What is this symbol on my new US passport?

May 1, 2010 4:45 PM

What is this symbol on the front of my U.S. Passport?

I just renewed my passport, and when the new one came, it had a symbol on the front of it beneath the words "United States of America".

It's a symbol that I have never seen before on any official U.S. documents, it looks almost like some sort of iconography for a flag, but not the U.S. flag.

Anyone have an idea what it is / stands for?

Picture:
http://www.soundsneu.com/dropbox/public/passport.jpg

posted by aloiv2 to Law & Government (7 answers total)

Signifies it has an RFID?
posted by blenderfish at 4:46 PM on May 1, 2010

It has an RFID chip.
posted by niles at 4:46 PM on May 1, 2010

Best answer: It tells you it's a biometric passport
posted by brainmouse at 4:46 PM on May 1, 2010

and here's a better link from the State Dept.
posted by niles at 4:48 PM on May 1, 2010

I was disapointed when i found out that was the symbol for a biometric passport, because when i first saw it on my australian passport i thought it was the australian aboriginal flag
posted by compound eye at 5:47 PM on May 1, 2010

Mod note: A few comments removed. This is not the place to agitate about RFID chips, please stick to answering the question and let the asker do what they please with that info.
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:48 AM on May 2, 2010

A bunch more info. (not from the State Dept.)
posted by allkindsoftime at 7:53 AM on May 3, 2010