5 Years Passport – Why was my son’s passport only issued for 5 years?

Question:  During the spring of 2011, My 13 year old daughter, my 13 year old son and myself got passports for our vacation that upcoming summer. My son’s 5 years passport is going to expire soon while my passport as well as my daughter’s passport will expire in 10 years. Why was my son’s passport only good for 5 years?

Secondly, it has been 4 years since we got our passports. My son is now 17 and my daughter is 21. My ex-husband is taking them on a vacation to Canada and thinks my son’s passport needs to be renewed because he is now over 16 years old. Meanwhile, his passport says it is valid until April 16, 2016. Will I have to renew my son’s passport because he is over 16 even though it hasn’t expire yet?

Thank You.

Answer:  Passports issued to citizens 16 and older are valid for 10 years. Minors below the age of 16 passports are for 5 years.

You will not have to renew your son’s passport for his trip to Canada. His passport will be valid until the expiration date that when he got it, which is April 16, 2016.

Regular passport processing usually takes about 4-6 weeks to obtain a passport. You can use an expedited passport service which will process your passport within 2-3 weeks. The quickest way to obtain a passport would be to visit your closest regional passport agency, or employ a professional expediter to submit your application for you.