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 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)
May 30, 2023, 3:16 pm
#2521
Join Date: May 2023
Posts: 3
Thank you for the update. Based on your timeline, I should hear back in 2-4 days.
May 30, 2023, 5:55 pm
#2522
Join Date: Oct 2022
Location: Sub Carolina
Programs: AC, AA, TK, OW Emerald
Posts: 1,331
May 30, 2023, 6:02 pm
#2523
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 405
I hope you will get your soon. I don't have any travel plan on the horizon, but never know something might pop up. Also, it's time for me to renew my passport anyway.
May 30, 2023, 7:10 pm
#2524
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: SFO
Programs: COdbaUA Platinum 2MM
Posts: 5,532
1 April 2023 sent in passport book from California for renewal via USPS first class mail to Philadelphia. Paid additional $60 for expedited service. Used online application form with bar code.
12 May 2023. Received new passport book via USPS Priority Mail. Shipped from TUCSON, AZ 85710 on 10 May 2023. Return address is Philadelphia.
Still waiting for old passport book to be returned.
12 May 2023. Received new passport book via USPS Priority Mail. Shipped from TUCSON, AZ 85710 on 10 May 2023. Return address is Philadelphia.
Still waiting for old passport book to be returned.
May 31, 2023, 12:29 pm
#2525
Join Date: May 2023
Posts: 1
I'm curious of any opinions of my 5 year old daughter's case. She previously had a passport but we did not have any issues the first time. At the time I submitted her application we did not have travel planned, but while waiting I booked a tripped, not thinking that this would be held up for so long, ugh! Hindsight! Flight date is July 24th, but I'm starting to worry.
Routine service:
Feb 28 Passport received, locator number 19.
March 1 Check cashed. Application: In process.
May 6 Received letter stating that our photo was not acceptable (had it taken at Walmart) but ALSO that they had record of her previous passport (which was NOT included in her application even though we brought it with us at the time of our application at USPS). So instead of signing a paper saying that it was lost/stolen we went back to USPS with a new photo from Walmart and her old passport. Just by chance we got the same person that had originally submitted everything and he seemed very surprised that they were asking for her old passport since we had sent her birth certificate.
May 9th Tracking shows that they received the old passport and new photo at Sterling, VA
May 20th I called the 877 number and requested to have the application expedited, I actually got through immediately which surprised me a lot. They sent me an email/form to fill out, which included my credit card number to charge the additional $60 to.
So far nothing has happened since then. Credit card has not been charged the additional fee. No other correspondences. What should I be expecting? If they request more info do they completely start the processing time back over?
Routine service:
Feb 28 Passport received, locator number 19.
March 1 Check cashed. Application: In process.
May 6 Received letter stating that our photo was not acceptable (had it taken at Walmart) but ALSO that they had record of her previous passport (which was NOT included in her application even though we brought it with us at the time of our application at USPS). So instead of signing a paper saying that it was lost/stolen we went back to USPS with a new photo from Walmart and her old passport. Just by chance we got the same person that had originally submitted everything and he seemed very surprised that they were asking for her old passport since we had sent her birth certificate.
May 9th Tracking shows that they received the old passport and new photo at Sterling, VA
May 20th I called the 877 number and requested to have the application expedited, I actually got through immediately which surprised me a lot. They sent me an email/form to fill out, which included my credit card number to charge the additional $60 to.
So far nothing has happened since then. Credit card has not been charged the additional fee. No other correspondences. What should I be expecting? If they request more info do they completely start the processing time back over?
Jun 1, 2023, 4:08 pm
#2526
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 280
New data points from me! So happy to be part of this little ballet again. This time there is no rush, hence:
March 17th - deposited two normal US passport applications at USPS for children. Renewals. One of them has a request for an endorsement - let's see if that delays it.
March 24th - first cheque cashed.
March 27th - second cheque cashed (electronically).
Both are showing as "in process" since March 24th, apparently being dealt with in Buffalo. No emails received despite requesting them.
Alex
March 17th - deposited two normal US passport applications at USPS for children. Renewals. One of them has a request for an endorsement - let's see if that delays it.
March 24th - first cheque cashed.
