Passport times? June 2017
 

Anyone recently renew their passport? How long did normal processing take? I mailed it 2 day mail but did not expedite passport or mailing back.

I looked at 2 other recent threads and the info isn't recent. Also, do not live near a passport agency.

Thanks!

18 days door to door with routine processing.
They told me that once the passport is in the system, it's possible to upgrade it to expedited processing.

There was a mistake on my application - what I get for letting Chrome fill in the form fields automatically - but they fixed it over the phone. All three times I called there was no wait to get a human being on the line.

And I even took a decent passport photo for once.

My mother was flying out next day, found out passport was expired. She went to a passport agency and they delivered her a fresh passport next morning. Didn't even realize that was possible.

Thanks for the update!

About 5 years ago, I had to renew my Mom's passport. I sent it in with about 6 weeks before we were going to leave (I had the date of the trip on application). I started getting worried about 4 weeks out and called them up. They said it would not be done by the time we had to leave but promptly gave me the option to expedite it. I gave them a credit card number and magically, the passport was quickly done and sent back to us. We do not live near a passport agency so that was not an option.

Yes.
 

Normal processing took approximately two weeks. Application submitted at post office 6/15. Check cashed by State Dept. 6/20. New passport received by priority mail 7/1.

Thank you. Great news!

Have you received your passport?

Just some datapoints for my passport renewal:

This is for Regular Service
7/12: Mailed DS-82 via Priority Mail
7/14: Delivered to US Passport Processing Center
7/17: Email received saying my passport being processed
7/21: Status online changed to "Final processing"
7/27: Received new passport

So less than 2 weeks door-to-door using regular service
Quite impressed ^

Just got my passport in 13 days!

It is my first passport. I went to the US Post and paid for regular service.
Can't believe that they are so fast because it showed 6 to 8 weeks.

Thank you. ^

Regular passport application for a Swedish national during peak summer application period took 3-4 days from stopping into a regional passport application office until the Swedish passport was back for delivery/pick-up.

Regular passport application for a US citizen during peak summer application period took no less than 9-10 days from stopping into a regional passport application office until the passport was back for delivery/pick-up and more commonly took substantially more than 9-10 days.

Applicant's cost of regular passport application is much lower in Sweden than in the US, and that is despite the passport quality and used technology being higher with Swedish passports than US passports. While the USG usually outperforms its stated times by a rather wide margin, we've got a lot of room for improvement in cost/price, quality and time; unfortunately, for US passports, applicants should expect it to cost substantially more but still take substantially longer than it takes for various other countries to perform the service.

My experience with passport renewal (still in progress) differs significantly from those recently reported in this thread. Last July 21 I sent in a DS-82 renewal, submitting an up-to-date photo with a freshly expired passport, and requested a 52-page book and photocard. When I had heard nothing by August 12 (last Saturday), I checked online, where my application had a locator ID but no information on where it was in the process. I also haven't received any emails advising me of application status.

A few hours ago (today, August 14), I called the National Passport Center and was informed my application had entered the system on July 26 and was with the Washington passport office. (I had mailed it to Philadelphia, which is the designated reception point for Kansas residents.) As of the time I called, neither the new passport book nor the card had been mailed to me. I ended up paying $75.45 by credit card to have my application expedited, since I am leaving on August 22 for a driving trip that involves a crossing of the Canadian border on August 25.

I am not sure why my application is so delayed compared to others'; I have had no name changes, and although I did not specify travel dates on the application, I have applied in the past without travel dates and still had a three-week turnaround with routine processing. There were three main differences this time around: in 2007 I applied just for a regular-sized book through the US Embassy in London using DS-82 filled out using the free-text function in 'Acrobat', while in 2017 I applied domestically for both an extra-large book and a card, using the State Department Web form to autogenerate a PDF (which changes lowercase email addresses to all-uppercase).

