Should I Sign My Passport with My Middle Name?

Receiving your new passport isn’t exactly the end of the journey. There’s one little thing left: signature.

Do you have to sign your passport? According to US State Department passport signature rules, bearers must sign their passports. But do you sign with your full name (middle name included) or not? Read on.

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Signature of a passport bearer—rules and requirements

There is one basic rule when signing a US passport: the owner’s signature must be the one they use every day. It should contain one’s first and last name, so middle name is not essential. Your signature should also be clear and readable, resembling your signature on other important legal documents.

How to sign a passport

Do I sign my passport with my full name? Yes, you must sign your full name in black or blue ink. Your signature must be readable, clear, and look similar to your previous signature. Your middle name in a passport signature isn’t essential.

However, you can sign a passport with your middle name if that’s how you usually sign official documents.

Where to sign a passport

You should sign your passport in the designated area on the page opposite to your photograph. Look for a line saying “signature of bearer,” and sign your full name in black or blue ink along the dotted line.

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FAQ

To wrap it up, let us get some answers to the most frequently asked questions about middle names in passport signatures

Do you have to sign your middle name on a passport?

The passport signature of a bearer should be natural, so holders need to use their typical, day-to-day signature. If your normal signature doesn’t include a middle name and you still want to add it, you need to make both signatures similar.

I don’t have my middle name signed on my old passport—is that a problem?

No, there shouldn’t be any problems. Even though the instructions to sign a passport say that it must be signed with a full name, the message behind this is that your signature should look like your typical, day-to-day one. So if your passport has that, everything is fine

What if my signature no longer looks like the one in my passport?

If the holder’s current signature no longer looks like the one on the passport, changing a whole document might not be necessary. It is important, though, that you use your passport signature while signing important legal documents until the moment you can change it.

Are you supposed to sign your passport?

Yes, a signature of the passport bearer is mandatory. You must sign your passport with your full name (middle name is optional). The place for your signature should be on the page opposite to your photograph.

Signing your passport summed up

Do you sign your passport? Yes, a US passport must always be signed with a natural, everyday signature. Even though the booklet you got in the mail with your passport says to sign with a full name, the passport signature rules state that the first name and your surname (last name) must be included; your middle name is optional.

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Sources

[1] https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110212001

Karolina Młodzka

Karolina’s passion for law, technology and photography led her to PhotoAiD S.A., where for the past 3 years she has been an expert in the implementation of passport photo compliance procedures in +80 countries around the world.

Do I Sign My Passport (Middle Name & Other Passport Signature Rules)