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Current US passport wait? (Merged Threads)

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Old Mar 1, 2022, 6:35 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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:
  1. 14 days before your trip, you need to schedule an appointment with the passport agency.
  2. 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)
  3. Click 1 (For English)
  4. Click 2 (New Passport)
  5. 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.
  6. When your it hits exactly 8:00 am Click 2 (for traveling within 14 days option)
  7. 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.
  8. If you did not click 1 exactly at 8 am, you may have to wait for more than an hour and half
After the appointment slot has been reserved you will be provided with a unique identifier code and reservation number. These details will also be emailed to you.

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.
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Current US passport wait? (Merged Threads)

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Old Feb 20, 2019, 1:29 pm
  #301  
daq
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 63
Found this super helpful so I wanted to give my timeline.

Renewed adult passport regular service through Philadelphia.

Jan 20ish: Mailed
Jan 24: Delivered
Jan 25: Check Cleared
Feb 20: Processing complete and passport printed
Feb 23: Received new passport

Whole process took about 30-35 days. It looks like it's taking slightly longer than it has in the past for regular service.

Last edited by daq; Feb 25, 2019 at 9:36 pm
daq is offline  
Old Feb 24, 2019, 2:35 pm
  #302  
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 7
Active passport (book only) renewal, standard processing

1.18.19 mailed to Philadelphia via priority mail
1.20.19 delivered (this was a Sunday and the next day was MLK day)
1.22.19 signed up for email updates
1.24.19 received email locator no. assigned (prompting me to check my bank and noticed my check cleared)
2.20.19 received 2 emails - passport printed and passport shipped w/tracking info
2.23.19 new passport delivered

5 weeks and 1 day door to door
vstevens0901 is offline  
Old Feb 25, 2019, 7:17 am
  #303  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Under the Cone of Silence
Programs: UA Gold; AA Dirt; HH Diamond; National Emerald; CONTROL SecretAgent Platinum; KAOS EvilFlyer Gold
Posts: 1,499
Passport and Passport Card Renewal, standard processing

Jan 16, 2019: Mailed from Virginia to Philadelphia, Priority Mail
Jan 22, 2019: Check cashed
Feb 16, 2019: New passport received in mail
Feb 20, 2019: New passport card received in mail
Still awaiting receipt of old, cancelled passport.
31 days door-to-door for passport

Interestingly, I don't know exactly when it was received in Philadelphia - to this day the tracking info still states it is 'delayed, but still in transit'. It had me quite worried but I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that the check was cashed, and State Dept had a locator number for my application.
Maxwell Smart is offline  
Old Feb 25, 2019, 1:02 pm
  #304  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: DFW
Posts: 80
Became a citizen on Feb 12th, 2019 (almost 13 months after applying). First time adult passport application on the same day.
Passport application became trackable online on Feb 18th.
Passport mailed on Feb 21st.
Passport received on Feb 25th.
I asked for expediting and next day delivery.
So 13 days in total. Happy with the outcome
tarakcih is offline  
Old Feb 25, 2019, 3:24 pm
  #305  
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 2
Passport renewal, standard processing. Passport expired at end of Jan 2019.

Jan 28 - mailed via USPS Priority from CA to Irving, TX
Jan 30 - delivered in TX
Jan 31 - status = "currently being processed" with locator number assigned
Feb 01 - check cleared
Feb 25 - email rec'd; processing completed & passport printed

Estimated delivery date is March 4, 2019

Thanks to everyone for posting on this, btw -- very helpful.
foglark is offline  
Old Mar 3, 2019, 10:24 am
  #306  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Under the Cone of Silence
Programs: UA Gold; AA Dirt; HH Diamond; National Emerald; CONTROL SecretAgent Platinum; KAOS EvilFlyer Gold
Posts: 1,499
Anyone know if the Washington DC passport office takes walk-ins for emergency processing?

It's Sunday March 3, earliest appointment per the automated system is 0830 March 7, but we have a death emergency requiring travel March 4 evening. Could we show up Monday morning with all docs in hand and get a passport same day? Or do they release some same-day appointments first thing in the morning?
Maxwell Smart is offline  
Old Mar 3, 2019, 9:28 pm
  #307  
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: WAS (DCA, BWI, IAD)
Programs: AAdvantage EXP, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 114
Originally Posted by Maxwell Smart
Anyone know if the Washington DC passport office takes walk-ins for emergency processing?

