Can You Print a Passport Application Double-Sided? No.

No. The State Department says to print your passport form single-sided on 8.5 x 11 inch letter paper, in portrait (vertical) format, and it states plainly: "We do not accept double-sided forms" (Passport Forms page). The photocopies have rules too. Copy the front and back of your ID on one side of white 8.5 x 11 paper, and don't shrink the image (Photo ID Requirements). Copies of your birth certificate or other citizenship proof must be clear and single-sided (Citizenship Evidence).

Your appointment is Thursday. The form is filled out on your laptop. And the home printer just spat out page two on the back of page one.

That's the call we get. Sometimes it's a parent with a kid's first passport packet. Sometimes it's someone renewing by mail who never owned a printer. Either way, the paper is the easy part to get right, and the easy part to get wrong.

We checked every State Department page linked here on November 3, 2026. We print and copy. We don't accept passport applications, review them, fill them out, or tell anyone which form is theirs. For that, use the State Department's fee calculator and form guide.

The photocopy checklist (start here)

People worry about the form. The copies are where packets actually get messy. Here's the list, straight from the State Department pages:

• Photo ID, front and back. The State Department wants "a photocopy of the front and back of each ID that you present" (Photo ID Requirements).
• On one side of the paper. Both sides of the card go on the same side of one sheet. Not front on page one, back on page two. Not front on one side and back on the flip side.
• White, standard 8.5 x 11 paper. No legal size. No colored paper.
• Actual size or bigger. "Do not decrease the image size. You may make the image size bigger."
• A physical ID, not a phone ID. Digital and mobile driver's licenses aren't accepted. Bring the real card and a copy of it.
• Citizenship evidence: copy the front. Copy the back too if it has printed information on it (Citizenship Evidence).
• Those copies: clear, white 8.5 x 11, single-sided.
• The original citizenship document comes with you too. No electronic copies of birth certificates.

One more for families. If a child under 16 is applying, the State Department asks for a photocopy of the front and back of the parents' or guardians' photo IDs. Use 8.5 x 11 paper and a single side (Child's Passport Under 16). Two parents means two IDs to copy. Plan for that before you leave the house.

Why "front and back on one side" trips people up

Most copiers have a button that's supposed to help with ID cards. It'll often put the front on one page and the back on another. Or it prints two-sided, which is the exact thing you're trying to avoid.

What you want is one sheet of white paper. The front of the license sits on the top half. The back sits below it. The back of the sheet is blank.

Honestly, this is the part we'd do for you rather than have you fight a self-serve machine. We put the card on the glass and copy the front. Then we flip the card and copy the back onto the same side of the same sheet. Done. You check it before you leave.

A few things we see go wrong:

• Shrunk copies. "Fit to page" on a phone-printed photo of a license makes it smaller. The rule says don't decrease the size. Copy the real card on the glass instead.
• A phone picture of the ID. A screenshot printed out is not a photocopy of a physical ID. Bring the card.
• Copies that are dark or cut off. "Clear and easy to read" is the standard for citizenship evidence copies. If the seal or the dates are hard to read, redo it.
• Stapling everything together at home. Leave the stack loose and in order. For a child's application, the State Department says not to attach or staple the photo to the form. The acceptance agent reviews it and staples it for you (Child's Passport Under 16).

Does the ID photocopy need to be in color?

This is one of the most searched questions, and the honest answer is short. The State Department pages we read on November 3, 2026 don't say the copy must be color. They say white paper, 8.5 x 11, one side, and not shrunk. For citizenship copies, they add clear and easy to read.

So black-and-white is fine as far as those pages go. Some local acceptance facilities post their own checklists, and some ask for black and white. If the place you're applying at says something specific, follow what it says. Either way, we can make the copy in black-and-white or in color. Tell us which.

