Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Destinations > America - USA > USA
Reload this Page >

Current US passport wait? (Merged Threads)

Community
Wiki Posts
Search
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 doesnt match the list above, please add or correct.
Print Wikipost

Current US passport wait? (Merged Threads)

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Mar 19, 2020 | 4:48 pm
  #481  
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 336
*(copied and pasted most of the announcement here because State.gov website has been hard to get into today, probably due to hundreds of thousands of people trying to figure out the status of the passports)

-----------------------

https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...-covid-19.html

Change in Passport Services Operations

Due to public health measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, effective March 20, 2020, we are only able to offer service for customers with a qualified life-or-death emergency and who need a passport for immediate international travel within 72 hours.

Life-or-death emergencies are serious illnesses, injuries, or deaths in your immediate family (e.g. parent, child, spouse, sibling, aunt, uncle, etc) that require you to travel outside the United States within 72 hours (3 days). You must provide:
  • A passport application with supporting documents
  • Proof of the life-or-death emergency such as a death certificate, a statement from a mortuary, or a signed letter from a hospital or medical professional. Documents must be translated or in English.
  • Proof of international travel (e.g. reservation, ticket, itinerary)
Vangrovsky is offline  
Old Mar 24, 2020 | 10:52 am
  #482  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Airline nobody. Sad!
Posts: 26,062
Final update:

​​​​​​2/8/2020: Mailed renewal via Priority Mail (not express)
2/12/2020: Delivery to Processing Center in Irving, TX
2/14/2020: Check cashed
2/14/2020: Website shows application as received 2/13/2020 and processing
3/23/2020: Status updated to Approved
3/24/2020: Shipped with tracking number provided
3/26/2020: Arrived at residence via Priority Mail, old passport not returned quite yet (coming separately of course)

Last edited by TheBOSman; Mar 26, 2020 at 4:50 pm
TheBOSman is offline  
Old Mar 30, 2020 | 10:00 am
  #483  
All eyes on you!
10 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 254
Sent passport a while back

i sent my passport and my son's passport in mid February. My son's was processed at USPS and I sent mine independently of his. I see from the timelines posted above that most who sent theirs in early February or late January using the normal processing service have received their renewed passports. Mine and my son's are still pending.

I know we can't travel but I do not like the fact that they will hold on to the passports for who knows for how long. Anyone sent theirs in February using normal processing and received an update on their application?
MSerforfun is offline  
Old Mar 30, 2020 | 12:30 pm
  #484  
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 336
Originally Posted by MSerforfun
i sent my passport and my son's passport in mid February. My son's was processed at USPS and I sent mine independently of his. I see from the timelines posted above that most who sent theirs in early February or late January using the normal processing service have received their renewed passports. Mine and my son's are still pending.

I know we can't travel but I do not like the fact that they will hold on to the passports for who knows for how long. Anyone sent theirs in February using normal processing and received an update on their application?
have you tried calling them? I called them last week and they still had agents answering the phones.
Vangrovsky is offline  
Old Mar 30, 2020 | 10:53 pm
  #485  
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: SFO
Programs: HH Gold, CC Gold
Posts: 292
​​​​​​2/12/2020: Mailed renewal via Priority Mail (not express)
2/14/2020: Delivery to Processing Center in Irving, TX
2/19/2020: Check cashed
3/27/2020: Email showing status to Approved (est 4/4 passport arrival)
3/28/2020: Email showing Renewal received on 2/18

3/28/2020: Shipped From AZ with tracking number from USPS Informed delivery email
3/30/2020: New passport received via Priority Mail, waiting for old passport
6/19/2020: Old passport received via regular mail

Last edited by lmwong1977; Jun 19, 2020 at 5:47 pm
lmwong1977 is offline  
Old Mar 31, 2020 | 8:08 am
  #486  
10 Countries Visited
20 Countries Visited
30 Countries Visited
10 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: Delta DM, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,515
Originally Posted by pollypocket53132
Is coronavirus delaying passport processing?
Not in my case, fastest renewal I've ever had (routine service):

​​​​​​3/18/2020: Mailed renewal package via Priority Mail
3/20/2020: Delivery to Processing Center in Philadelphia
3/24/2020: Check cashed
3/26/2020: Website shows application as processing (currently processing in 6-8 weeks)
3/28/2020: Status changed to "approved" and e-mail sent stating passport shipped with tracking #. Expected delivery on or around 4/4/2020
3/31/2020: Received passport

So a total of 13 days from dropping this off at the PO until receipt of the new passport.
pollypocket53132 likes this.
Billy Mumphrey is offline  
Old Mar 31, 2020 | 8:41 am
  #487  
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 336
Originally Posted by Billy Mumphrey
Not in my case, fastest renewal I've ever had (routine service):

