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List A — Acceptable

Last Updated: April 2026

Researched by the I9AuditReady Research Team

US Passport Numbers for Form I-9: Document Number & Issuing Authority

Where to find the passport number, what to enter as issuing authority, and how expiration works for U.S. citizens — including the no-reverification rule most employers get wrong.

Quick answer: Document Number = 9-character code in upper right of data page (e.g., A12345678). Issuing Authority = “U.S. Department of State.” No reverification needed when US citizen's passport expires.

Where to Find the Document Number

United States of America — Passport (Data Page)

Surname

DOE

Given Names

JOHN ALEX

Nationality

UNITED STATES

Date of Birth

01 JAN 1985

Date of Expiry

01 JAN 2035

Passport No.

A12345678

Enter this

MRZ (Machine Readable Zone)

P<USADOE<<JOHN<ALEX<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

A123456783USA8501014M3501014<<<<<<<<<<<<<<06

Passport number also appears here — first 9 chars after country code

Where exactly on the passport:

  • Primary location: Upper right corner of the biographical data page (the page with your photo), labeled “Passport No.”
  • Also in MRZ: The 9-character passport number is the first field after the country code on the second line of the machine-readable zone at the bottom of the data page.
  • Format: 9 characters — typically one letter followed by 8 digits (e.g., A12345678), or all digits for older passports.

What to Enter in Form I-9 Section 2

Section 2 FieldPassport BookPassport Card
Document TitleU.S. PassportU.S. Passport Card
Issuing AuthorityU.S. Department of StateU.S. Department of State
Document Number9-char code (e.g., A12345678) — upper right of data page9-char code beginning with C (e.g., C12345678) — front of card
Expiration DateDate printed on data page (MM/DD/YYYY)Date printed on front of card

Passport Expiration and the No-Reverification Rule

Employers must NOT reverify U.S. citizens. When a U.S. citizen's passport expires after their I-9 was completed, no Section 3 reverification is required. U.S. citizens have permanent and unconditional work authorization. Treating passport expiration as requiring reverification violates anti-discrimination provisions under 8 U.S.C. § 1324b.
At hire, the passport must be unexpired. The passport presented for Form I-9 Section 2 must be valid (unexpired) at the time of hire. An expired passport cannot be accepted for initial I-9 completion, even for U.S. citizens.
Passport receipts: A receipt from the State Department showing a passport application is NOT a valid substitute for the passport itself for I-9 purposes. Unlike some other documents, there is no “receipt rule” for passports — the actual document must be presented.

Key Facts About US Passports and Form I-9

  • A U.S. Passport and U.S. Passport Card are both List A documents — they establish both identity and employment authorization for Form I-9 purposes under 8 C.F.R. § 274a.2.
  • The passport number is a 9-character alphanumeric code located in the upper right of the data page, labeled “Passport No.”
  • The issuing authority for all U.S. passports is the U.S. Department of State, not USCIS.
  • Employers may NOT reverify U.S. citizens based on passport expiration — doing so is a potential violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324b (anti-discrimination in I-9 verification).

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the document number on a US passport for Form I-9?

The passport number (document number) is located in the upper right corner of the biographical data page — the page that contains the holder's photo, name, date of birth, and expiration date. It is a 9-character alphanumeric code. For most U.S. passports it begins with a letter followed by 8 digits (e.g., A12345678) or is purely numeric (e.g., 123456789). This number also appears in the machine-readable zone (MRZ) at the bottom of the data page.

What is the issuing authority for a US Passport on Form I-9?

For Form I-9 Section 2, the issuing authority for a U.S. Passport (both the passport book and the passport card) is 'U.S. Department of State'. Do not write 'USCIS' — USCIS does not issue passports.

Do I need to reverify a US citizen's I-9 when their passport expires?

No. U.S. citizens have permanent work authorization. When a U.S. citizen's passport expires after their I-9 was completed, the employer is not required to reverify the I-9. Reverification of U.S. citizens based on document expiration may violate anti-discrimination provisions under 8 U.S.C. § 1324b.

What is the difference between a US passport book and a passport card for I-9?

Both a U.S. Passport book and a U.S. Passport Card are List A documents for Form I-9 — they prove both identity and employment authorization. The key difference is the document number format: passport books use a 9-character code (letter + 8 digits), while passport cards use a different format beginning with 'C' followed by 8 digits (e.g., C12345678). The issuing authority for both is 'U.S. Department of State'.

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I9AuditReady provides compliance tracking tools, not legal advice. Information is based on USCIS Form I-9 instructions (Rev. 08/01/23) and 8 U.S.C. § 1324b. Consult a qualified immigration attorney for advice on your specific situation.