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)
Aug 20, 2020, 8:58 am
#706
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,638
Just a data reference point. I applied for my son's first passport on 7/18 (that was our in person appointment at the post office). I got an email today that the application was approved and that my son's passport should arrive by 8/25. If it arrives by 8/25 it will have taken just over 5 weeks, which is in the normal range for processing. I don't know if we just got lucky or if the speed of processing is picking up more significantly.
Aug 20, 2020, 9:23 am
#707
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 314
I'm in the Kansas City area, and as it was a first time application I'm not even sure which processing center it was sent to. I applied now because I assumed it would take at least 3-4 months to get his passport. I am wondering if first time applications and/or applications that must be made in person are sent to processing centers with faster processing times. It seems all a bit random. I do know I'm very grateful I renewed my passport last year, so at least I don't need to worry about mine.
Aug 20, 2020, 11:13 am
#708
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,638
I'm in the Kansas City area, and as it was a first time application I'm not even sure which processing center it was sent to. I applied now because I assumed it would take at least 3-4 months to get his passport. I am wondering if first time applications and/or applications that must be made in person are sent to processing centers with faster processing times. It seems all a bit random. I do know I'm very grateful I renewed my passport last year, so at least I don't need to worry about mine.
Aug 20, 2020, 5:53 pm
#709
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: LAX
Posts: 10,909
Just a data reference point. I applied for my son's first passport on 7/18 (that was our in person appointment at the post office). I got an email today that the application was approved and that my son's passport should arrive by 8/25. If it arrives by 8/25 it will have taken just over 5 weeks, which is in the normal range for processing. I don't know if we just got lucky or if the speed of processing is picking up more significantly.
Aug 21, 2020, 7:57 am
#710
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 314
When you get the Shipped email, it will have a USPS tracking number. USPS site will indicate where the package was Accepted into the system. Mine was at Hot Springs, AR. So I presume it was printed at the Arkansas Passport Center. Interested to see if other Passport Centers are processing just as quickly.
Aug 27, 2020, 2:24 pm
#711
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: LAX
Posts: 10,909
grrrrrr
Week (Thursday-Wednesday)
Applications Received Passports Awaiting Issuance* Passports Issued
This Week (Aug 20-Aug 26) 165,000 938,000 156,000
Last Week (Aug 13-Aug 19) 143,000 923,000 209,000
2 Weeks Ago (Aug 6-Aug 12) 151,000 968,000 235,000
Week (Thursday-Wednesday)
Applications Received Passports Awaiting Issuance* Passports Issued
This Week (Aug 20-Aug 26) 165,000 938,000 156,000
Last Week (Aug 13-Aug 19) 143,000 923,000 209,000
2 Weeks Ago (Aug 6-Aug 12) 151,000 968,000 235,000
Aug 27, 2020, 2:27 pm
#712
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,632
Wow, that's pretty bad.
At least they processed SOME passports. They didn't all stay home to watch the RNC.
Hurricane Laura is passing not far from New Orleans, Houston, and especially Hot Springs AR. I wouldn't expect an uptick in processing in the next cycle..
At least they processed SOME passports. They didn't all stay home to watch the RNC.
Hurricane Laura is passing not far from New Orleans, Houston, and especially Hot Springs AR. I wouldn't expect an uptick in processing in the next cycle..
Last edited by SeeBuyFly; Aug 27, 2020 at 2:37 pm
Aug 27, 2020, 6:27 pm
#713
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: W29
Programs: It's Complicated...
Posts: 6,819
Aug 28, 2020, 11:13 pm
#714
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 1
So I appear to be in the extremely lucky minority. I mailed my application on August 20th and was notified on August 28th that my passport was approved, printed, and en route to me.
Unfortunately we had already amended our travel plans, but still this bodes well for others with upcoming travel plans.
Unfortunately we had already amended our travel plans, but still this bodes well for others with upcoming travel plans.
Aug 30, 2020, 2:24 pm
#715
Join Date: Aug 2020
Programs: MileagePlus
Posts: 1
91 Days Total
In case anyone is interested:
May 29 - Passport Renewal Shipped
May 30 - Received in Irving, TX
Jun 15 - Staus = Processing
Aug 06 - Passport Photo Unacceptable Letter
Aug 12 - New Passport Photo sent to Sterling, VA
Aug 17 - New Passport Photo Received
Aug 24 - Passport Approved
Aug 25 - Passport Shipped
Aug 29 - Passport Received
When I read these forums back in May, I saw normal turnaround was about 2-3 weeks, so I sent everything off with no worries. A few days later I realized I had been reading posts from 2017 and that I probably sent my renewal off into a black hole! Oh no! Anyway, 91 days later and everything is done.
May 30 - Received in Irving, TX
Jun 15 - Staus = Processing
Aug 06 - Passport Photo Unacceptable Letter
Aug 12 - New Passport Photo sent to Sterling, VA
Aug 17 - New Passport Photo Received
Aug 24 - Passport Approved
Aug 25 - Passport Shipped
Aug 29 - Passport Received
Aug 31, 2020, 8:41 pm
#717
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: NYC, USA
Programs: AA EXP 3MM, Lifetime Platinum, Marriott Titanium, HH Gold
Posts: 10,967
If you already have one type of passport (book or card) and you want the other type, you can apply for it as a mail-in renewal, assuming you meet all of the other requirements (passport card is in good condition, passport card was issued after you turned age 16, no more than 15 years since passport card was issued, no legal name changes, etc).
Here is an excerpt from the official instructions for the mail-in form (DS-82):
<<When submitting a U.S. passport book and/or card with this form, please verify that the document was issued at age 16 or older in your current name (or see item #2 below) and issued within the past 15 years. You are also eligible to use this form if you currently have a U.S. passport book and/or card that complies with the previously listed criteria, and would like to obtain a alternative product (U.S. passport book and/or card) for the first time. However, you must submit the product you currently have (U.S. passport book and/or card) with this application. If your U.S. passport book and/or card has been lost, stolen, damaged, or mutilated, you must apply on the DS-11 application form>>
--
My strong recommendation, if you already have the passport CARD and are getting a first-time passport BOOK, would be to check both boxes and get a new passport card while you are at it, for another $30. That way, moving forward, both your passport BOOK and passport CARD will expire at the same time, and you won't have to worry about keeping track of different renewal dates, or worrying about them canceling a valid document when you need to send it in as proof of citizenship to renew the other document.
never would have thought of both at the same time. main thing is i can avoid going in person this time. just gotta get new pics
Sep 1, 2020, 3:05 pm
#719
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,632
There is a (minor) argument for NOT having both expire at the same time. If one document expires because you forgot, or gets lost when you mail it in for renewal (the current state of the post office could continue or get worse, and other methods are not allowed), at least you have the other one and it won't expire for a while.
EDIT: did not know that you have to send both in.
EDIT: did not know that you have to send both in.
Last edited by SeeBuyFly; Sep 1, 2020 at 9:09 pm