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)
Feb 5, 2021, 5:33 pm
#902
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Posts: 1
First time passport applicant
01/05/2021 - I had my USPS Passport appointment, already had my application all filled out along with my required documents etc a few days before hand. I paid for the expedited services also.
01/12/2021 - My application was received on this specific day.
01/27/2021 - Even though I just received an email update indicating that my application was received on 1/12 initially but they are now officially reviewing my application and supporting documents. Maybe there was a delayed email communication or something going on with their system due to covid?
Currently the application status is still “In Process”
But anyways I’m just trying to gather as much info/help as much as possible on a little situation I encountered during my initial USPS appointment. Long story short I brought along and provided my “short form birth certificate”, and was told a few minutes later by the USPS employee that it would most likely be denied at the processing center, but yet she still accepted it and had it mailed out. So I honestly didn’t know there were two different birth certificates that existed and that the “ long form birth certificate “ was required/preferred (my parents had the long form version of said birth certificate)
So since I have not heard back from them yet as far as being denied and not receiving any further updated emails/physical mail about the birth certificate. Should I patiently wait until I hear back from them or should I attempt to just mail out the proper birth certificate on my own and hope for the best?
I’m only mentioning this because I’m just trying to avoid any further delays if anything. Since I do have an international trip to Mexico on 03/25/2021 thats already fully booked and paid for.. Even though I paid for the expedited service, should I be worried?
01/05/2021 - I had my USPS Passport appointment, already had my application all filled out along with my required documents etc a few days before hand. I paid for the expedited services also.
01/12/2021 - My application was received on this specific day.
01/27/2021 - Even though I just received an email update indicating that my application was received on 1/12 initially but they are now officially reviewing my application and supporting documents. Maybe there was a delayed email communication or something going on with their system due to covid?
Currently the application status is still “In Process”
But anyways I’m just trying to gather as much info/help as much as possible on a little situation I encountered during my initial USPS appointment. Long story short I brought along and provided my “short form birth certificate”, and was told a few minutes later by the USPS employee that it would most likely be denied at the processing center, but yet she still accepted it and had it mailed out. So I honestly didn’t know there were two different birth certificates that existed and that the “ long form birth certificate “ was required/preferred (my parents had the long form version of said birth certificate)
So since I have not heard back from them yet as far as being denied and not receiving any further updated emails/physical mail about the birth certificate. Should I patiently wait until I hear back from them or should I attempt to just mail out the proper birth certificate on my own and hope for the best?
I’m only mentioning this because I’m just trying to avoid any further delays if anything. Since I do have an international trip to Mexico on 03/25/2021 thats already fully booked and paid for.. Even though I paid for the expedited service, should I be worried?
Feb 6, 2021, 6:38 am
#903
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM, Marriott/Hilton Gold
Posts: 33
Long story short I brought along and provided my “short form birth certificate”, and was told a few minutes later by the USPS employee that it would most likely be denied at the processing center, but yet she still accepted it and had it mailed out. So I honestly didn’t know there were two different birth certificates that existed and that the “ long form birth certificate “ was required/preferred (my parents had the long form version of said birth certificate)
Issued by the city, county, or state of birth
Lists applicant’s full name, date of birth, and place of birth
Lists parent(s)’ full names
Has the signature of the city, county, or state registrar
Has the date filed with registrar's office (must be within one year of birth)
Has the seal of issuing authority
Lists applicant’s full name, date of birth, and place of birth
Lists parent(s)’ full names
Has the signature of the city, county, or state registrar
Has the date filed with registrar's office (must be within one year of birth)
Has the seal of issuing authority
Feb 7, 2021, 7:54 pm
#906
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 280
That is quick!
I wonder how much of it depends on which agency it is despatched to, how behind and overwhelmed that agency is at that partcular moment.
I haven't heard of other countries struggling with passports... I recently renewed a child's local passport in ZRH and that took less than two weeks in completely normal, unexpedited mode.
I wonder how much of it depends on which agency it is despatched to, how behind and overwhelmed that agency is at that partcular moment.
I haven't heard of other countries struggling with passports... I recently renewed a child's local passport in ZRH and that took less than two weeks in completely normal, unexpedited mode.
Feb 7, 2021, 7:58 pm
#907
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 95
Passport
That is quick!
I wonder how much of it depends which agency it is despatched to, how behind and overwhelmed that agency is at that partcular moment.
