Form DS-10 (often searched as ds10), Birth Affidavit, is the U.S. Department of State affidavit that supports a passport application when a person born in the United States has no birth certificate, or when the birth certificate was filed more than a year after the birth. A close blood relative or someone personally involved in the birth, called the affiant, completes it and signs it before a passport agent, passport acceptance agent, or notary. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the official PDF is published by the State Department.
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What is DS-10?
Form DS-10, Birth Affidavit, is a sworn written statement, issued by the U.S. Department of State, in which a person with personal knowledge of a passport applicant's birth describes that birth. It is used when no birth certificate exists for a person born in the United States, or when a U.S. birth certificate was filed more than a year after the birth.
An affidavit is a signed written statement that the person making it swears or affirms is true. On this form that person is the affiant. The form asks for the passport applicant's name, date of birth, place of birth and current home address, how long and in what capacity the affiant has known the applicant, and a detailed account of the birth, including the birth parents' names. The affiant then declares under penalty of perjury that the information is true and correct to the best of their knowledge.
Form DS-10 is not a passport application. It is submitted with an application for a U.S. passport, together with Form DS-11, Application for a U.S. Passport, and the other evidence of birth the form lists. The form carries OMB Control No. 1405-0132 and the revision date 10-2024. Its warning states that knowingly and willfully false statements in passport applications, including affidavits, are punishable by fine and/or imprisonment under U.S. law, and that all statements and documents are subject to verification.
Who needs to file DS-10?
The main users are passport applicants born in the United States who cannot show a birth certificate, or whose birth certificate was filed more than a year after birth. For them, someone else completes this form.
The affiant must be one of two kinds of person:
- A close blood relative, such as an older brother or sister, who has personal knowledge of the details of the applicant's birth.
- A person who was personally involved in the birth, such as the attending physician.
The affiant must remember and explain the birth in detail. A written statement that includes all of the information on the form may be used instead of the form.
The passport applicant does not fill out the affidavit. The applicant submits it with Form DS-11, Application for a U.S. Passport, and the other records the form lists.
The notary section of the form says the affiant is not related to the passport agent, passport acceptance agent, or notary who witnesses the signature.
When to file DS-10
Complete Form DS-10 when a passport applicant born in the United States has no birth certificate, or has one that was filed more than a year after birth, and you are preparing the passport application. The form is submitted with that application, so it has no separate due date printed on it.
Do not sign it in advance. The affiant signs in front of a passport agent, passport acceptance agent, or notary, and the date of the affiant's signature must be the same as the date of that person's signature. The form also says requests for copies of the affidavit should be made at the time it is executed.
Documents you need
- A clear photocopy of the front and back of the affiant's valid government-issued photo ID, the same ID the affiant showed to the passport agent, passport acceptance agent, or notary.
- Early public records for the passport applicant, such as a baptismal certificate, hospital birth certificate or early school records, listed on the form among the applicant's submissions.
- A delayed birth certificate or a Letter of No Record showing that no birth certificate exists, from the vital records office in the state of birth.
- Form DS-11, Application for a U.S. Passport, which the passport applicant submits together with the DS-10.
- A separate sheet of paper, only if the account of the birth on line 7 needs more space.
How to fill out DS-10
Prepare to use black ink
The form says to use black ink only. If you make an error, complete a new form rather than correcting it.
Enter the applicant's name
Line 1: the passport applicant's last name, suffix (Jr., Sr., III), first name and middle name.
Enter birth date and place
Line 2: the applicant's date of birth. Line 3: the applicant's place of birth, city and state.
Enter the applicant's home address
Line 4: street, apartment or unit, city, state or country, and ZIP or postal code of the applicant's current home address.
Explain how you know the applicant
Line 5: how many years you, the affiant, have known the passport applicant. Line 6: how you know the applicant, for example older sibling, parent or physician.
Describe the birth in detail
Line 7: write everything you remember about the birth, including the date, time and location, the individuals present, how you learned of the event, the names of the birth parents and your relationship to the applicant or the parents. Attach a separate piece of paper if you need more space.
