For an in-person U.S. passport application, submit physical citizenship evidence and a separate photocopy. If you do not have the original document, request a replacement or another official copy from the office that issued it.
How the photocopy is used
The Department of State asks for a photocopy of the front of the citizenship evidence and of the back when it contains printed information. The copy should be clear, single-sided, and printed on white 8.5-by-11-inch paper.
What must accompany the photocopy
You must also submit qualifying physical evidence, such as an official birth certificate that meets the passport requirements, a full-validity undamaged U.S. passport, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Certificate of Naturalization, or a Certificate of Citizenship. The acceptable document depends on how and where you acquired citizenship.
If you do not have the original
Contact the state, territory, city, county, consular office, USCIS, or other authority that issued the record. The Department of State says the replacement must have the official seal or stamp of the issuing office. In some cases, you may submit a second official copy—sometimes called a certified copy—which the Department of State keeps.
Electronic copies
An electronic birth certificate is not accepted as citizenship evidence for an in-person passport application. Printouts, scans, and phone images do not replace the physical evidence required by the Department of State.