Passport Surprise

I called the US passport agency with a question about how to best identify my mother, whose always-used first name is not her birth certificate name. I did have to listen through a phone tree, but once I pressed one for a representative she answered the call immediately. She answered my question clearly and quickly. I know exactly how to proceed.

It is so popular to complain about poor service that I wanted to highlight this speedy phone response exceeding my expectations.

I agree! I had a question in December about what to put on my passport and had the question answered very well too.:D

Very nice to read. Thanks for sharing with us.

I'm curious if the answer was to use the name on Mom's birth certificate?

Hi Sail. The answer was to use the name on the photo ID Mom would present. This was great news to me because it means Mom's passport will be in the same name she really uses and has on all her other ID.

Hi Sail. The answer was to use the name on the photo ID Mom would present. This was great news to me because it means Mom's passport will be in the same name she really uses and has on all her other ID.

Great!

Thanks for sharing. I was interested the answer.

Safe, happy travel for you and your Mom. :)

Thank you for making a positive post! :)

Hi Sail. The answer was to use the name on the photo ID Mom would present. This was great news to me because it means Mom's passport will be in the same name she really uses and has on all her other ID.

That is REALLY SURPRISING. I personally would check that info again.

I went through the same thing. My BC name is a hyphenated first name (combination of my Dad's and my Grandpa's put into female version). I always hated it because it is very un-prounouncable to a lot of people. So by the time I was 12, everyone called me Gina except my parents. They HATED it.

My Mom got me a SS card when I was 14. I didn't ask for it, she just did it. Never saw it-didn't have any idea what name was on it and at that time didn't care. Got a drivers license at 16 as Gina XXX. Got my own passport when I was 18. Back then, they didn't ask for much and it had Gina XXXX on it. Got married as Gina XXXX. Renewed my passport 3 times as Gina XXX. Got divorced and remarried as Gina XXXX. Went to renew my passport in 2006 and I thought I was going to jail for identity theft. Brought my previous passport. They wanted my BC so after I got it, I went back. They don't match. All h*** broke loose.

Question after question. They REFUSED to renew my passport. The FBI showed up at my house. I pulled out marriage papers, house mortgages, divorce papers, pay stubs, college diploma, CA Bar Association card, everything I could think of. I had even been overseas working as a US government contractor with all kinds of US government ID plus a lower level security clearance from the USA (FBI does the clearances-how ironic). The FBI lady finally made the statement she didn't know how I got that first passport without it matching my birth certificate but it was pretty obvious I was who I said I was. I felt like telling her-things were very, very different before 9-11 but she was too young to comprehend. Thought that was the end of it.

When they renewed my passport FINALLY, it was in my BC name. So now I had a DL, credit cards, mortgages, government contracts and all kinds of other paperwork that didn't match. I FINALLY had to go into court and get my name AMENDED (not changed because the court said it wasn't a name change-I had been known by that name for about 50 years) and reapply for a passport. What a hassle.

So I really would check that info you were given again. It could come back to bite your Mom in the behind at the most inopportune time.

Wow, greatam. Thanks for the warning. Mom and I wouldn't mind a passport issued in Mom's birth certificate name. I just needed to know which way to fill out the paperwork. What I would really like is to apply in person so documents could be shown and questions asked and answered right away. Unfortunately the passport office (as opposed to acceptance facility) in my city only allows appointments for travel within two weeks.

Vicki

Wow, greatam. Thanks for the warning. Mom and I wouldn't mind a passport issued in Mom's birth certificate name.

Vicki

Vicki... I've had great advice from greatam in the past and would trust her completely. After all - she's been around the world a couple of times!!

The BC advice that's she is giving seems to be the best solution to your situation. Good luck.

Wow, greatam. Thanks for the warning. Mom and I wouldn't mind a passport issued in Mom's birth certificate name. I just needed to know which way to fill out the paperwork. What I would really like is to apply in person so documents could be shown and questions asked and answered right away. Unfortunately the passport office (as opposed to acceptance facility) in my city only allows appointments for travel within two weeks.

 

 

 

Vicki

Have you looked at neighboring cities? Locally, our Post Office is always booking passport appointments more than two months out. In the surrounding cities and just over the state line into Alabama, they are serving walk-ins and making appointments only a day or two out.

I was a little concerned when I went to a small post office in a very small town that I might know more about the process than the agent did, but he was very efficient and knowledgeable. About 3 weeks later, we had passports.