Minor passport renewal - submit old, expired with application ?

[Ido 16]

Folks:

 

   I have two kids, both are natural born citizens. For one of them, we already applied for his passport twice before (applied, got it,  it expired). Then when that one expired, we applied again for his passport (got it, it also expired). For the other kid, we have so far applied only once (applied, got it, it expired).

 

   When I renewed my oldest one's passport ("renewal" here not being correct, I know - "when I applied again, due to his old one being expired") I submitted his birth certificate, copy of mine and my wife's driver licenses, the works. AND (and here's the question), I also submitted his PREVIOUS passport, which was returned to me later cancelled (holes through the machine readable region).

 

   Both when I first applied for this kid, and also when we renewed/applied again, we filled the DS-11 manually. AND on the renewal, I checked then the box "submitting with application". Everything peachy.

 

   I am now applying for both kids AGAIN, and using this time the Dept of State online form filler. When I get to the question "have you ever been issued a US passport" ? I chose YES, filled all of the required information. Finish the form, print it out.

 

  But - here's the deal. On the printed DS-11, under question 21 ("Have you ever applied or been issued an US passport or Passport Card"), and after the name/number, you have to check an option for "Status of your most recent passport book", and there are four options: "Submitting with application", "Stolen", "Lost", "In my possession (if expired)". And the Form Filler selected "In my possesion (if expired)".

 

   Does that mean that:

   a) the rules changed and now there's no need/no formal requirement to send the previous child passport, if it is expired, with a new application ?, or

   b) I should still send the expired passport, for it to be cancelled and returned to me, EVEN if the form got the "In my possession (if expired)" checkbox checked ?

 

   I know we cannot edit the form generated by the Form Filler - but I wonder if there would be any issues with sending the passport book along, even with that checkbox checked ?

 

   Thanks in advance,

    Ido (very confused)

 

   

Edited October 14, 2021 by Ido