I actually had DS-82 ready last March but procrastinated because my initial plan was to take my own passport pictures, with the help of a friend, using an improvised home studio setup. I had had to do this back in 2007 since I was living in Britain, where passport photo standards are not compatible with US ones, and I felt the DIY process (with the help of 'Photoshop') resulted in better photos at lower out-of-pocket cost (35c for two 2" x 2" photos cut out of a single 3" x 5" print with scissors, Exacto knife, or lever-arm paper cutter, versus $15 for two prints from Walgreens or a competing drugstore with photofinishing services). However, I never got around to this project because my current house lacks a well-lit bare wall painted in a light solid color to serve as a backdrop.

My advice to anyone similarly situated, with a tendency to make the perfect the enemy of the good, is to get the complete package sans photo ready to go (envelope, old passport, DS-82 filled out with date and signature, and check or money order), and then allow just one week to obtain DIY photos. If the week passes with no progress, then if the Walgreens near me is typical, you should be able to walk in with $15 and walk out less than an hour later with two photos that meet the State Department's size, pose, and illumination requirements. If your passport photo shows you with bed hair or suggests you are in the final stages of meth addiction, that is still better than paying half again to double the routine-processing rate for current and universally accepted proof of identity and citizenship. It also leaves fewer opportunities for mishap to have passport already in hand than to try to coordinate renewal with other travel planning.

Another data point:

I received my renewal passport just 14 days after I mailed the renewal application via regular mail (70 cents postage), with standard processing. Mailed from upstate New York to Irving, Texas, on August 11; my check for the processing fee was paid by my bank on August 16; new passport was issued on August 22, and mailed via Priority Mail from Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas, on August 23; received new passport today (August 25).

Kudos to the USPS and the Passport Office!

Most of August tends to be relatively off-peak for new passport issuance dates/numbers, so that sounds about routine for this time of year.

For most of the year, I wouldn't recommend paying for expedited service unless needing to use the passport before 3 weeks from renewal application.

Mailed to Irving, TX and mailed back from Hot Springs National Park. :confused:

I mailed my renewal last Saturday and my check was cashed on Tuesday. Be interesting to see if my passport is generated from Hot Springs, AR also.

Mailed via is not necessarily the same thing as being generated at, but what you may find is interesting is that it goes that way.

Family went last Tuesday Aug 22nd there were 7 of us total, 5 kids 2 adults. All 7 passports delivered today Sept. 1st. Looking on the tracking the passports game from Little Rock. I am impressed ^

A friend of mine flying with his family and realizing that his minor sons passport was about to expire, and they were flying the same day managed to get it done recently at the NY passport office in just under 4 hours all-in.

Application mailed to Irving, TX on 19 August.

Passport received from Portsmouth, NH on 5 September.

Still waiting for passport card.

To all who are getting your passports

Are you Getting New Designs of the passport or still the old design?


Thanks

There still is no new design

I mailed mine Oct 2 to Philly, received notification it was received/processing Oct 6 and alerted it was mailed Oct 11. I just received it today. It has a return address of NH on the envelope but online USPS indicates it was mailed from Little Rock, AR. The design is the same. Still hoping I receive my old one at some point.

I have visas in my current passport that are still valid (Brazil etc). Will I get my current passport mailed back with the new passport when I send my current one in for renewal?

Generally yes, you will receive your old passport back, usually a few days after you receive your new one.

Put my renewal in the mail on 14 October. Got an email a little while ago that says it will be delivered on 26 October. Tracking says its coming from Hot Springs, Arkansas.

10/14, applied my son first passport at a USPS
10/18, check was cleared
10/21, received email notification that passport was being sent out, eta 10/28
10/25, received passport in mail (from AZ)
10/27, received supporting doc back.

* applied for routine passport, very impressed that how fast they processed the passport.

Passport Questions
 

Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone could help me with this expedited passport question. I applied on November 21st and need it at the absolute latest December 13th. (I fly out the 14th). That leaves me 22 days from when I applied. I purchased a expedited passport plus paid for it to overnight ship, so it got to Philadelphia on November 22nd. Will I be ok on time?

