Justification for Changes to DS-86

Justification for Changes to the DS-86

The new version of Form DS-86, Statement of Non-Receipt of a Passport, incorporates a few changes required for smoother Passport Services operations and for the convenience of the person completing the form. Throughout the new version of the DS-86, there is a new distinction made between passport book and passport card. The passport card was recently created as a new passport type to help fulfill the implementation requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). In the third sentence of the Important Notice, the phrase “including yourself” has been added to for the customer’s clarification. At the bottom of the Important Notice, the sentence “Type or print legibly in blue or black ink in white areas only.” has been added to instruct the customer before he/she starts filling out this form. In the new version of the DS-86, the name field has been expanded to have separate blocks for the first, middle and last names. This change will better help Passport employees to research each customer’s claim. Instead of requesting one contact phone number, Passport Services would like to request the applicant’s home and work telephone numbers to more efficiently reach the customer when he/she fills out the required paperwork incorrectly. Passport Services created a new field requesting the “address to which the original passport was to be mailed” in order to ascertain whether we sent the passport to the incorrect address and to ensure the correct address in our system. The “Mailed (Renewals)” option, added as a response to the “Where was the previous application filed?” box, was created for customers who did not receive their passport when utilizing the DS-0082, Application for a U.S. Passport by Mail which is sent in by the applicant directly. This addition will assist in tracking if Passport Services ever received the customer’s original passport application. In the first sentence of the oath, the phrase “of the type(s) specified above” was added indicating to the customer that he/she must check the appropriate box in the previous block. At the bottom of the page, the “Travel Plans (Airline Ticket/Itinerary Info)” and “Other” sections were deleted from the Passport Office Use Only block. Deleting those sections will provide enough space for the separate passport book and passport card blocks, and those sections were not needed as customers do not have to prove immediate travel plans to utilize Form DS-86. On the second page, the Warning statement has been moved from the bottom of the page to the middle of the page. Moving the Warning statement will highlight the consequences for providing false information on this passport form to the applicant. In the Authorities section of the Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act Statements, “et seq.” has been added after the 22 U.S.C. 211a citation in order to accurately quote the law.