If you’re applying for a new U.S. passport in the coming months, you may have a choice to make.
A new limited-edition passport featuring President Donald Trump is scheduled to become available on July 6, 2026. While some travelers may be interested in getting one, others may prefer to stick with the standard design.
Fortunately, according to the U.S. State Department, it’s relatively easy to do either.
News of the upcoming “commemorative passports” originally came out in late April. That’s when the White House teased photo and clip mockups of the newly designed U.S. passports.
Last week, the president shared a photo of what the inside of the travel document will look like in a post on Truth Social. The caption said: “The U.S.A.’s New Passport, which says, ‘Welcome, but be good!’ President DJT.”
It wasn’t immediately clear what “Welcome, but be good!” referred to, since U.S. passports are issued only to U.S. citizens. Several news outlets reported they had contacted the White House for clarification but, as of this writing, had not received a response.
The official White House account on X also shared the photo. That account referred to it as the “Patriot Passport.”
The limited-edition passport will be available starting on Monday, July 6. If issued as shown, Trump would be the first living president to be featured on a U.S. passport, according to reports about the limited-edition design.
How to get one – or avoid getting one
A picture of Donald Trump inside a passport that someone may carry for the next 10 years is likely to be something some travelers will specifically want…and others will specifically want to avoid.
How to get one
For those who would love the chance to have such a passport, there’s good news – it’s expected to be exclusively available at the Washington Passport Agency in Washington, D.C., and, according to the State Department, you can schedule an in-person appointment at the agency in order to get one.
The department has also scheduled two special passport acceptance events for the limited-edition version: Aug. 22 and Sept. 26, both at the Washington Passport Agency.
For those who would like one, the State Department says the commemorative passport will be available only at the Washington Passport Agency in Washington, D.C., while supplies last.
Also note that the commemorative passport has 28 pages, just like the standard passport book design. The large-format passport books, with 52 pages, use the existing design, not the commemorative passport limited-edition artwork.
How to avoid getting one
For those who want to actively avoid getting this limited edition passport, there’s also good news. According to the State Department, you will not receive a commemorative passport if you:
- Apply online
- Mail in your application
- Apply at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad
- Apply in-person during normal hours at a passport agency other than the Washington Passport Agency in Washington, D.C.
- Apply at the Washington Passport Agency before July 6, 2026
So there are many ways to ensure you won’t receive the commemorative passport if you’d rather not have one.
Those who don’t get the limited-edition “Patriot Passport” will instead receive the regular-issue passport with the existing design.
Whether you see the commemorative passport as a unique piece of presidential history or something you’d rather not carry for the next decade, the important thing to know is that you have options.
Most passport applicants will continue to receive the standard design through the normal application process. The commemorative edition is being offered only under specific circumstances and only while supplies last.
So if you have a preference one way or the other, now you know exactly how to improve your chances of getting the version you’d rather carry for the next decade.
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