Can you get a passport with a felony? A felony conviction can change your life. It can make it hard to get a job. In some states, you could lose your right to vote. What about getting a passport?
Whether or not you can get a passport with a felony conviction depends on what you were convicted of and whether or not you are still under legal supervision. If you on probation or parole for your felony, you may not be allowed to travel without prior approval. If you have been convicted of a felony drug offense that involved crossing international borders, the State Department may deny you a passport if you are still under supervised release. You could then apply for an emergency or a humanitarian exception to get a passport issued, although there is no guarantee you can get one.
However, in most cases, you can still get a passport even with a felony conviction. Of course, once you have your passport, finding a country that will let you in may be a little bit harder. Some countries won’t let you in if you have a criminal record, especially if you have a felony conviction. If you have a felony conviction, it would be a good idea to research the entry requirements for the country you’re entering.
Also, make sure to allow enough time before your trip for your passport to be returned to you. Passport processing currently takes over 6 weeks for regular processing and 3 weeks for the government’s expedited processing.
If you are nervous about applying for your passport, it might be worth going through a private passport expediting company, as well. They can help you with the paperwork, and can cut processing time down to anywhere from a little over a week to just 24 hours, depending on the option you choose when you order. The sooner you have your passport in hand, the sooner you can stop worrying about it and start planning your trip.
Apply for your passport today!
Tags: getting a passport, passports
Hi..My son and I would like to go to Costa Rica. He has an illness that resulted in repeated DUI convictions,
August 3rd, 2011 at 1:50 pmtime in jail etc. We live in Texas. Is it possible to obtain a passport with his state issued ID, birth certificate, and
and original passport from his adolescence?
Hi Cyndee,
He shouldn’t have any problem obtaining a passport with the documents listed. The problem, though, is that some countries won’t let you enter, passport or no, if you’ve been convicted of a crime. Call the Costa Rican Embassy and ask before you book your trip. Here’s a link to their website: http://www.costarica-embassy.org/index.php?q=node/21
August 4th, 2011 at 11:08 amMy brother is a registered sex-offender and comes off the state’s registry in 2012. He has changed his life around and is eager to help on our missions trips in Honduras and Guatemala. Do you know if he could still get a passport and travel to either of these countries or to Germany to visit family for that matter.
October 16th, 2011 at 11:50 pmHi Ryan,
He should be able to get a passport, but whether or not he can travel to any of those countries is a different story. You would need to check with each of their embassies and see if they’ll let him in given his criminal record.
October 21st, 2011 at 9:28 pmI have a felony Deferred Imposition of Sentence on the State Level on my record that will clear soon. My question is how do the foreign nations find out about my records, and if my sentence is deferred will it make any difference.
November 13th, 2011 at 12:09 amHi Adam,
This varies from country to country. Contact the embassies of the countries you wish to travel to before you make any plans. Good luck!
November 15th, 2011 at 3:36 pmI have a felony domestic violence. I am not under supervision in Ohio anymore. If I wanted to get a passport and travel to Romania…can I?
November 16th, 2011 at 1:59 pmhello, i have felony covictions from 2003, and i am trying to find out if i can travel to ireland and australia with my record? i am off of parole, and have nobody to answer to per se, just trying to figure out if a passport and travel to these countries is possible….
November 20th, 2011 at 2:14 amHi Crystal,
You shouldn’t have any problem getting a passport but may have trouble entering certain countries. You’ll need to contact the embassies of both countries and explain your situation- they should be able to tell you whether or not you’ll experience any problems. Good luck!
November 21st, 2011 at 11:07 pmHi James,
You should be able to get a passport, but contact the Embassy of Romania to see if your felony conviction would keep you from being able to enter the country.
November 21st, 2011 at 11:14 pmI have been traveling to and from Mexico for the past 10 years and have never had a passport. I ride the bus to the border, cross, and then fly from the Mexico border town to my destination. When I return Customs “cry” alittle bit, but I always have my birth certificate and driver’s license.
Of course, I drink the water and drive at night. Both of which are supposed to be “dangerous” there.
November 23rd, 2011 at 11:57 pmLol. John. I’m glad you’ve never had any problems, but be aware that Mexico technically requires US tourists to have passports if you travel beyond the “border zone” and also that at some point you may be temporarily detained when you try to cross back into the US. I understand enforcement tends to be lax for both policies, but that could change and it’s best to be prepared. Regular passports are expensive, but have you considered getting a passport card? They’re only $55 and while they aren’t valid for air travel from the US to Mexico, they’re tailor-made for people who cross into Mexico by land like you do.
November 26th, 2011 at 8:23 pmHi I am currently on probation and went to ask my probation officer for permission to travel to Dominican Republic, they could not submit my paperwork to the court because my passport is expired, will I be able to renew my passport even though I am still on probation in NY?
November 29th, 2011 at 10:14 pmhi i recieved a felony convition on 09-06-2006 for dwelling burlary and am no longer on probation or anythig of the such and havent been for a good three and a half four years! i am wanting to go on a cruise and would like to know if i can get a passport to do such said adventures thanks
November 29th, 2011 at 11:11 pmHi Eric,
You should be fine getting a passport, but you should check with the embassies of the countries you plan to travel to, just to make sure you’ll be able to get in. Good luck!
November 30th, 2011 at 9:04 pmHi Britt,
It probably won’t be a problem if your probation officer is willing to let you travel, but contact the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 to be sure. Good luck!
November 30th, 2011 at 9:06 pmMy cousin is doing time on a RICO charge. Will he be able to get a passport once he is “off paper”?
December 17th, 2011 at 12:15 pmHi Danielle,
He should, once he’s done serving his sentence and is no longer under supervision. However, other countries may have entry restrictions that would keep someone with his record from entering, even just for a vacation. So, if he’s planning to travel to another country, he needs to check with the embassy for that country before he books tickets to make sure he won’t be sent back at the border. Hope this helps!
December 18th, 2011 at 8:43 pmHi, I want to go to Puerto Rico for my 21st birthday and my boyfriend is a convited felon, but his charges are from 2006 for robbery. Will he be able to go with me?
January 14th, 2012 at 1:12 amMy fiance got criminal damage to property when he was 16 but was tried as an adult so even though hes 23 now it still shows on record… Would he be allowed into the UK?
January 15th, 2012 at 6:07 pmHi Abby,
Contact the British Embassy and ask: http://ukinusa.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/our-embassy/contactus/
January 15th, 2012 at 10:17 pmHi Shaunie,
That shouldn’t be a problem- Puerto Rico is a US territory, so unless he’s still under supervision and unable to leave the state, I don’t see why there would be an issue.
January 15th, 2012 at 10:32 pmHey im.currently on probation and im getting married march 10th could my probation officer give me permission to go on a cruise for my honey moon or do I have to get an ok by a judge?
January 18th, 2012 at 8:39 pmHi Chris,
Congrats on the wedding! Ask your probation officer what you need to do about the cruise, and good luck!
January 20th, 2012 at 1:06 pm