Probably. I sent mine in for routine service a week before you and today got the email that it'll be delivered next week.

My recent data point:

11/27 – mailed to Philadelphia Priority mail with tracking
11/29 – delivered at 5AM
12/1 – Check for fees cashed
12/6 - Early AM– Email received – processing application, locator number issued
12/6 - Late PM – Email received – Processing finished, overnight delivery notated, should receive on or about 12/9
12/7 – Received new passport by Noon

Very impressed. With regular / routine processing and paying for Next-Day return, I received my new passport in 10 days!

When I initially tracked its progress and saw the boilerplate (4-6 weeks), I was actually worried a bit about travel for New Years.
Very happy today.

My expedited adult renewal -

11/21 - Submitted with expedited fees at Chicago Loop post office
11/25 - Arrived in Philadelphia
11/27 - Email saying it was in progress
11/30 - Email saying passport was printed and was being mailed and expected delivery was 12/2 - GOT HOME AND IT WAS ALREADY THERE. HA.

Child's passport book and card (not expedited, no overnight mail)

11/24 - Submitted at Chicago Loop post office
11/28 - Email saying it was in progress
12/5 - Email saying passport was printed and mailed and expected delivery was 12/11
12/7 - Delivered today

So... probably should have saved my expediting $$$$.

11/16 - Mailed to Irving for routine processing
11/18 - Renewal application delivered
11/21 - Check cashed
12/2 - New passport delivered
12/7 - Old passport returned

Well, now I am less impressed and happy.

After getting some time to actually look at the passport, seems like they didn't give me the extra pages I asked for.
I had to send my last passport in for extra pages to be added, and I don't think they do that anymore.

Looks like this is now going to last about 5 years and going to cost $$ to get a new one early. :td:

Curious what you guys think of my situation.

I live in Philadelphia, PA and my case is being handled by the Philadelphia Passport Agency a mile from where I live.

I went into a post office on Monday, December 4th in the late evening to renew my adult passport in person (routine processing/non-overnight mail).

On Wednesday December 6th, they deducted the fees from my Checking and sent me email with locator number saying it's in process.

When can I expect my passport back? I'm traveling the days after Christmas abroad and scared it won't make it in time.

If you take a look at the post directly above yours, you will see my very recent experience.
I received my passport 6 days after the check was cashed, but that was using overnight mail to Ohio. It was routine processing though.

You should be receiving an email in a couple days showing your renewal is being processed. I think you will be OK, but if you don't have the passport (or at least an indication it was mailed back to you) by 2 weeks prior to your travel, there is a mechanism to call the passport agency and get expedited.

Bottom line, I wouldn't be overly concerned, though you did cut it a little close.

Good luck.

Haven't heard anything since I got the email on December 7th/check was cashed that day.

Been stuck in processing.

It's only been a few business days, give it some time

Here is another data point:

12/6/17 - walked into local post office in MD for passport application - expedited application with passport and passport card
12/11/17 - Received email with passport record locator
12/13/17 - Received another email with USPS tracking number with an expected delivery of 12/19

My datapoints for Philadelphia passport agency (mailing from Tucson AZ)

12/4 Late Evening - Adult renewal at Post office (routine/non-overnight)
12/6 - Check cashed
12/7 Early AM - Locator number email issued
12/13 - Passport Issued
12/14 Late PM - Tracking number available
12/15 Late PM - Mailed from Tucson AZ
12/18 - Delivered

Overall 14 days from start to finish

Straight forward renewal:
Application mailed: 1 DEC Priority Mail to IRVING TX
Delivered: 5 DEC
Fee debited: 7 DEC
Passport issued: 16 DEC
Passport tendered to USPS: 18 DEC Priority Mail from LITTLE ROCK AR
Passport received: 20 DEC
Supporting documents returned: 22 DEC