---
kind: "section"
citation: "22 U.S.C. § 212b"
title: "22"
title_heading: "Foreign Relations and Intercourse"
number: "212b"
heading: "Unique passport identifiers for covered sex offenders"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/22/212b"
units:
  - "Chapter 4 — Passports"
---

# §212b. Unique passport identifiers for covered sex offenders

- (a) **In general—** Immediately after receiving a written determination from the Angel Watch Center that an individual is a covered sex offender, through the process developed for that purpose under [section 21507 of title 34](/usc/34/21507.md), the Secretary of State shall take appropriate action under [subsection (b)](#b).
- (b) **Authority to use unique passport identifiers—**
  - (1) **In general—** Except as provided under [paragraph (2)](#b-2), the Secretary of State shall not issue a passport to a covered sex offender unless the passport contains a unique identifier, and may revoke a passport previously issued without such an identifier of a covered sex offender.
  - (2) **Authority to reissue—** Notwithstanding [paragraph (1)](#b-1), the Secretary of State may reissue a passport that does not include a unique identifier if an individual described in [subsection (a)](#a) reapplies for a passport and the Angel Watch Center provides a written determination, through the process developed for that purpose under [section 21507 of title 34](/usc/34/21507.md), to the Secretary of State that the individual is no longer required to register as a covered sex offender.
  - (3) **Clarification with respect to continuing registration—** An individual may not be issued or reissued a passport without a unique identifier solely because the individual has moved or otherwise resides outside the United States.
- (c) **Defined terms—** In this section—
  - (1) the term “covered sex offender” means an individual who—
    - (A) is a sex offender, as defined in [section 21503(f) of title 34](/usc/34/21503.md?p=f); and
    - (B) is currently required to register under the sex offender registration program of any jurisdiction;
  - (2) the term “unique identifier” means any visual designation affixed to a conspicuous location on the passport indicating that the individual is a covered sex offender; and
  - (3) the term “passport” means a passport book or passport card.
- (d) **Prohibition—** The Secretary of State, the [Secretary](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=5) of Homeland Security, and the Attorney General, and their agencies, officers, employees, and agents, shall not be liable to any person for any action taken under this section.
- (e) **Disclosure—** In furtherance of this section, the Secretary of State may require a passport applicant to disclose that they are a registered sex offender.
- (f) **Effective date—** This section shall take effect upon certification by the Secretary of State, the [Secretary](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=5) of Homeland Security, and the Attorney General, that the process developed and reported to the [appropriate congressional committees](/usc/22/2152j–4.md?p=1) under [section 21507 of title 34](/usc/34/21507.md) has been successfully implemented.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 110–457, title II, § 240, as added Pub. L. 114–119, § 8, Feb. 8, 2016, 130 Stat. 24; amended Pub. L. 117–347, title III, § 323(b), Jan. 5, 2023, 136 Stat. 6207.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2023—Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 117–347 added par. (3).