed that power in the Department. Part 51 of Title 22 then sets the working rules: who may apply, what proof is needed, who may accept applications and who may approve them. We could not open the eCFR pages directly during research, so we rely on how the audit and the CRS report describe them. This matters for a practical reason. When someone asks who is the issuing authority for a US passport, the legal answer is one agency with one chain of command, and every other office is a helper working under its rules.
Which Offices Do What?
Several offices share the work, but only the State Department decides and issues. The table shows the main players.
| Office | Role | Source |
| Secretary of State | Holds the legal authority to issue passports | Inspector General audit and federal regulations |
| Bureau of Consular Affairs | Adjudicates and issues passports | Inspector General audit and CRS report |
| Passport agencies and centers | Review applications and serve urgent travelers by appointment | CRS report |
| Acceptance facilities | Accept applications and witness signatures | CRS report and federal regulations |
| Treasury lockbox facilities | Open packages, process fees and enter data | CRS report |
| Print centers | Print approved passports, in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and Tucson, Arizona | CRS report |
| Special Issuance Agency | Handles most official and all diplomatic passports | Inspector General audit |
The CRS report says the Bureau of Consular Affairs ran 29 passport agencies and centers and planned to open six more. It also says there were more than 7,400 acceptance facilities nationwide. Those counts date from late 2024, so they may have changed. Our passport office guide explains the difference between an agency and an acceptance site, and our passport acceptance facility guide covers what those sites do.
How Does an Application Move Through the System?
You apply at an acceptance facility, a lockbox processes the package, an agency or center approves it and a print center makes the book. The CRS report describes the flow.
The path looks like this:
- You complete the application and submit it in person at an acceptance facility, if you are a first-time applicant or otherwise cannot renew by mail.
- Treasury lockbox facilities open and sort the package, process the fees and enter the application data.
- A passport agency or center adjudicates the application.
- Approved applications go to a print center, and the passport is mailed to you.
The report says first-time applicants and most applicants under 18 who are renewing must apply in person at an acceptance facility. Our passport application guide explains each step, and our how long does it take to get a passport guide covers the timeline. You can follow your case with the method in our passport application status guide.
Why Is a Post Office Not the Issuing Authority?
A post office is an acceptance agent, which accepts applications and administers oaths, while approval stays with State Department officers. The regulations draw the line clearly.
Title 22 defines a passport acceptance agent as a US national designated by the Department to accept passport applications and administer oaths and affirmations. The designated agents can include employees of court clerks, postal employees at selected post offices, Defense Department employees at authorized military installations and other people the Department designates. The regulations say issuance decisions remain with passport authorizing officers, who are US citizen employees authorized by the Department to approve passports. So when you hand your DS-11 to a postal worker, you are not asking the Postal Service to issue anything. You are using a collection point. That is why you pay two parts: one to the State Department and one execution fee to the facility. Our how much is a passport guide lists the current costs.
Who Issues Passports Abroad?
Consular officers at US embassies and consulates act for the State Department when they take applications abroad. They are part of the same issuing authority.
The regulations list consular officers, consular agents abroad and some designated diplomatic officers among passport agents who can administer oaths. They act for the Department. The source we reviewed does not describe the exact process for each overseas post. For a lost or stolen book, see our lost passport replacement guide. The authority remains the US Department of State even when the book is issued from a foreign city.
What Do You Write on Forms That Ask for the Issuing Authority?
Write US Department of State, and write USA or United States of America for the issuing country. Check how the form words the field.
A passport photo company’s blog says the Department of State is the issuing authority for US passports and that offices that only take applications, such as post offices, do not count. It says an issuing country field needs only the country, such as USA. A user forum thread about a visa application found that most replies suggested entering USA or United States of America for place of issue, and one reply said the authority listed on the data page is usually the State Department. The two sources disagree about where the field sits on the page, and neither is official. Open your passport and read the data page, because layouts changed across passport designs. If a form asks for “place of issue” and your passport does not show one, use the issuing country or the authority and check the form’s help text. Our visa documents checklist tool helps you gather what each form needs.