The form itself: what "single-sided" really means

Here's what the Passport Forms page asks for when you print:

The State Department suggests using its Form Filler to fill out the form and print it. It says a desktop or laptop works best. If the Form Filler gives you trouble, the same page links PDF versions of the DS-11 and DS-82.

DS-11 vs DS-82: when to sign

This trips people up almost as often as the double-sided thing.

Sources: Passport Forms and Renew by Mail, checked November 3, 2026.

If you're not sure which form you need, the State Department's form guide asks a few questions and tells you. We'd rather you use that than guess at our counter.

Where a copy counter fits: new passport vs renewal

Think about the timeline. The paperwork happens in two places. Printing and copying happen at a print counter or at home. The application itself gets turned in somewhere else, or mailed.

First passport or a child's passport (DS-11)

The State Department says acceptance facilities include post offices, clerks of courts, public libraries, and other local government offices. They may need appointments (Where to Apply). Use the official acceptance facility search to find one near Monroe, and check whether it books appointments.

Your order of operations:

1. Fill out the DS-11 in the Form Filler.
2. Print it single-sided, portrait, letter size. Don't sign it.
3. Copy your ID, front and back, on one side of one sheet.
4. Copy your citizenship evidence (front, plus back if it has printing).
5. Gather the originals, the photo, and the copies in a folder.
6. Go to your appointment. Sign when the agent asks.

Steps 2 through 4 are the part a walk-in counter handles. Do them a day or two early, not the morning of. If something's off, you have time to fix it.

Renewing by mail (DS-82)

Renewal is different. The State Department says acceptance facilities "do not accept forms to renew or correct existing passports." Renewals go by mail, or online if you're eligible (Where to Apply).

For a mail renewal, the Renew by Mail page says:

• Print the DS-82 on single-sided paper.
• Sign and date it before mailing.
• Send your most recent passport with it.
• Staple your photo to the application, following the form's instructions.
• Mail it using the U.S. Postal Service.

For renewals, the printing is often the only thing a person is missing. We can print the DS-82. And since the State Department says to mail it with USPS, you can ship it USPS from the same counter. One note from that same page: postal employees should never review your renewal application. We won't either. Check your own form before you seal it.

Kids and the consent form (DS-3053)

If one parent can't make the child's appointment, the State Department says that parent must go to a certified notary public. They sign and date Form DS-3053, the statement of consent. They also give a photocopy of the photo ID they showed the notary (Child's Passport Under 16). The page also says the form and other notarized statements must be submitted within 90 days after they're signed or notarized.

That's a print job and a notary job in one trip: print the DS-3053, copy the ID front and back, and sign in front of a notary. See our notary service page and what to bring to a walk-in notary visit. If a parent is overseas, read the State Department note first. In some countries, DS-3053 has to be notarized at a U.S. embassy or consulate, not by a local notary.

Mistakes we'd steer you away from

Printing at home "just to save a trip," then re-doing it anyway. A duplex printer set to default will print two-sided without asking. Check the print dialog. If you can't find the setting, don't print the packet on that machine.

Using the back of scrap paper. A clean form on a used sheet is still a double-sided page. Fresh white paper only.

Grabbing legal paper. The form and the copies are letter size. Legal-size sheets stick out of the stack.

Copying a laminated card badly. Glare off a laminated card can wash out the photo. We'll adjust the copy until it's readable. (And don't laminate a birth certificate to "protect" it. See documents you should never laminate.)

Writing notes on the form. The Form Filler page allows your handwritten signature and date. That's it. No arrows, no "see attached," no corrections in pen.

Bringing a copy instead of the original. A photocopy goes with the original. If your birth certificate copy is all you have, the State Department says to get a replacement from the office that issued it. See certified copy vs notarized copy before you assume a notary stamp fixes it. It doesn't.

Home printer, library, or print counter?

All three can work. Pick the one that gets you to the appointment with the right paper.

If a library is easier for you, go. Other print shops in the area do this too. What matters is that the packet comes out right. A walk-in counter makes the most sense when you also need the ID copied at actual size, or when the file only lives on your phone or in an email. You can send it from your phone with our print upload, or see how to print from a phone, email, or USB.

