Justification for Online Pilot

OMB 1405-0020

U.S. Passport Renewal Application for Eligible Individuals

Justification for On-line pilot

Overview: The Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs has developed a functional Passport Card Application Pilot (“Pilot”) that demonstrates the Passport Services Directorate’s ability to accept, adjudicate, and archive an online application for a passport card.

The Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) requires federal agencies to provide the public with the option to transact with them electronically, when practicable, and encourages government use of a range of electronic signature alternatives. Accordingly, the Online Passport Card Application Pilot will offer an alternative to the paper Form DS-82 by offering U.S. citizens the opportunity to submit passport card applications electronically. The Pilot does not attempt to authenticate the applicant’s identity online.

The purpose of the Pilot is to enable a limited number of U.S. citizens to apply for a U.S. passport card online. The Pilot will run for 90 days or until 20,000 applications are received, whichever occurs first. Use of the Pilot will be limited to applicants who possess a current, fully valid U.S. passport book; can upload an acceptable digital photograph to the internet; and can make an online payment in U.S. dollars via Pay.gov.

The objective of this Pilot is to gain stakeholder consensus to accept online applications for passport cards, and to learn about potential benefits to the Department from utilizing an online application process. This pilot will help determine if potential risks are outweighed by the benefits of accepting electronic signatures. The Department believes that accepting electronic signatures will enable us to eliminate lockbox processing costs, increase data accuracy, shorten cycle time, and reduce applicant burden. This Pilot will demonstrate:

• Pay.gov can be used successfully with CA/PPT systems to capture payment;

• An online application process will not create higher traditional fraud or suspense rates;

• Electronic photo collection can be successful without increasing suspense rates; and

• An online application process can integrate externally collected applicant data into passport systems without compromising passport system data and structural integrity.