What Is the Difference Between Authority, Country and Place of Issue?
Authority is the agency, country is the nation and place of issue is the location, and forms use the terms loosely. Answer the exact question asked.
- Issuing authority: The US Department of State.
- Issuing country: The United States of America, often entered as USA.
- Place of issue: Often the country again, unless the form asks for a city and your passport shows one.
One source we reviewed contradicts itself by saying the issuing authority is basically the country of issuance, while its body text separates the two. Treat the body text as correct and check the form instructions. If a visa form is confusing, our difference in visa and passport guide explains how the two documents differ. The number printed on your passport is covered in our doc number on passport guide.
Does the Authority Differ for Special Passports?
Yes, the Special Issuance Agency handles most official and all diplomatic passports, and the Charleston Passport Center handles official passports for certain Defense Department personnel. Both sit inside the Bureau of Consular Affairs.
The Inspector General audit names those two bodies. A tourist passport, an official passport and a diplomatic passport share the same top-level issuer, the State Department, but different offices process them. If you hold a special passport, follow the instructions of your sponsoring agency. Our passport card vs book guide covers the two regular formats, and our expedited passport guide covers speed.
Why Does the Issuing Authority Matter to You?
It tells you where to send complaints, corrections and questions, and which website to trust. Only the Department decides your case.
If your passport has an error, is delayed or needs a correction, the State Department is the body that can fix it, not the facility that took your papers. Acceptance facilities cannot approve, reject or speed up a case. A private expediting company can carry documents, but it cannot change the decision. Knowing this saves time, because you contact the right place first and avoid paying a middleman for something only the Department can do. Our passport application status guide explains how to check a pending case.
How Do You Spot a Fake Issuing Authority?
Only the State Department issues US passports, so any site that claims to issue one is not the real issuer. Be careful with look-alike pages.
Be careful when a website:
- Calls itself an official passport issuer but charges a large service fee.
- Uses a web address that does not end in a government domain.
- Offers a passport without an in-person application for a first-time applicant.
- Asks for your Social Security number before you reach a secure official page.
- Promises a passport in a day for a high fee.
Start at travel.state.gov and follow its links. A private expediting service can legally hand-carry applications, but it is not the issuing authority.
What Mistakes Cause Problems?
Writing a post office as the issuer, mixing up country and authority and trusting a look-alike site cause most problems. Check each point first.
- Entering the post office or library as the issuing authority.
- Writing a city when the form asks for the issuing country.
- Writing USA when the form asks for the authority.
- Assuming a state office issues the passport.
- Using a private site that looks official.
- Guessing instead of reading the data page.
- Forgetting that the number and the authority are separate fields.
- Giving personal data to a site that is not a government page.
When unsure, read your passport and the form’s instructions. For related topics, see our guides on passport name change and passport signature.
FAQs
Who is the issuing authority for a US passport?
The US Department of State, through its Bureau of Consular Affairs. The Secretary of State holds the legal authority.
Does the post office issue passports?
No. A post office accepts applications as an acceptance agent. State Department officers approve and issue the passport.
What do I write for issuing authority on a form?
Write US Department of State. For the issuing country, write USA or United States of America.
Who prints US passports?
Print centers in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and Tucson, Arizona, according to a 2024 Congressional Research Service report.
Who issues passports abroad?
Consular officers at US embassies and consulates act for the State Department.
Can a state or county office issue a US passport?
No. Only the State Department issues US passports. Local offices may serve as acceptance facilities.
Conclusion
So, who is the issuing authority for a US passport? It is the US Department of State, through the Bureau of Consular Affairs and under the Secretary of State. Acceptance facilities, lockboxes and print centers support the process, but they do not decide. On forms, write the Department of State for authority and USA for country, and read your own data page when a field is unclear. Start at travel.state.gov and avoid look-alike sites.
