Mar 1, 2022, 6:35 am
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 doesnt 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 doesnt match the list above, please add or correct.
Current US passport wait? (Merged Threads)
Mar 30, 2023 | 10:14 am
#2342
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,690
the only way i even know my old passport got to them for processing was because they cashed my check weeks ago, but then status still shows "unavailable" a month later.
Mar 31, 2023 | 1:03 pm
#2343
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: IAD
Programs: UA 1K & 2MM, MR Titanium
Posts: 570
Online application (expedited) submitted late January 2023 took just under 9 weeks
Here is my recent experience:
1/27 - renewed passport online paying for expedited delivery, which should take 3-5 weeks according to the website.
1/30 - system showed "in process"
3/30 - US Postal Service Informed Delivery showed item from Tucson passport office to be delivered by April 1. Checked passport status in system and it showed "printed." No email from Passport Office itself even though I signed up for notifications.
3/31 - passport delivered
Total time was just under 9 weeks, consistent with the current timeline of 7-9 weeks for expedited delivery (but longer than the 3-5 weeks I was given on 1/27).
Here is my recent experience:
1/27 - renewed passport online paying for expedited delivery, which should take 3-5 weeks according to the website.
1/30 - system showed "in process"
3/30 - US Postal Service Informed Delivery showed item from Tucson passport office to be delivered by April 1. Checked passport status in system and it showed "printed." No email from Passport Office itself even though I signed up for notifications.
3/31 - passport delivered
Total time was just under 9 weeks, consistent with the current timeline of 7-9 weeks for expedited delivery (but longer than the 3-5 weeks I was given on 1/27).
Apr 1, 2023 | 8:18 am
#2344
Join Date: May 2005
Location: SEA
Programs: AS; Hyatt Globalist; Hilton Gold; NEXUS
Posts: 1,175
I honestly don't know what to do anymore. Still without a passport, will be 14 weeks this coming Wednesday.
I've gotten my representative involved, which just got a token response from the NPIC saying that my application is being processed in Washington. I've paid for expedited processing and shipping. I've been seeing people apply online for routine service, get their passports before me.
My saving grace is that I still have two months to figure this out. Nobody seems to care, no one is taking accountability for the broken system, and no one will do anything for me until it becomes an emergency which is ridiculous.
I've gotten my representative involved, which just got a token response from the NPIC saying that my application is being processed in Washington. I've paid for expedited processing and shipping. I've been seeing people apply online for routine service, get their passports before me.
My saving grace is that I still have two months to figure this out. Nobody seems to care, no one is taking accountability for the broken system, and no one will do anything for me until it becomes an emergency which is ridiculous.
Apr 2, 2023 | 11:39 pm
#2345
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 278
As a follow up, I was approaching 12 weeks and asked my Rep’s office for help. They got back to me in a couple of days and warned me that even congressional inquiries were taking as much as two weeks for an answer. But a day later they forwarded an email from the State Department saying they would check but maybe there was an outstanding issue I hadn’t responded to.
Online status still shows “in process” but my passport was mailed the next day and in my box two days later.
So, not scientific, but I think some applications are getting “stuck” somewhere in the system.
I am still waiting for my passport card though. I know those used to be mailed separately, so I’ll give it a few more days.
(online renewal, expedited service, regular shipping)
Online status still shows “in process” but my passport was mailed the next day and in my box two days later.
So, not scientific, but I think some applications are getting “stuck” somewhere in the system.
I am still waiting for my passport card though. I know those used to be mailed separately, so I’ll give it a few more days.
(online renewal, expedited service, regular shipping)
Apr 3, 2023 | 8:49 am
#2346
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 74
I have a chance to tagalong on a friend's business trip to Australia early June. The dilemma - my passport expires in Oct. If I try to renew right now (have an appointment this week at local passport office), I may not get my passport back in time or the flights would be way much to wait to book til i get passport in hand OR can i still travel with 4 months validity left? The recommendation is normally 6-month validity, but Australia's requirement is simply "Must be valid at time of entry". I didn't have problems a decade ago with same situation for travel to Italy with stopover in Amsterdam, but Australia is so much farther. What would you do? Seems like I'd have no chance if I renewed now due to processing times even if I expedited. I don't want to spend way much for an impromptu trip so I won't spend $1k for a passport service to walk my passport thru.
Also does anyone know if you renew your passport early enough, will the next expiration month change? In my case, if I renew in April, I will most likely get the passport back with an issue date of May or June. Will my next renewal/expiration date be in May/June 2033 or will they keep it Oct 2033? I renewed my driver's license 6 months early and the new DL is valid for 4 1/2 years instead of the normal 4 years. They kept the month expiration the same Oct even tho i renewed 6 mo early in May.
Also does anyone know if you renew your passport early enough, will the next expiration month change? In my case, if I renew in April, I will most likely get the passport back with an issue date of May or June. Will my next renewal/expiration date be in May/June 2033 or will they keep it Oct 2033? I renewed my driver's license 6 months early and the new DL is valid for 4 1/2 years instead of the normal 4 years. They kept the month expiration the same Oct even tho i renewed 6 mo early in May.
Last edited by jeepzy3; Apr 3, 2023 at 8:51 am Reason: forgot to add a sentence
Apr 3, 2023 | 9:22 am
#2347
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 74
Data points for passport renewal by mail starting 2/8/2023, non-expedited.
Here's my friend's recent experience.