How to bring your passport paperwork to our counter

1. Get the file ready. Save the Form Filler PDF. Email it, bring it on a USB drive, or use the print upload.
2. Bring the physical ID and the original citizenship document if you need copies of them.
3. Tell us what it's for. "Passport packet, single-sided, ID front and back on one page" is all we need to hear.
4. Check the pages before you leave. One side only, portrait, full page, copies readable.
5. Don't sign a DS-11 until the acceptance agent asks. Sign a DS-82 after it's printed.

We'll print it, make the copies, and hand it back in order. We won't check your answers on the form. That's between you and the State Department.

FAQ

Can I print my DS-11 on both sides to save paper?

No. The State Department says it does not accept double-sided forms. Print each page on its own sheet, portrait, 8.5 x 11.

Does the copy of my driver's license have to be in color?

The State Department pages we checked on November 3, 2026 don't require color. They say white 8.5 x 11 paper, one side, and don't shrink the image. If your acceptance facility's checklist says otherwise, follow it.

Should the front and back of my ID be on separate pages?

No. The front and back go on one side of the same sheet of white letter paper. The back of that sheet stays blank.

Can I bring a photo of my ID on my phone instead?

No. The State Department doesn't accept digital or mobile IDs. You need the physical card and a paper photocopy of it.

Do I need a copy of my birth certificate too?

If you're applying in person with a DS-11, yes. Bring the original citizenship evidence and a photocopy of the front, plus the back if it has printed information. Copies must be clear, white 8.5 x 11, and single-sided.

The short version

• Passport forms: one side, portrait, letter size, full page. Never double-sided.
• ID copies: front and back on one side of one white letter sheet, actual size or bigger.
• Citizenship copies: front (and back if printed), clear, single-sided.
• DS-11: don't sign until asked. DS-82: sign after printing, then mail it with USPS.
• Find your acceptance facility through the State Department's search.

---

Need Your Passport Packet Printed in Monroe?

The Mail Station printing and copies

19916 Old Owen Road, Monroe, WA 98272
(360) 805-9250
Mon–Fri 9 AM–6 PM · Sat 9 AM–2 PM · Sun closed · 24/7 mailbox access

Bring the file and your physical ID. We'll print the form single-sided and copy your ID front and back on one page. Questions? Contact us.

---

Related Reading

Can You Print USCIS Forms Double-Sided? No. Plus October's Changes: a different agency with its own one-sided rules for immigration filings.

Need Copies Made in Monroe? What to Bring to the Counter: black-and-white and color copies, and what to bring.

Can You Ship a Passport Internationally? What Actually Works: once you have the passport, how to send one overseas safely.

Traveling Abroad Without Both Parents? Notarize This First: the travel consent letter, which is a different document from the DS-3053.

Certified Copy vs Notarized Copy: Which One Do Passport Offices Want?: why a notary stamp doesn't turn a photocopy into a birth certificate.

Print From Your Phone Near Me? 5 Ways to Do It in Monroe: getting the Form Filler PDF off your phone and onto paper.

What to Bring to a Walk-In Notary Visit in Monroe: ID, unsigned documents, and the rest of the list.

Where Can I Print Court Papers? What Washington Courts Want: another set of one-sided printing rules, for Washington courts.

5 Documents You Should Never Laminate (And Why): keep your birth certificate out of the laminator.

---

Explore Services

• Printing and copies: single-sided printing and black-and-white or color copies at the walk-in counter.
• Notary: for documents like the DS-3053 that need a notarized signature.
• USPS shipping: mail a DS-82 renewal the way the State Department asks.
• Lamination: for things that should be laminated (not your birth certificate).

---

The Mail Station has helped Monroe, Sultan, Gold Bar, Snohomish, and Duvall get their paperwork out the door since 1982.