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)
Dec 14, 2020, 3:08 pm
#826
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike.. but I wanna go home with the armadillo
Programs: CO, NW, & UA forum moderator emeritus
Posts: 35,437
ne can upload a photo and generate an image to download to use to print 4 photos on a 4x6 print at the facility of your choice (CVS, Walgreens, Costco, etc.) ... Just look at the small print on the bottom of the page that says "Or, you can use our FREE Do It Yourself service."
Dec 18, 2020, 12:00 am
#827
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Chicago
Programs: United 1P
Posts: 32
Dec 18, 2020, 12:03 am
#828
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,971
It took exactly 60 days between the time I mailed my application (I think to an address in PHL) and the time I got the "We're now printing your passport book and preparing to give it to you." e-mail.
The interesting thing is the next day it showed up in my USPS Informed Delivery list with a tracking number. The estimated delivery date by USPS is actually 3 business days before the one projected by the State Department. Unfortunately, now the USPS website says it is delayed (it is coming from Arkansas).
As far as picture, I got mine at Costco. This was after my 4th self-haircut which finally looked half-way decent
So, for the next 10 years, every time I use my passport, I will remember COVID.
The interesting thing is the next day it showed up in my USPS Informed Delivery list with a tracking number. The estimated delivery date by USPS is actually 3 business days before the one projected by the State Department. Unfortunately, now the USPS website says it is delayed (it is coming from Arkansas).
As far as picture, I got mine at Costco. This was after my 4th self-haircut which finally looked half-way decent
So, for the next 10 years, every time I use my passport, I will remember COVID.
Dec 18, 2020, 3:06 pm
#829
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Chicago
Programs: United 1P
Posts: 32
It took exactly 60 days between the time I mailed my application (I think to an address in PHL) and the time I got the "We're now printing your passport book and preparing to give it to you." e-mail.
The interesting thing is the next day it showed up in my USPS Informed Delivery list with a tracking number. The estimated delivery date by USPS is actually 3 business days before the one projected by the State Department. Unfortunately, now the USPS website says it is delayed (it is coming from Arkansas).
As far as picture, I got mine at Costco. This was after my 4th self-haircut which finally looked half-way decent So, for the next 10 years, every time I use my passport, I will remember COVID.
The interesting thing is the next day it showed up in my USPS Informed Delivery list with a tracking number. The estimated delivery date by USPS is actually 3 business days before the one projected by the State Department. Unfortunately, now the USPS website says it is delayed (it is coming from Arkansas).
As far as picture, I got mine at Costco. This was after my 4th self-haircut which finally looked half-way decent
So, for the next 10 years, every time I use my passport, I will remember COVID.10 years ago, when I renewed, it took less than 3 weeks from the day I mailed to the day I received, shorter than their original estimate. This Covid year, 12 weeks exactly.
Dec 20, 2020, 11:07 am
#830
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,971
Note that the old passport comes back in separate regular mail. In my case, the old one came back first. I almost had a heart attack opening it and only seeing the old passport. However, there is clear instruction assuring you the new one is approved and coming.
Dec 20, 2020, 6:06 pm
#831
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: raleigh
Posts: 4
I mailed my documents and old passport to the center in Philadelphia on 10/2. I received my old passport book on Dec 18 (may have been a day or two earlier because I don't check my mail every day) and the new one came on Dec 19.
Dec 24, 2020, 8:02 am
#832
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 464
My renewal application was received on 9/30 and all along the online tracker has reflected that. Now today I received an email update that doesn’t say anything about approval, but just communicated the same status that has been shown on the website since 9/30 (below). Any ideas?
Based on posts here, I would have expected the update I just received to have been the approval. Check was cashed in early Oct shortly after receipt.
"The U.S. Department of State has received your application for your passport book on 09/30/2020. We're now reviewing your application and supporting documents.
You requested routine service when you applied, which we are currently processing in 10-12 weeks."
Based on posts here, I would have expected the update I just received to have been the approval. Check was cashed in early Oct shortly after receipt.
"The U.S. Department of State has received your application for your passport book on 09/30/2020. We're now reviewing your application and supporting documents.
You requested routine service when you applied, which we are currently processing in 10-12 weeks."
Dec 28, 2020, 10:23 am
#833
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: MA
Programs: DL DM/2MM Marriott Platinum, HH Diamond,
Posts: 8,907
OK, just reading the last page or 2 of posts on this thread, I see that I probably should not be concerned... mailed about 12/1/20, the check cleared my bank on 12/10/20. When I look for passport renewal status, the system says they cannot locate any such renewal at this time. FWIW, I did tack on the extra fee for "expedited service". But I see that many people have delays far longer than mine, which basically sits at a month. Was concerned that they didn't seem to have it logged into the system as yet. Philadelphia office BTW.
Dec 30, 2020, 1:05 pm
#835
Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 2
I sent mine in on 9/30 the received 10/2, check cleared shortly after, it's been 12 weeks and some days, called in and they said to them it has not been 12 weeks since there were some holidays, aka 2 Thanksgiving days, and Christmas eve and day, and now new years, this adds a full week, so my 12 week period is over week of Jan 4th hoping to get it that week. They mentioned that I could pay to expedite and postmark travel date and they would try to get it out by that date, but of course 60+17 shipping fee. Just will wait now but we'll see, shipped from Houston,TX to Irving processing center.
Jan 3, 2021, 12:33 am
#838
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP.
Posts: 1,325
you have to keep trying keep looking and maybe open to another state lol. fudge around with the dates but remember oyu need to have outside travel within 3 days of that. for me it was easy since I was ready to leave whenever i got my passport lol.
Jan 3, 2021, 9:56 am
#840
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
[If I got a new ordinary full-duration passport in hand 1.45 min after giving in my application, I would say that something went wrong.]