Who's renewed their passport lately?

[rachelmanija]

I need to renew my passport. The application form says I need either a money order or a check "with my name and date of birth typed or printed on it."

Does anyone know if "printed" means "by hand, not in cursive," or "printed like a book"? I have no checks with my date of birth already on them, and my checks say "Rachel Manija Brown," not, as my passport must be issued as, "Manija Mehera Brown." Because my government seems to be insane at the moment, I obviously don't want to do anything to make them suspicious.

Maybe I should just get a money order...

Comments

[vee-fic.livejournal.com]

I renewed my passport last summer. I used my ordinary checks, and wrote in all-caps letters (the federal government loooooves all-caps letters) my birth date.

While I'm not sure about the name issue, I will say the federal government does have some flexibility: I have a formal first name, which I have used in all business since age 18; but my social security card, including the typed name on it, lists my childhood nickname as my formal name to this day. The Social Security office and IRS have never freaked out about that in the 13 years I've been paying taxes.

[emluv.livejournal.com]

Just hand write your name and birth date onto the check. They'll take the handwritten name over the preprinted one, especially since that's what will be on your application or old passport etc. (After all, if you were getting a passport for a child, your name would be preprinted on your checks, and you'd have to hand write the child's name--no one would expect the child to have checks at all.)

[kateelliott.livejournal.com]

I recently renewed my passport. I sent a check. My checks do not have my date of birth printed on them, so I must have handprinted it. Had no problems. I don't know about the name business, though. You are right that the govment is insane right now.

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

Printed like in handwritten not cursive, for the date of birth, but I have no idea what to do with your name. If there's not a definitive answer from someone else, I'd say get a money order to be safe. Those are free from my bank, dunno about yours.

[movingfinger.livejournal.com]

Geez, that's a toughie: in your position I think I might spring for the money order just to avoid thrashing around on the name issue.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Well we got passports for the boy two months ago and there was no such rule.

[marici.livejournal.com]

Is the RFID in passports still a problem?

[jinian.livejournal.com]

I'd use a money order to avoid as much trouble as possible. Someone I know was just told there was a 10-week turnaround for her expedited renewal, so anything to make it simpler seems like it would have to be a good plan.

[emmalyon.livejournal.com]

By hand is fine, that's what I did. Just put it in the memo area.