22 CFR § 51.42 - Persons born in the United States applying for a passport for the first time.
---identifier: "/us/cfr/t22/s51.42"source: "ecfr"legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"title: "22 CFR § 51.42 - Persons born in the United States applying for a passport for the first time."title_number: 22title_name: "Foreign Relations"section_number: "51.42"section_name: "Persons born in the United States applying for a passport for the first time."chapter_name: "DEPARTMENT OF STATE"subchapter_number: "F"subchapter_name: "NATIONALITY AND PASSPORTS"part_number: "51"part_name: "PASSPORTS"positive_law: falsecurrency: "2026-04-05"last_updated: "2026-04-05"format_version: "1.1.0"generator: "[email protected]"authority: "8 U.S.C. 1104; 8 U.S.C. 1185; 8 U.S.C. 1185n (text of Pub. L. 108-458, 118 Stat. 3638, 3823 (Dec. 17, 2004)); 8 U.S.C. 1504; 8 U.S.C. 1714; 22 U.S.C. 211a, 212, 212a, 212b, 213, 213n (Pub. L. 106-113 Div. B, Sec. 1000(a)(7) [Div. A, Title II, Sec. 236], 113 Stat. 1536, 1501A-430); 214, 214a, 217a, 218, 2651a, 2671(d)(3), 2705, 2714, 2714a, 2721, and 3926; 26 U.S.C. 6039E; 26 CFR 301.6039E-1; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 34 U.S.C. 21501-21510; 42 U.S.C. 652(k) ; E.O. 11295, Aug. 5, 1966, 31 FR 10603, 3 CFR, 1966-1970 Comp., p. 570; Pub. L. 114-119, 130 Stat. 15."regulatory_source: "72 FR 64931, Nov. 19, 2007, unless otherwise noted."cfr_part: "51"---
Identifier
/us/cfr/t22/s51.42
Currency
2026-04-05
Positive Law
No
Updated
2026-04-05
Chapter
Department of State
Authority
8 U.S.C. 1104; 8 U.S.C. 1185; 8 U.S.C. 1185n (text of Pub. L. 108-458, 118 Stat. 3638, 3823 (Dec. 17, 2004)); 8 U.S.C. 1504; 8 U.S.C. 1714; 22 U.S.C. 211a, 212, 212a, 212b, 213, 213n (Pub. L. 106-113 ... 8 U.S.C. 1104; 8 U.S.C. 1185; 8 U.S.C. 1185n (text of Pub. L. 108-458, 118 Stat. 3638, 3823 (Dec. 17, 2004)); 8 U.S.C. 1504; 8 U.S.C. 1714; 22 U.S.C. 211a, 212, 212a, 212b, 213, 213n (Pub. L. 106-113 Div. B, Sec. 1000(a)(7) [Div. A, Title II, Sec. 236], 113 Stat. 1536, 1501A-430); 214, 214a, 217a, 218, 2651a, 2671(d)(3), 2705, 2714, 2714a, 2721, and 3926; 26 U.S.C. 6039E; 26 CFR 301.6039E-1; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 34 U.S.C. 21501-21510; 42 U.S.C. 652(k) ; E.O. 11295, Aug. 5, 1966, 31 FR 10603, 3 CFR, 1966-1970 Comp., p. 570; Pub. L. 114-119, 130 Stat. 15.
# 51.42 Persons born in the United States applying for a passport for the first time.(a) *Primary evidence of birth in the United States.* A person born in the United States generally must submit a birth certificate. The birth certificate must show the full name of the applicant, the applicant's place and date of birth, the full name of the parent(s), and must be signed by the official custodian of birth records, bear the seal of the issuing office, and show a filing date within one year of the date of birth.(b) *Secondary evidence of birth in the United States.* If the applicant cannot submit a birth certificate that meets the requirement of paragraph (a) of this section, he or she must submit secondary evidence sufficient to establish to the satisfaction of the Department that he or she was born in the United States. Secondary evidence includes but is not limited to hospital birth certificates, baptismal certificates, medical and school records, certificates of circumcision, other documentary evidence created shortly after birth but generally not more than 5 years after birth, and/or affidavits of persons having personal knowledge of the facts of the birth.