I haven't heard of other countries struggling with passports... I recently renewed a child's local passport in ZRH and that took less than two weeks in completely normal, unexpedited mode.
I wonder how much of it depends which agency it is despatched to, how behind and overwhelmed that agency is at that partcular moment.
I haven't heard of other countries struggling with passports... I recently renewed a child's local passport in ZRH and that took less than two weeks in completely normal, unexpedited mode.
Feb 7, 2021, 8:20 pm
#908
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 280
According to the website they dispatch it to the agency that has the least load in order to get the passport processed quickly. I doubt that is not the case but who knows. I sent it renewal for my 5 years old ( USPS appointment) 1/22 and was received 1/28 and check cashed 1/29 and it shows processing since 1/28. Non expedited and we are not planning any trips until July. Should I assume everything is ok since they never sent any emails after? The photo is DIY but was great and I have done my passport the same way.
But if you're travelling only in July you should have lots of time!
To clarify, my ZRH application was not for a US passport.
Feb 7, 2021, 8:35 pm
#909
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 95
yes, I think we are all good. I was told they scan the application into the system same day they cash the check. So my guess is the photo is good to go.
Feb 8, 2021, 2:39 am
#910
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
That is quick!
I wonder how much of it depends on which agency it is despatched to, how behind and overwhelmed that agency is at that partcular moment.
I haven't heard of other countries struggling with passports... I recently renewed a child's local passport in ZRH and that took less than two weeks in completely normal, unexpedited mode.
I wonder how much of it depends on which agency it is despatched to, how behind and overwhelmed that agency is at that partcular moment.
I haven't heard of other countries struggling with passports... I recently renewed a child's local passport in ZRH and that took less than two weeks in completely normal, unexpedited mode.
Feb 8, 2021, 12:19 pm
#911
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 280
Most Schengen area US consulates/embassies located in a city with non-stop flights to the US are still this month turning around US passport applications for children within less than 12 business days from when taking applications. I'm mostly seeing under 10 days. No expedite fee applicable.
Feb 9, 2021, 1:44 pm
#912
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 280
I received today an email (the first email communication) informing me that "the U.S. Department of State has received [the] application for [the] passport book on 01/05/2021. We're now reviewing [the] application and supporting documents. You requested routine service when you applied, which we are currently processing in 10-12 weeks". Etc.
Maybe they are actually reviewing it now!
Feb 9, 2021, 7:02 pm
#913
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 7
Mine was received on January 15th Expedited and is still in process. Leaving for a trip on March 12th Should I be worried? The total time would be would be 7.5 weeks before I need it. My husband sent his in on the same day and his was received on 2 weeks later.
Feb 10, 2021, 12:55 pm
#914
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 2
Ok im hoping to get some piece of mind on this Forum. I applied for 2 passports for my Toddlers on 1/8/2021. Didn't pay for expedited service because my brother recently applied and received passport in a little over a month. Its been a month later and status on Website still shows " NOT FOUND" and per agents they cannot pay for expedited service until status changes. Here's the kicker my Trip is on 3/3/2021!
Thoughts, Suggestions, anything will be greatly appreciated!
Thoughts, Suggestions, anything will be greatly appreciated!
Feb 10, 2021, 7:16 pm
#915
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 1
Here was my experience-
Sent my passport in for renewal non expedited service on January 25. Exactly 2 weeks later my passport still hadn't been found in the system. I called them to see if they had received my passport and also because I wanted to change to expedited service. I called and they couldn't find it, therefore couldn't do anything about changing it to expedited service. They said wait a few days and check back. 4 hours went by and I got the email that they had received my passport.
I called them back that same evening to change to expedited service plus expedited shipping. 2 days later and I just received the email my passport is being shipped.
The agent had asked what day I needed the passport by and I told her March 29. Had no idea the turnaround would be that fast.
Sent my passport in for renewal non expedited service on January 25. Exactly 2 weeks later my passport still hadn't been found in the system. I called them to see if they had received my passport and also because I wanted to change to expedited service. I called and they couldn't find it, therefore couldn't do anything about changing it to expedited service. They said wait a few days and check back. 4 hours went by and I got the email that they had received my passport.
I called them back that same evening to change to expedited service plus expedited shipping. 2 days later and I just received the email my passport is being shipped.
The agent had asked what day I needed the passport by and I told her March 29. Had no idea the turnaround would be that fast.