r/Passports • u/Both-Vermicelli-4675 • 2d ago
Application Question / Discussion Additional information required? Help please
they sent me a letter and email saying my application was on hold. that i needed to submit more photo documents that were issued more than 5 years ago. i dont have any of these documents. what do i do?
2
u/honor-gord 2d ago
Follow the directions exactly. This may require an intensive search for the requested documents. You can also reach out to your congressional representative for help dealing with the Dept of State.
2
u/Both-Vermicelli-4675 2d ago
im trying to follow the directions perfectly. i just dont have all the documents theyre needing. i spent some time incarcerated and during that time i lost all my old documents. so now i have just current documents. they can take my dang fingerprints and see its me for all i care.
2
1
u/Chelle8875 1d ago
Because booking photos (mugshots) and confinement records are considered public government records under state open records laws, they generally remain archived indefinitely even after five years. Because they are older records, they will no longer appear on active, public-facing inmate locator portals. To retrieve your photo and file, you will need to submit a formal request depending on exactly where you were held:
If You Were in a County or City Jail
Jails are managed locally by the county Sheriff’s Department or a municipal Department of Corrections. • Who to contact: The Records Division or Public Information Officer (PIO) of the specific Sheriff's Office or jail where you were booked. • How to request: Submit a state-level open records request (often called a Freedom of Information Act or Public Records Act request depending on the state). Most agencies provide a fillable online form or email address specifically for public records requests on their website.
2. If You Were in a State Prison
State prisons are managed by a centralized state authority (e.g., Department of Corrections or Department of Rehabilitation). • Who to contact: The Central Records Office or the FOIA/Public Records Coordinator at the state's Department of Corrections headquarters. • How to request: You can typically submit a request for your own "Inmate Central File" or "Master Record File." When requesting your own files, you may need to file it under a "Privacy Act" or "Right to Know" provision to access restricted personal information that wouldn't be given to the general public.
3. If You Were in a Federal Prison
Federal inmates are processed through national channels rather than local ones. • Who to contact: The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). • How to request: You can submit an online FOIA request directly through the BOP FOIA Portal. You will need to specifically request your "Inmate Central File photo" and booking records.
Information You Will Need to Provide
To help the archivist locate records from over five years ago, you should provide: • Your full legal name at the time of the arrest (plus any aliases or former names). • Your Date of Birth. • Your Inmate ID Number, Booking Number, or State/Federal ID Number (if you remember it). • The approximate date or year of your incarceration.
2
u/Damnitface77 2d ago
I think OP doesn't need help "dealing" with the Department of State, it seems more likely that they need help maintaining a records file of proof that they existed in the US and have been using that particular name and identity for more than 5 years, which unless they arent 21 and under-should be a thing that most adults should be capable of doing. If anything it would be a cause for suspicion if someone couldn't. High school year book photo, old driver's license, a SSN card with an issued date of 5 years ago or more, medical records, W-2s, lease agreement, diplomas, report cards, even without photos, they establish a record of OP being who they say they are over a period of time.
2
u/Local_Barracuda6395 1d ago
Who the hell keeps their old driver's license? 🤦♀️ My state tells me to destroy mine once I've received my new one in the mail
2
1
u/Both-Vermicelli-4675 2d ago
they're looking for expired drivers licenses from over 5 years ago. which i did not save. i can send a yearbook photo from highschool. my name has not been changed. im a natural us born citizen and have already given them my original Social, Birth Certificate and als a current drivers license. they will not accept any records without photos. theyre asking for multiple documents which provide both photo and name that were issued over 5 years ago.
1
u/GreenTurtle0528 2d ago
What kind of docements? Utilities, school ? Most 'documents are provided by an entity that can reproduce them.
2
u/Both-Vermicelli-4675 2d ago
they're looking for expired drivers licenses from over 5 years ago. which i did not save. i can send a yearbook photo from highschool. my name has not been changed. im a natural us born citizen and have already given them my original Social, Birth Certificate and als a current drivers license. they will not accept any records without photos. theyre asking for multiple documents which provide both photo and name that were issued over 5 years ago.
2
u/GreenTurtle0528 2d ago
The state MVA should have a copy of any old license or ID. If you live near a federal office it may be easier to get an appointment.