Title 8 — Aliens and NationalityRelease 119-73not60

§1504 Cancellation of United States Passports and Consular Reports of Birth

Title 8 › Chapter 12— IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY › Subchapter III— NATIONALITY AND NATURALIZATION › Part IV— Miscellaneous › § 1504

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of State can cancel a U.S. passport, a Consular Report of Birth (or a certified copy) if it looks like the document was gotten illegally, by fraud, or by mistake, or was made through fraud against the Secretary. The person who got the document must be mailed a written notice at their last known address. That notice must tell them the document is canceled and explain how to ask for a quick hearing after the cancellation. Canceling the document only removes the document. It does not take away the person’s citizenship. A Consular Report of Birth is the "Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States" that a consular officer issues to record a U.S. citizen born outside the United States.

Full Legal Text

Title 8, §1504

Aliens and Nationality — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary of State is authorized to cancel any United States passport or Consular Report of Birth, or certified copy thereof, if it appears that such document was illegally, fraudulently, or erroneously obtained from, or was created through illegality or fraud practiced upon, the Secretary. The person for or to whom such document has been issued or made shall be given, at such person’s last known address, written notice of the cancellation of such document, together with the procedures for seeking a prompt post-cancellation hearing. The cancellation under this section of any document purporting to show the citizenship status of the person to whom it was issued shall affect only the document and not the citizenship status of the person in whose name the document was issued.

(b)For purposes of this section, the term “Consular Report of Birth” refers to the report, designated as a “Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States”, issued by a consular officer to document a citizen born abroad.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

8 U.S.C. § 1504

Title 8 — Aliens and Nationality

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60