Complete the affiant's information
Enter your printed name, Social Security number, date of birth (MM/DD/YYYY) and address (number and street, city, state and ZIP code). The Privacy Act statement says providing the Social Security number is voluntary but failure to provide information may cause processing delays.
Sign before an authorized witness
Do not sign until you are in front of a passport agent, passport acceptance agent, or notary. Sign under the oath, and make sure the date matches that person's signature date.
Leave the witness section to the agent
The agent or notary records the identifying document you presented (type, ID number, place of issue, issue date, expiration date), the date, their name and location, and adds the seal.
Review, print and download the PDF
Check every entry and the order of the signatures. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF, add a clear photocopy of the front and back of your ID, and take it to the signing.
How to submit DS-10
Form DS-10 is not filed on its own. It goes in with the passport applicant's application for a U.S. passport.
- With the passport application: the applicant submits the signed DS-10 together with Form DS-11, Application for a U.S. Passport, and the early public records, delayed birth certificate or Letter of No Record the form lists.
- At signing: the affiant signs in front of a passport agent, passport acceptance agent, or notary, who completes the notary section. The affiant submits a clear photocopy of the front and back of the ID shown to that person.
- More information: the form directs readers to travel.state.gov/citizenship for the requirements for a delayed birth certificate and a Letter of No Record. These are available from the vital records office in the state of birth.
The form gives no separate mailing address for the affidavit itself. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Signing the affidavit before meeting the passport agent, passport acceptance agent, or notary; the form must be signed in front of that person.
- Dating the affiant's signature on a different day from the agent's or notary's signature; the two dates must be the same.
- Leaving out the photocopy of the front and back of the affiant's ID, or copying an ID other than the one presented at signing.
- Using a pen that is not black, or correcting an error by writing over it; the form says to use black ink and to complete a new form instead of correcting.
- Giving a vague account on line 7 without the date, time and place of birth, the people present, how the affiant learned of the event and the birth parents' names.
- Having someone without personal knowledge of the birth act as affiant; it must be a close blood relative or a person involved in the birth.
- Treating the DS-10 as a stand-alone filing instead of submitting it with Form DS-11 and the applicant's other records.
- Making statements the affiant knows are false; the form warns of fine and/or imprisonment, and all statements are subject to verification.
Frequently asked questions
What is Form DS-10 used for?
Form DS-10, Birth Affidavit, is a sworn statement used when no birth certificate exists for a person born in the United States, or when the U.S. birth certificate was filed more than a year after birth. It is submitted with an application for a U.S. passport.
What is the ds10 form and who fills it out?
The ds10 is the State Department's Birth Affidavit. It is completed by the affiant, a close blood relative with personal knowledge of the birth, such as an older sibling, or a person involved in the birth, such as the attending physician. The passport applicant does not complete it.
Does the DS-10 have to be signed in front of a notary?
The affiant must sign in front of a passport agent, passport acceptance agent, or notary. The date of the affiant's signature must match the date of that person's signature, so do not sign the form ahead of time.
What do I submit with Form DS-10?
The affiant submits a clear photocopy of the front and back of the valid photo ID shown at signing. The passport applicant submits the DS-10 with Form DS-11, plus early public records and a delayed birth certificate or Letter of No Record, as the form lists.
Can I fill out Form DS-10 online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF does not file the form or send it to the State Department; the affiant still signs it before an authorized witness, and it goes in with the passport application.
Can I use a written statement instead of Form DS-10?
Yes. The form says that this form, or a written statement that includes all of the information on it, must be filled out by a qualifying relative or person involved in the birth. A statement must still be signed in front of an authorized witness.
What if I make a mistake on Form DS-10?
Complete a new form. The form says to use black ink only and not to correct errors. Request any copies of the affidavit at the time you execute it.
What happens if the affiant gives false information?
False statements made knowingly and willfully in passport applications, including affidavits, are punishable by fine and/or imprisonment under U.S. law, including 18 U.S.C. 1001, 1542 and 1621. The form also states that all statements and documents are subject to verification.
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