​​​​​​3/18/2020: Mailed renewal package via Priority Mail
3/20/2020: Delivery to Processing Center in Philadelphia
3/24/2020: Check cashed
3/26/2020: Website shows application as processing (currently processing in 6-8 weeks)
3/28/2020: Status changed to "approved" and e-mail sent stating passport shipped with tracking #. Expected delivery on or around 4/4/2020
3/31/2020: Received passport

So a total of 13 days from dropping this off at the PO until receipt of the new passport.
wait a second.... my renewal was received by the same Philly processing center on 3/19. one day earlier than yours...

where is my passport!!!???
Vangrovsky is offline  
Old Mar 31, 2020 | 9:37 am
  #488  
10 Countries Visited
20 Countries Visited
30 Countries Visited
10 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: Delta DM, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,515
Originally Posted by Vangrovsky
wait a second.... my renewal was received by the same Philly processing center on 3/19. one day earlier than yours...

where is my passport!!!???
You'll probably get yours soon. But, why does it even matter? We can't use our passports right now.
Billy Mumphrey is offline  
Old Mar 31, 2020 | 9:43 pm
  #489  
10 Countries Visited
20 Countries Visited
30 Countries Visited
20 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: WAS (DCA, BWI, IAD)
Programs: AAdvantage EXP, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 116
Originally Posted by Vangrovsky
wait a second.... my renewal was received by the same Philly processing center on 3/19. one day earlier than yours...

where is my passport!!!???
Mine was received on 2/25 and still pending. Seems like they are not processed in order.
faceboy is offline  
Old Apr 1, 2020 | 3:08 pm
  #490  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,077
Mail-in passport renewal applications to US embassies/consulates in the Schengen area were resulting in the passports getting back to applicants within about two weeks during March. That’s marginally worse than before in parts but very good for the circumstances, with the bulk of the slow-down in these parts being the mail-side at times.

Last edited by GUWonder; Apr 1, 2020 at 8:00 pm
GUWonder is offline  
Old Apr 1, 2020 | 6:35 pm
  #491  
All eyes on you!
15 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Oakland, CA
Posts: 1,247
I'm not sure what to do in my situation.

I have travel currently scheduled for July 1 and my passport expires in July 27. I understand that there are no renewals now due to Covid. Should I still submit my renewal to "get in line" or should I wait until they open up and submit it then? Thanks.
hamburglar is offline  
Old Apr 3, 2020 | 5:45 am
  #492  
Suspended
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,077
For now at least, US passport applications will no longer be accepted for processing by the State Department in the US unless it’s a life and death emergency:

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/artic...ies/index.html
GUWonder is offline  
Old Apr 3, 2020 | 6:17 am
  #493  
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 336
Originally Posted by GUWonder
For now at least, US passport applications will no longer be accepted for processing by the State Department in the US unless its a life and death emergency:

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/artic...ies/index.html
At least it's good to know that "Applications received on or before March 19 will get processed, the agency said."

Post office delivered my routine application the passport processing center in Philadelphia at 8:47AM on March 18.

State dept passport application status website shows that they received my application on March 19. Sure hope my application was in the one of the piles that made the cut-off.
Vangrovsky is offline  
Old Apr 3, 2020 | 10:51 am
  #494  
10 Countries Visited
20 Countries Visited
30 Countries Visited
10 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: Delta DM, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,515
Originally Posted by hamburglar
I'm not sure what to do in my situation.

I have travel currently scheduled for July 1 and my passport expires in July 27. I understand that there are no renewals now due to Covid. Should I still submit my renewal to "get in line" or should I wait until they open up and submit it then? Thanks.
Depends on the rules for where you're traveling. If that country requires any kind of validity period beyond your departure date, and you don't have a second passport, then your current US passport likely won't work for entry. I would submit the renewal now to get into the queue. My previous US passport expired 4/15, but I was able to enter Italy last month using a UK passport instead (since my US passport was due to expire within 60 days), and just needed the US passport to get home.
Billy Mumphrey is offline  
Old Apr 4, 2020 | 12:52 am
  #495  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 222
Originally Posted by GUWonder
For now at least, US passport applications will no longer be accepted for processing by the State Department in the US unless its a life and death emergency:

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/artic...ies/index.html
Seems just to be sloppy reporting by CNN. The passport agency's website (updated yesterday) says that the life and death emergencies only apply for in person processing. Although expedited processing is suspended, routine service is only delayed, not suspended.

https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...ort/renew.html
justchris82 is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.