The US is issuing passports with Trump’s face on them, but there’s one thing Americans haven’t been told yet about whether they can opt out

The United States is set to release a limited series of passports featuring a portrait of President Donald Trump, marking a visible shift in the design of the country’s most essential travel document. The commemorative edition is being rolled out as part of nationwide celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in July. What has not been clearly communicated to the public, as highlighted by NBC News, is whether American citizens will have any ability to opt out of receiving this specific version.

The special edition passport will serve as the default document issued through the Washington Passport Agency for as long as supplies last, according to a State Department official. Online application options and other passport processing locations across the country are expected to maintain the existing design. That means applicants looking to avoid the new look would need to steer clear of the Washington Passport Agency during the rollout period.

The design, first reported by Fox News, shows Trump’s image superimposed over the text of the Declaration of Independence and an American flag, with the president’s signature rendered in gold lettering. A painting of the Founding Fathers signing the Declaration of Independence will be featured on an additional page. Current standard passport designs typically depict scenes from American history, such as the Moon landing, or national symbols like the Statue of Liberty.

The passport is part of a broader push to attach Trump’s image to government institutions

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott confirmed the rollout in an email, stating the agency is preparing to release a limited number of specially designed documents to commemorate the occasion. He noted that while the artwork is customized and imagery enhanced, the passports will maintain the same security features that characterize U.S. travel documents.

White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said in a statement that Trump’s “new patriotic passport design provides yet another great way Americans can join in the spectacular celebrations for America’s 250th birthday,” and that Trump “continues to proudly lead a renewal of national pride and patriotism during our historic semiquincentennial celebration.”

The passport rollout is part of a wider pattern in which the current administration has been associating the president’s name and likeness with government programs and public landmarks. The Treasury Department announced earlier this year that Trump’s signature would appear on U.S. dollar bills, making him the first sitting president to have his signature on paper currency; historically, that space has belonged to the treasury secretary and the treasurer. A federal commission also approved a 24-carat commemorative gold coin bearing the president’s image, amid broader questions about Trump’s crypto dealings and business ties drawing fresh scrutiny.

Trump’s name has also been added to the exterior of the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which the board voted to rename the Trump-Kennedy Center, a move that drew public pushback from members of the late President John F. Kennedy’s family. Large banners featuring the president’s image have been displayed at the Justice, Agriculture, and Labor Departments. His name has additionally been attached to discount drug programs, savings accounts, and proposed warships, while across the State Department, his administration’s actions have repeatedly raised questions about the use of government channels for political purposes, including Rubio’s State Department green card revocations that a recent report found were based on an unverified social media post.

In Washington D.C., a federal panel has given preliminary approval for a 250-foot victory arch referred to as the Arc de Trump, over objections from preservationist groups. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has also sued the White House, alleging construction on a new East Wing ballroom moved forward before proper plans were filed with the National Capital Planning Commission.