It's Sunday March 3, earliest appointment per the automated system is 0830 March 7, but we have a death emergency requiring travel March 4 evening. Could we show up Monday morning with all docs in hand and get a passport same day? Or do they release some same-day appointments first thing in the morning?
Not sure about the automated phone number but the online booking tool is showing reservations for tomorrow AM. There is also a different link on how emergencies are handled which seems to have access to a number for live person starting at 8am tomorrow. I am sure you won't have to wait until the 7th.

https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...ergencies.html
faceboy is offline  
Old Mar 5, 2019, 12:27 am
  #308  
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 2
*****UPDATE

I received my passport, but I never got a shipment notice or tracking number, and even more odd, the online status still shows my application "is in the final processing stages." Strange! Just relieved it got here though, as my trip is coming up.

Passport renewal, standard processing. Passport expired at end of Jan 2019.

Jan 28 - mailed via USPS Priority from CA to Irving, TX
Jan 30 - delivered in TX
Jan 31 - online status = "currently being processed" with locator number assigned
Feb 01 - check cleared
Feb 25 - email rec'd; processing completed & passport printed
Feb 26 - mailed in p.m.from AR
Mar 01 - delivered in CA
present - online status continues to show it's in final stages

Thanks to everyone for posting on this, btw -- very helpful.
foglark is offline  
Old Mar 6, 2019, 11:06 am
  #309  
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 11
Passport and card renewal with expedited processing

March 4: Mailed application to PA expedited address via USPS Priority Mail (USPS Express may have cut a day off)
March 6: Delivered to PA priority processing PO Box
March 8: - e-mail app locator number is XXXXX, requested Expedited Service, time is 2-3 weeks door to door for expedited
March 13 - e-mail processed, printed, app locator number is XXXXX., requested 1-2 Day Deliver should receive passport on or about 03/16/2019.
March 13 - mailed to me via USPS express from Hot Springs, AR
March 14: Received in Southern CA
March 18: received passport card
March 18:: received docs back two holes in old passport ear cut off old card

Mailed renewal to: Expedited National Passport Processing Center
Post Office Box 90955
Philadelphia, PA 19190-0955

Fees:

Passport Book and Passport Card $140.00

Expedited Processing $60.00

1-2 Day Delivery $16.48 (sent to me via USPS Express for this fee)

Total Payable to Department of State $216.48

Paid $216.48 with USPS money order.

Last edited by dylanmitchell; Mar 19, 2019 at 8:24 pm
dylanmitchell is offline  
Old Mar 11, 2019, 10:30 am
  #310  
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 4
Oh man I wish I had found this sooner. I just mailed my passport today for renewal, not expedited.

Mailed - 3/11
Estimated delivery 3/14

My trip is on 4/12. Maybe I should have expedited it.

Freaking out.
InfrequentFlyer2 is offline  
Old Mar 11, 2019, 9:07 pm
  #311  
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards
Posts: 15
Hope you get it in time for your trip
ajGoes likes this.
pollypocket53132 is offline  
Old Mar 12, 2019, 9:06 am
  #312  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: DAY/CMH
Programs: UA MileagePlus
Posts: 2,474
Originally Posted by InfrequentFlyer2
Oh man I wish I had found this sooner. I just mailed my passport today for renewal, not expedited.

Mailed - 3/11
Estimated delivery 3/14

My trip is on 4/12. Maybe I should have expedited it.

Freaking out.
You should get a passport application locator number in a couple of days. You can find it here. Contact the National Passport Information Center as soon as you get that number and you should be able to change your application to an expedited one.

I mailed my application on 2/16. I have a locator number but nothing else has happened yet.
ajGoes is offline  
Old Mar 12, 2019, 9:42 am
  #313  
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 4
Thanks so much for the info.

Do you think since I put the date of my trip on the application, that I can get it fast enough without the expedited? I'm surprised that you have sent yours weeks ago and haven't had anything processed yet.
InfrequentFlyer2 is offline  
Old Mar 12, 2019, 9:49 am
  #314  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: DAY/CMH
Programs: UA MileagePlus
Posts: 2,474
Originally Posted by InfrequentFlyer2
Thanks so much for the info.

Do you think since I put the date of my trip on the application, that I can get it fast enough without the expedited? I'm surprised that you have sent yours weeks ago and haven't had anything processed yet.
Judging by recent history in this thread, I think you're cutting it really close for standard processing. I don't know whether they bump applications up based on the trip date, but I wouldn't count on that happening.

You should be able to get your application switched to expedited handling and receive it with time to spare.
ajGoes is offline  
Old Mar 13, 2019, 8:33 am
  #315  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: DAY/CMH
Programs: UA MileagePlus
Posts: 2,474
Feb 16: mailed passport first class.
Feb 21: online status shows passport received at center and processing.
March 13, 1:01 AM: "We have finished processing your passport, and it has been printed."
March 13, 2:47 AM: "Your tracking number is nnnnn and the expected date of delivery is 03/18/2019."

Will post again when the passport arrives.
ajGoes is offline  


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