Origins of the United States Passport: Final Part 7

1968 to 2020: Bicentennial edition, Next Generation Passport

August 26, 1968: U.S. passport validity was extended to five years from the date of issue, and the renewal fees were eliminated. Furthermore, the introduction of the mail-in application (DSP-82) streamlined the process, and existing passports were automatically extended for five years from their issue date.

In 1968: The installation of the American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) improved the utilization of passport writing machines, thereby enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of passport processing.

January 1, 1969: The message on the first page of the passport from the Secretary of State was modified to the third person, eliminating the need for overprinting with each change of Secretary. This change was initially implemented on January 1, 1961. Although the Secretary’s signature was restored in 1963, it was permanently removed on January 1, 1979.

March 25, 1969: The Passport Office extended the consecutive numbering period for diplomatic, official, and Foreign Service passports by an additional 10 years, extending it through 1979.

Oath of Allegiance abolished

June 26, 1972: The requirement for taking an oath of allegiance was abolished.

November 1972: A collaborative effort between a private corporation and the Passport Office resulted in the development of the Instant Passport Photo System (IPPS). Primarily for use at U.S. Embassies and consulates abroad on an emergency basis, this system produced photographs meeting all Passport Office requirements for U.S. passports when cut to the required size.

1976: Except for peak periods, passports were typically issued within three days of receiving the application. This marked a significant improvement compared to 1955 when it took approximately six weeks from application receipt to passport issuance.

Commemorative Passport

January 1976: A special commemorative passport was issued in honor of the United States’ bicentennial celebration. These Bicentennial passports were issued only during the calendar year 1976 and held a five-year validity from the date of issue.

April 1993 to March 1994: A green-colored Benjamin Franklin passport was issued to commemorate 200 years of the foreign service. According to foreign office statistics, this type of passport was issued 4.2 million times.

Despite the higher issuance numbers compared to the 1976 commemorative blue 200 years America edition, the green passport type is nowaday relatively rare.

December 2005: The biometric e-passport was introduced for diplomatic staff and subsequently issued as a regular passport booklet in 2006. This type of passport featured an embedded data chip on the information page, protected by a polycarbonate coating to prevent water damage and bending.

The chip also bolstered identity theft prevention by storing personal information that was difficult to falsify.

Introduction of the Passport Card

August 2008: The passport card was introduced to facilitate land and sea travel into the U.S. from Canada, Mexico, and much of the Caribbean. This card served as proof of identity and citizenship.

2010: A modified version of the passport card was released, featuring a secondary image of the cardholder on the front of the card.

July 2016: The United States Department of State was anticipated to issue a next-generation U.S. biometric passport. This new passport featured an embedded data chip on the information page, protected by a polycarbonate coating, as well as a laser-cut passport number with tapered, perforated holes through the pages.

The enhanced passport also included upgraded artwork, new security features like a watermark, “tactile features,” and more “optically variable” inks. These features aimed to improve passport security, durability, and protection against identity theft. However, this Next Generation Passport was subject to significant delays and was first issued on July 10, 2020, to citizens.

This series has offered a thorough examination of the crucial junctures that have influenced over 240 years of U.S. passport history. Nevertheless, it's essential to acknowledge that this represents just one segment in the ongoing narrative of passport evolution.

Even though physical passports might be nearing obsolescence, it is highly likely that they will persist in evolving within the digital domain.

Sources/References:
– “The American Passport – Its History 1898, Washington Government Printing Office”
– “The United States passport: past, present, future 1976 –U.S. Dept. of State – Passport Office”
– “The Passport In America – The history of a document, Craig Robertson, Oxford University Press Inc., 2010”
– “U.S. Diplomacy & Passport History – A guideline for passport collectors by Tom Topol”

 

Tom Topol | Passport History Expert & Author.
Featured in media incl. CNN, BBC, Newsweek. Awarded by the U.S. Department of State.
"Want to go deeper? My book Let Pass or Die covers the full 500-year history"

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