Can a felon get a passport?

Question

Can a felon get a passport?

Answer 1

yes but its a real pain in the ***..and now alot of countries like canada wont let felons in!

Answer 2

maybe. best for the felon to try.   i was quite shocked the first time i heard this.  it does not seem right to me that someone with a blemish on their record should be denied the right to travel once they have paid their debt to society.  this practice sounds like Cuba forbidding their people to ever travel anyplace under any circumstances.   seems to me that travel might be good rehabilitative tool.

i think that the passport "card" is becoming much more computerized these days. i left country in mid January and returned in end January.  my partner i was with was  when we reentered the country becuase they had  ONE unpaid speeding traffic ticket going10 miles 45 miles in a 35 mile zone from  November 2007.   they pulled us aside/ quizzed us indivudally and together.  according to customs agent , "the good news was that they were going to let him/admit him into the country".    suggested we follow up at home regarding the matter.  

i suspect that the passport is being used as a collection tool by the government ?    in some legal trials,  judges might ask a person to temporarily surrender their passport ,  dads that don't pay childsupport must get current (states are paying their child support through public aid)  wants to of course help the mom/ child / but knows they are going to get a big cut.  if you owe taxes to IRS this can impact it .

my best answer is for the felon to try to get the passport. maybe it will be granted.  less than 100. to try it, i'd think the person would get the money back if no passport is granted.  

if the passport not granted , maybe work on getting matter expunged from record ?   not sure on the states willingness to do .  states seem to vary on the matter / situations.    check with clerk of court , regarding processes , situations or do some websearch /  check with attorney.

Answer 3

Depends on how long ago the felony was, and what the circumstances were. If the person was just charged or is on probation, then typically no. It varies from state to state.

Answer 4

Yes. If he doesnt have a warrant out for him or  have a criminal record.

Answer 5

I'm not a real attorney, but I think a passport is a matter of citizenship.  The feds handle that.  Criminal convictions may affect the *usage* of passports- might be the state courts could have ordered the convicted felon not to leave the USA. So while it might be legal to obtain a passport, it might not be legal to use a passport.  And the states might even have enjoined the convicted felon from *applying* for a passport.  

Best answer- Yes and No.