March 27th - second cheque cashed (electronically).
Both are showing as "in process" since March 24th, apparently being dealt with in Buffalo. No emails received despite requesting them.
Alex
For one of the two applications:
May 30th, email: Application Status: In Process. The U.S. Department of State has received your application for your passport book on 03/24/2023. We're now reviewing etc.
May 31st, email: Application Status: Shipped. The U.S. Department of State has shipped your passport book on 05/31/2023. USPS.com: "Label Created, not yet in system".
Jun 3, 2023, 7:13 am
#2527
Join Date: Oct 2022
Location: Sub Carolina
Programs: AC, AA, TK, OW Emerald
Posts: 1,331
4/21: Mailed passport renewal by Priority Mail, paid for expedited service.
4/24: Delivered to Passport Processing Center P.O. Box and picked up.
4/26: Check cashed.
4/26: Online status page shows “In Process.”
6/2: Online status page still shows “In Process.”
6/3: USPS Informed Delivery shows a package from “PASSPORT SERVICES/DOS TUCSON” scheduled for delivery on 6/3. Tracking information shows that the package was sent via one-day priority express on 6/2.
6/3: Online status page shows “Approved.”
Locator number: 69 (Portsmouth, NH).
No status update email received even though I had signed up for it.
4/24: Delivered to Passport Processing Center P.O. Box and picked up.
4/26: Check cashed.
4/26: Online status page shows “In Process.”
6/2: Online status page still shows “In Process.”
6/3: USPS Informed Delivery shows a package from “PASSPORT SERVICES/DOS TUCSON” scheduled for delivery on 6/3. Tracking information shows that the package was sent via one-day priority express on 6/2.
6/3: Online status page shows “Approved.”
Locator number: 69 (Portsmouth, NH).
No status update email received even though I had signed up for it.
Jun 3, 2023, 7:17 am
#2528
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 405
4/21: Mailed passport renewal by Priority Mail, paid for expedited service.
4/24: Delivered to Passport Processing Center P.O. Box and picked up.
4/26: Check cashed.
4/26: Online status page shows “In Process.”
6/2: Online status page still shows “In Process.”
6/3: USPS Informed Delivery shows a package from “PASSPORT SERVICES/DOS TUCSON” scheduled for delivery on 6/3. Tracking information shows that the package was sent via one-day priority express on 6/2.
6/3: Online status page shows “Approved.”
Locator number: 69 (Portsmouth, NH).
No status update email received even though I had signed up for it.
4/24: Delivered to Passport Processing Center P.O. Box and picked up.
4/26: Check cashed.
4/26: Online status page shows “In Process.”
6/2: Online status page still shows “In Process.”
6/3: USPS Informed Delivery shows a package from “PASSPORT SERVICES/DOS TUCSON” scheduled for delivery on 6/3. Tracking information shows that the package was sent via one-day priority express on 6/2.
6/3: Online status page shows “Approved.”
Locator number: 69 (Portsmouth, NH).
No status update email received even though I had signed up for it.
Jun 3, 2023, 8:39 am
#2531
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
Not getting the email updates is in the range of normal even when the passport applications are moving forward the same as usual for most or even already delivered.
For many years now, the chances of my getting status update emails or accurate status update emails about my own submissions of passport applications has been like a weighted coin toss — weighted against my getting them in email inboxes and junk/spam folders. The exception to this for me is when the only status update email I’m looking to be emailed about is one from a US embassy/consulate, emails that are embassy/consulate-specific.
For many years now, the chances of my getting status update emails or accurate status update emails about my own submissions of passport applications has been like a weighted coin toss — weighted against my getting them in email inboxes and junk/spam folders. The exception to this for me is when the only status update email I’m looking to be emailed about is one from a US embassy/consulate, emails that are embassy/consulate-specific.
Jun 3, 2023, 8:45 am
#2533
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
That’s been within the range of normal for so long that it’s not surprising that you already have the passport in hand and may have gotten it without any email from them.
Jun 3, 2023, 8:59 am
#2535
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 405
I think the only time when I got an email regarding to any update when my wife renewed her passport online. They emailed every time when there was a change in the status.