does a US passport number indicate any information about the holder of the passport?

Answer 1

dognhorsemom has told the truth but not the whole truth.

The number of a US passport reveals whether it is a diplomatic, an official ("service") or an ordinary tourist passport. And also whether it was applied for at a US consular section abroad or from a Passport Agency in the USA.

But there's a lot more information than that available to the immigration officer at the port of entry once s/he scans your passport (or reads the chip on newer ones).

Is it any wonder that citizens of countries in the Anglo-American common-law tradition have so fiercely resisted ID cards? Does anyone remember that when, in 1935, FDR signed the Social Security Act he promised that social security numbers would never be used for anything but social security purposes?

((By and large citizens of civil-law countries take ID cards in stride. Indeed, a Swiss ID card, the same size as a credit card and virtually forge-proof (at least I haven't seen them peddled around King's Cross Station the way the "Albanian Mafia" do ID cards and passports and national insurance cards and all the rest, from lots of European countries) works in lieu of passport throughout the EU and EEA. Scannable too.))

Answer 2

The number is the unique code given to that individual book when it is printed. The first number of the series says where it was printed, but after that, they just come out in numerical order.

Of course, once that number is assigned to you, it remains linked to the rest of your information in the database. We have to be able to do that, to know if a passport has been lost, stolen, altered, counterfeited, forged, etc.

And if I have your passport number and the right software, I can tell you what you ate for breakfast ... but that wasn't the question.

Answer 3

are u kidding...your passport number is the code if u like to a door of information about u...both important and unimportant info..i find it eery sometimes

Answer 4

dongnhorse you're correct once its scanned all the the goodies in the database pop up on the screen occasionally if traveling in extend stay you are taken aside and debriefed too certain military records come up amazing whats inputted in the little numbers and code bar

Answer 5

No justy that it is a valid passport.

Answer 6

Absolutely. Everything you put in your application and probably more has been entered into a database.

Answer 7

no - it is assigned by the state department. if you have further questions, check with them their website:

travel.state.gov or call them at 1-877-487-2778

Answer 8

I really don't think so. I think it has to be some random number.