Last edit by: CKDGM
Passport Agency Appointments (same day expedited service)
Appointments for same-day expedited service often go quickly. It is best that you schedule your appointment with the passport agency exactly 14 days before your trip. You will want to call the passport number before the center opens at 8am EST as they will have just opened up one day (14 days out) of appointments at all agencies. Appointment times start at 8am. It is important that you have enough buffer in your travel schedule. For example, if you make an appointment for a new passport at 11am and your time of travel is at 2pm, there will not be enough time for you to get your passport. If you book the 8am slot you may have to wait until the end of the business day to get your new passport or it may only be a few hours.
You will want to have your date of travel, time of travel, your flight itinerary number, name of destination, full name of applicant, and applicant's birth city, and the zip code of where you live (to help them find the closest available center with open slots). Use the following steps to increase your chances of success to booking an appointment as they can go very quickly:
Credit: chgoeditor
Known office locator numbers (not complete)
Note: The office code (first two digits of your application locator number returned by Passport Status) is the office reviewing your documents and approving your application. It isn't necessarily the address you mailed the forms to (always Irving or Philadelphia for renewals) nor the facility where the book is physically printed and mailed (often Tucson or Hot Springs).
10: Boston
11: NYC
12: Honolulu
14: Stamford, CT
15: Portsmouth, NH
17: Aurora, CO
18: Chicago
19: Washington, DC
20-29: Portsmouth, NH
34-39: Charleston
40-42: New Orleans, LA
45: Portsmouth, NH
50: Los Angeles, CA
51: Miami
53: Seattle
54: Minneapolis
55: Dallas
56: Detroit
57: San Francisco
58: Philadelphia, PA
61-64: Tucson
65: Hot Springs, AR
67: San Juan, PR
68: Portsmouth, NH
69: Portsmouth, NH
71: US embassies/consulates abroad (possibly Portsmouth, NH)
74: Atlanta
75: St Albans, VT
76: San Diego, CA
77: Buffalo, NY
78: El Paso, TX
79: Houston, TX
80: Special Issuance Agency ("Issues diplomatic, official, service, and no-fee regular passports, and facilitates visa processing for those traveling on behalf of the U.S. government.")
95: Online
A list of agencies and their locator numbers is listed on this page under the heading, "List of passport agencies and centers with locator numbers."
H/T Nayef, txviking, and various individual posts both here and on Reddit. If you have a locator not in the above list, check the return address agency name or postmark/ZIP on your returned citizenship docs, or passport card if you applied for one, which may be the processing office, although the address itself is likely to be a PO Box in Sterling, VA in all cases (which appears to be a lockbox location that processes mail for all locations). The passport books are printed in fewer locations, often Hot Springs and Tucson, and may not correspond to the agency where the processing steps occurred. If it doesn’t match the list above, please add or correct.
Appointments for same-day expedited service often go quickly. It is best that you schedule your appointment with the passport agency exactly 14 days before your trip. You will want to call the passport number before the center opens at 8am EST as they will have just opened up one day (14 days out) of appointments at all agencies. Appointment times start at 8am. It is important that you have enough buffer in your travel schedule. For example, if you make an appointment for a new passport at 11am and your time of travel is at 2pm, there will not be enough time for you to get your passport. If you book the 8am slot you may have to wait until the end of the business day to get your new passport or it may only be a few hours.
You will want to have your date of travel, time of travel, your flight itinerary number, name of destination, full name of applicant, and applicant's birth city, and the zip code of where you live (to help them find the closest available center with open slots). Use the following steps to increase your chances of success to booking an appointment as they can go very quickly:
- 14 days before your trip, you need to schedule an appointment with the passport agency.
- At 7:55 am call the passport number 877-487-2778 (This have to be exactly 14 days before your plane ticket or less. If less, it will get harder to find an appointment)
- Click 1 (For English)
- Click 2 (New Passport)
- Continue to Click 7 to repeat, and keep doing this while watching your watch or using Time.gov to get the exact time down to the second.
