DS-5542 Notarization: How to Sign the Passport Vital Records Form

Use only the pathway your current State Department page describes. The requesting-a-record hub and the record pages reviewed on October 9, 2026 support the rows below.

The CRDA instructions say to fill out the form on a computer, or by hand in black ink, and to sign the form in front of a notary public to avoid delays. The same “sign in front of a notary” instruction appears on the State Department’s marriage-abroad record instructions. Leave the signature blank until the session.

Do not use one workflow for every record. The CRDA page reviewed on October 9, 2026 says copies are issued to next of kin and to legal representation for estate purposes. Other record pages add their own permission and ID rules. Read the page for the record you need. When that page asks for a signed permission, an ID copy, or a notarized statement from the requester, include those items with DS-5542. See authorization letter notarization when the instructions call for written permission.

The CRDA instructions use a notarized, completed DS-5542 when you request an apostille on a CRDA the Department can apostille. iRemoteNotary does not issue apostilles. The State Department does. See what an apostille is after a document is notarized.

The CRDA page, last updated June 29, 2026, says to mail the notarized form, a photocopy of the front and back of a valid photo ID, and the fee to Passport Vital Records, 44132 Mercure Cir, PO Box 1213, Sterling, VA 20166-1213. That page states a $50 fee per record, payable to the U.S. Department of State, and says the office does not offer expedited service. Processing on that page is described as about 4 to 8 weeks after receipt, with mailing time separate. Confirm the fee and timing on the current page for your record before you mail, because other record types can differ.

These records often involve a birth, death, or marriage abroad. A signer who is outside the United States can ask iRemoteNotary to review the current unsigned form. Do not treat remote acceptance as guaranteed: the State Department pages reviewed on October 9, 2026 tell applicants to sign before a notary and do not expressly say a U.S. remote online notarization is accepted for DS-5542.

The same CRDA page says that if the requester lives outside the United States, the vital record is sent to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate, which coordinates pickup or delivery. That mailing step is separate from the notarization.

Outside the U.S.? Contact iRemoteNotary on WhatsApp at +1 (305) 608-4003 for international scheduling, document review, and time-zone coordination: https://wa.me/13056084003?text=Hello%2C%20I%20need%20Form%20DS-5542%20reviewed%20for%20notarization%20while%20I%20am%20outside%20the%20United%20States.

See notarizing U.S. documents while abroad.