The most important item you will need for any relocation plan is a passport. It is crucial to get your passport as soon as possible in case you need to move quickly.
Your passport application and appointment
Visit https://usa.gov/passport for locations of passport facilities. You can also find and print the paperwork you will need. Fill all of this out ahead of time. (Do NOT sign form DS-11 until you are told to do so at your appointment.) You will need to bring proof of citizenship, a photo ID, and photocopies of each of these documents. The website tells you what kinds of proof of citizenship and IDs will be accepted.
Definitely get the book – do not get only the card. If you can afford it, get the book and the card. The card is a useful additional ID abroad, especially if you have to hand over your passport book. This is often the case when you are getting a travel stamp or visa put into your passport book.
Ask for extra pages (or the “big book”) for extra stamps. Say you plan to travel extensively.
You will need a passport photo. It is best to get these at a shop that advertises passport photos. This can be a Walgreens-type store or a local photo shop. They do not cost much and it is better to have approved ones than to take a risk printing them yourself and then having them rejected at your appointment.
For the appointment, you will need to have exact cash. Make sure you know how much the fees are and bring that exact amount. As of now, they are: Book $130, Card $30, Fee $35 ($195 total for passport book and card).
Urgent Travel Service
To get a passport quickly, do the urgent travel service if you can. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast/passport-agencies.html
This is a one-day service. You will need to go to a travel center in order to get the urgent travel service. In order to request the urgent travel service, you will need to demonstrate that you intend to travel in the next 14 days. Some ways you can do this if you do not intend to travel right away or have not yet made a solid plan: book a cancellable/refundable plane ticket to Canada, or book a refundable airbnb or hotel in Canada or Mexico if you can show you live within reasonable driving distance.
Second passport
Once you have a passport, you can request another one. To do so, you will need to state that you are traveling to two places with passport conflicts (e.g. Israel & Palestine, Pakistan & India). You’ll then have two copies of your passport.
To apply for a second passport book, you will need to fill out a form and submit a signed statement. You can do so in person at a passport facility so that you do not have to send in your existing passport. You will also need an additional passport photo and will need to pay fees for a second passport. More information can be found here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/second-passport-book.html
Renewing
If you already have a passport, should you renew it? There are some things to consider.
(1) If you have under two years left on your passport, you probably should. It is far more difficult to renew your passport abroad, you will have to be without it for a time while traveling, and many countries require a minimum of 6 months to expiration to admit you.
(2) If renewing, you will have to let go of your passport while you wait for a new one. The upshot is that you will have more time on your passport, which gives you more time should the US stop renewing trans people’s passports. The downside is that you will be without a passport for a couple of weeks. And the US might stop renewing trans people’s passports at any time.
Consider carefully which option will be best for your particular situation, but in most situations it is better to renew now.
Passport gender markers
If you have a choice on whether to get an X as your gender marker and would like to do so, consider the following: (1) It is likely that legislation will be put forward under the Trump administration to remove this as an option, and (2) there are some countries you will not be able to travel to, or through, with an X marker (e.g. Dubai).
Consider carefully whether you want to delay getting a passport because it will have your deadname. You may be somewhere in the process of changing your legal name and/or gender marker and want to wait until this process is complete. We strongly believe that having a passport in any name is better than having no passport.
Lastly, don’t let these numerous considerations delay you. It is far better to have a passport now than to need one and not have it. Book your appointment now.