2/8 - Mailed renewal by Priority Mail $9.65 for delivery 2/11
2/14 - check cashed
3/1 - Processing started by passport office
3/30 - Received renewed passport at home, passport card will come in separate mail.
4/3 - Received passport card
4/5 - Received documents back
The first and last dates are accurate but don't have details in the middle but he commented - yeah right it sat on their desks til 3/1. I'll update the timeline if I get more info.
Here's my friend's recent experience.
2/8 - Mailed renewal by Priority Mail $9.65 for delivery 2/11
2/14 - check cashed
3/1 - Processing started by passport office
3/30 - Received renewed passport at home, passport card will come in separate mail.
4/3 - Received passport card
4/5 - Received documents back
The first and last dates are accurate but don't have details in the middle but he commented - yeah right it sat on their desks til 3/1. I'll update the timeline if I get more info.
Last edited by jeepzy3; Apr 6, 2023 at 8:27 pm Reason: clarification
Apr 3, 2023 | 9:23 am
#2348
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 15,858
jeepzy, you should have no problem whatsoever. In any case for Australia you need an ETA, apply for it, if it is granted then you are good, and you will know almost immediately, and no airline person can quibble with it.
Apr 3, 2023 | 9:48 am
#2349
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 74
Would I have to make sure I have a stopover at a country that doesn't have the 6-month validity rule like Seoul and avoid Singapore? Not sure what countries are the normal stopovers but a friend had a stopover at Seoul on way to the Philippines.
Apr 3, 2023 | 11:19 am
#2350
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: SW Michigan, ex SF Bay Area
Posts: 999
Also does anyone know if you renew your passport early enough, will the next expiration month change? In my case, if I renew in April, I will most likely get the passport back with an issue date of May or June. Will my next renewal/expiration date be in May/June 2033 or will they keep it Oct 2033?
I renewed my driver's license 6 months early and the new DL is valid for 4 1/2 years instead of the normal 4 years. They kept the month expiration the same Oct even tho i renewed 6 mo early in May.
Apr 3, 2023 | 11:43 am
#2351
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 4,695
3/15/23 Passport book delivered (USPS Informed Delivery showed it coming from Tucson, AZ, but return address on envelope was NH)
3/20/23 Passport card received
3/27/23 Envelope, presumably with Old passport book & card, showing from Sterling, VA in my USPS Informed delivery.
3/20/23 Passport card received
3/27/23 Envelope, presumably with Old passport book & card, showing from Sterling, VA in my USPS Informed delivery.
Would appreciate other DPs about old passport arrival time.
Apr 3, 2023 | 11:43 am
#2352
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 15,858
1. Australia has no such 3 month or 6 month limit.
2. The ETA is only valid for a 3 month stay anyway, so by definition you cannot overstay.
3. An ETA means ELECTRONIC TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION, you cannot travel to Australia without it...........OTOH, it means that if you have it you CAN.
So rather than rely on "friends" who obviously do not have the slightest clue what they are talking about, you can rely on what is widely posted on the internet, on Australian government sites, etc. and just enjoy your trip. Also FYI, if you are going to be in OZ for several weeks, make an appointment at the Embassy and Consulate while there and you will get your passport done while away as well!
2. The ETA is only valid for a 3 month stay anyway, so by definition you cannot overstay.
3. An ETA means ELECTRONIC TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION, you cannot travel to Australia without it...........OTOH, it means that if you have it you CAN.
So rather than rely on "friends" who obviously do not have the slightest clue what they are talking about, you can rely on what is widely posted on the internet, on Australian government sites, etc. and just enjoy your trip. Also FYI, if you are going to be in OZ for several weeks, make an appointment at the Embassy and Consulate while there and you will get your passport done while away as well!
Apr 3, 2023 | 6:11 pm
#2353
Join Date: May 2005
Location: SEA
Programs: AS; Hyatt Globalist; Hilton Gold; NEXUS
Posts: 1,175
I have a chance to tagalong on a friend's business trip to Australia early June. The dilemma - my passport expires in Oct. If I try to renew right now (have an appointment this week at local passport office), I may not get my passport back in time or the flights would be way much to wait to book til i get passport in hand OR can i still travel with 4 months validity left? The recommendation is normally 6-month validity, but Australia's requirement is simply "Must be valid at time of entry".
I'm heading to Australia at the beginning of June. I renewed my passport before I knew I was traveling - my old one expires in September 2023. I figured I was getting ahead of the curve by applying in December in case we decided to travel to a country that required 6 months of validity. I was wrong and instead my application got stuck in the gears of the bureaucracy and an online system that was not ready to handle the sheer number of applications it received.
I'll be at 14 weeks on Wednesday after being given a 6-9 week estimate when I applied. I got a glimmer of hope this afternoon, as my status changed from "In Process" to "Printed". Until I have my passport in hand, however, I am not going to have a sense of relief.
Apr 4, 2023 | 7:19 am
#2354
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 74
Thanks for the DP. There aren't many DPs about old passport arrival time (this is the only one I've seen), so I appreciate it. My old passport has a visa that I need for my trip in June, so that adds to the anxiousness. If it takes 2 extra weeks to receive the old passport as in your case, I may need to postpone the trip unless processing time improves from the current stated.
Would appreciate other DPs about old passport arrival time.
Would appreciate other DPs about old passport arrival time.
Apr 4, 2023 | 7:24 am
#2355
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 74
My state does use b-day for expiration date now. It kept expiration date with bday and not the earlier renewal month (i may have posted wrong early renewal month).