- When your it hits exactly 8:00 am Click 2 (for traveling within 14 days option)
- There will be a delay of 3-4 second and you will wait for the next available agent. If you are very lucky, you will be put straight through to an agent. You may be waiting few minutes or maybe as long as 15-20 minutes.
- If you did not click 1 exactly at 8 am, you may have to wait for more than an hour and half
Credit: chgoeditor
Known office locator numbers (not complete)
Note: The office code (first two digits of your application locator number returned by Passport Status) is the office reviewing your documents and approving your application. It isn't necessarily the address you mailed the forms to (always Irving or Philadelphia for renewals) nor the facility where the book is physically printed and mailed (often Tucson or Hot Springs).
10: Boston
11: NYC
12: Honolulu
14: Stamford, CT
15: Portsmouth, NH
17: Aurora, CO
18: Chicago
19: Washington, DC
20-29: Portsmouth, NH
34-39: Charleston
40-42: New Orleans, LA
45: Portsmouth, NH
50: Los Angeles, CA
51: Miami
53: Seattle
54: Minneapolis
55: Dallas
56: Detroit
57: San Francisco
58: Philadelphia, PA
61-64: Tucson
65: Hot Springs, AR
67: San Juan, PR
68: Portsmouth, NH
69: Portsmouth, NH
71: US embassies/consulates abroad (possibly Portsmouth, NH)
74: Atlanta
75: St Albans, VT
76: San Diego, CA
77: Buffalo, NY
78: El Paso, TX
79: Houston, TX
80: Special Issuance Agency ("Issues diplomatic, official, service, and no-fee regular passports, and facilitates visa processing for those traveling on behalf of the U.S. government.")
95: Online
A list of agencies and their locator numbers is listed on this page under the heading, "List of passport agencies and centers with locator numbers."
H/T Nayef, txviking, and various individual posts both here and on Reddit. If you have a locator not in the above list, check the return address agency name or postmark/ZIP on your returned citizenship docs, or passport card if you applied for one, which may be the processing office, although the address itself is likely to be a PO Box in Sterling, VA in all cases (which appears to be a lockbox location that processes mail for all locations). The passport books are printed in fewer locations, often Hot Springs and Tucson, and may not correspond to the agency where the processing steps occurred. If it doesn’t match the list above, please add or correct.
Current US passport wait? (Merged Threads)
#2011
Join Date: Jun 2022
Location: Fair Lawn, NJ
Posts: 4
Hi,
A newbie here. I am seeking experiences from folks who have applied for their US passport (first time / renewal) via the "expedited" option (with extra $60) at an acceptance facility. Currently, official timelines are 5-7 weeks. Have any of you got it sooner? My wife and I mailed ours via USPS acceptance facility on 5/20/22, received by passport office on 5/24, check cashed 5/25 and "in process" now. Locator code (first two digits from app locator no.) is 42 (New Orleans?)
Thanks!
A newbie here. I am seeking experiences from folks who have applied for their US passport (first time / renewal) via the "expedited" option (with extra $60) at an acceptance facility. Currently, official timelines are 5-7 weeks. Have any of you got it sooner? My wife and I mailed ours via USPS acceptance facility on 5/20/22, received by passport office on 5/24, check cashed 5/25 and "in process" now. Locator code (first two digits from app locator no.) is 42 (New Orleans?)
Thanks!
#2013
Join Date: Oct 2017
Programs: NEXUS
Posts: 54
Don't remember. If you can read the postmark, what is there to learn from the return address?
#2019
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: NC
Programs: AAConciergeKey/1MM, DL DM/2 MM, UA Gold,Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 11,971
Headed to NYC for an expedited passport, in-person renewal. Nervous that for some reason they wont be able to issue it. I have travel within two weeks. Fingers crossed! Any tips/tricks for those that have done onsite passport renewal in NYC?
can I bring a briefcase w laptop to work while I wait or do they restrict bringing bags/purses into the building? I read no food/drink except bottle of water.
can I bring a briefcase w laptop to work while I wait or do they restrict bringing bags/purses into the building? I read no food/drink except bottle of water.
Last edited by SkyTeam777; Jun 19, 2022 at 5:11 pm
#2020
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Headed to NYC for an expedited passport, in-person renewal. Nervous that for some reason they wont be able to issue it. I have travel within two weeks. Fingers crossed! Any tips/tricks for those that have done onsite passport renewal in NYC?
can I bring a briefcase w laptop to work while I wait or do they restrict bringing bags/purses into the building? I read no food/drink except bottle of water.
can I bring a briefcase w laptop to work while I wait or do they restrict bringing bags/purses into the building? I read no food/drink except bottle of water.
#2021
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: NC
Programs: AAConciergeKey/1MM, DL DM/2 MM, UA Gold,Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 11,971
I wanted to share my NYC in person experience. The staff were extremely friendly (caring and empathetic, in fact) as people waited. I did it same day w 48 hour travel plans and it came back same day. Almost everyone’s did and there were hundreds of people there. It took the entire day. Went at 9 and got it at 6. Lines are out the door, no power outlets, lots of bureaucratic waiting, but if you’re prepared to waste a whole day, It’s the way to go
anyone know when the process will go electronic?
if not, I’d return to NYC if I could get an appointment on my next renewal.
anyone know when the process will go electronic?
if not, I’d return to NYC if I could get an appointment on my next renewal.
#2022
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike.. but I wanna go home with the armadillo
Programs: CO, NW, & UA forum moderator emeritus
Posts: 35,429
I wanted to share my NYC in person experience. The staff were extremely friendly (caring and empathetic, in fact) as people waited. I did it same day w 48 hour travel plans and it came back same day. Almost everyone’s did and there were hundreds of people there. It took the entire day. Went at 9 and got it at 6. Lines are out the door, no power outlets, lots of bureaucratic waiting, but if you’re prepared to waste a whole day, It’s the way to go
anyone know when the process will go electronic?
if not, I’d return to NYC if I could get an appointment on my next renewal.
anyone know when the process will go electronic?
if not, I’d return to NYC if I could get an appointment on my next renewal.
#2023
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Helvetia
Programs: AS; BA Silver; UA; HH Gold; Sprüngli Connaisseur
Posts: 2,912
Data point. Sent to the US embassy in Bern, Switzerland:
Mailed: 8 June
Received at the embassy: 10 June (no further correspondence then or afterwards)
Issue date: 13 June
Postmark on return envelope: 17 June
Received Next Gen Passport:20 June 22 June (checked the tracking number on the envelope, with A post it _should_ have arrived on 20 June).
Expired passport was in self-addressed stamped envelope with new passport. While I had provided postage for registered mail, it was only sent A+, which apparently included a tracking number which I never was informed of. Passport has 50 pages, which I will likely not use more than a couple as I only travel with the US passport into the USA, as I'm a dual citizen of USA/Switzerland.
The only hint I had that the passport was in work was the message the Mobile Passport Control App sent me. I couldn't read it as I had forgot my PIN. :-/
Mailed: 8 June
Received at the embassy: 10 June (no further correspondence then or afterwards)
Issue date: 13 June
Postmark on return envelope: 17 June
Received Next Gen Passport:
Expired passport was in self-addressed stamped envelope with new passport. While I had provided postage for registered mail, it was only sent A+, which apparently included a tracking number which I never was informed of. Passport has 50 pages, which I will likely not use more than a couple as I only travel with the US passport into the USA, as I'm a dual citizen of USA/Switzerland.
The only hint I had that the passport was in work was the message the Mobile Passport Control App sent me. I couldn't read it as I had forgot my PIN. :-/
Last edited by greg5; Jun 23, 2022 at 9:52 am Reason: More info on the delivery date, issue date.
#2025
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
They generally don’t care about the ticket issue date. I’ve used same-hour ticketed bookings over the years without issue.