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 doesnt 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 doesnt match the list above, please add or correct.
Current US passport wait? (Merged Threads)
Feb 26, 2021 | 2:34 pm
#961
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: MKE, formerly the closest FT-er to LAX
Posts: 715
Like any other high volume recipient, it's almost certainly caller service and not a physical PO Box. My understanding is the distribution center *is* where that mail terminates, so it's probably just a missed scan. The actual lockbox facility that processes those applications is actually in northern Delaware, not Philly.
Feb 26, 2021 | 7:10 pm
#962
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 9
So, it said approved, then shipped, then approved again, I wrote an email to the congressman that was helping me and he said that I had been shipped via ups next day air. And indeed I received the passaport the next day (Feb 25th), but I had asked the congressman for help with my daughter's birth certificate, I needed the one that I sent with the passport application urgently to naturalize her at the Brazilian consulate, and I ended up receiving the doc today (Feb 26th) via ups next day air as well
Feb 27, 2021 | 8:56 am
#964
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: The Land of Pleasant Living
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, AA ExecPlat, Amtrak Select Exec, former WN apologist
Posts: 1,936
I am a lot slower than most of you, but mine finally came.
Nov 23rd: mailed renewal
Dec 1st: check cashed and status changed to "In Process" on website
Feb 27th: received passport
So about 14 weeks in total. Though at least some of that was due to the now-typical pitiful performance by USPS. I actually received my old punched passport via regular mail before the new one sent via Priority (11 days in transit).
Nov 23rd: mailed renewal
Dec 1st: check cashed and status changed to "In Process" on website
Feb 27th: received passport
So about 14 weeks in total. Though at least some of that was due to the now-typical pitiful performance by USPS. I actually received my old punched passport via regular mail before the new one sent via Priority (11 days in transit).
Feb 27, 2021 | 10:54 am
#965
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Queens, NY
Programs: Bonvoy Titanium, OW Emerald, HH Diamond
Posts: 1,098
Appointments in-person how ?
I need to make an appointment at a passport office to get a passport renewed within the next week. There are no available appointments in New York City or Philadelphia. Does anyone know what time they open up appointments and how far in advance?
Mar 1, 2021 | 12:26 pm
#968
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 6
Waiting Games
I filled out my passport renewal form and sent that in along with old passport and new picture on February 4th as first class mail. This was from NJ to the Philadelphia po box. The usps tracking shows delivered on February 8th (Monday). Since then I have received no updates and they still have yet to cash my check. I have called passport services twice with both representatives telling me they have no information or updates and to just keep watching my account to see when the check is cashed. Anyone else have an issue such as this? I'm not sure where to go from here. Any info or ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!
Mar 1, 2021 | 1:53 pm
#969
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP.
Posts: 1,364
It doesnt have to be life or death anymore. you can make an appointment for travel if you have a urgent reason to go.
https://passportappointment.travel.state.gov/
its hard to catch a reservation but I got lucky I just kept looking
https://passportappointment.travel.state.gov/
its hard to catch a reservation but I got lucky I just kept looking
Mar 1, 2021 | 10:20 pm
#970
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 15,856
Incomplete knowledge is a dangerous thing.
Uhhh yes, and if the appointments are FULL there is a "life or death" provision whereby you can force an appointment,
"
You may be eligible for an appointment if your immediate family member has died or is seriously ill or injured while abroad and you need to travel outside the United States within 72 hours (3 business days). Immediate family members include parents, legal guardians, children, spouses, siblings, and grandparents.
If you're traveling in more than 72 hours, learn more about Where to Apply.
If you need a passport due to a life-or-death emergency within 72 hours (3 business days), you must call us. Appointments for this service are extremely limited due to our limited staffing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Uhhh yes, and if the appointments are FULL there is a "life or death" provision whereby you can force an appointment,
"
Life-or-Death Emergencies
You may be eligible for an appointment if your immediate family member has died or is seriously ill or injured while abroad and you need to travel outside the United States within 72 hours (3 business days). Immediate family members include parents, legal guardians, children, spouses, siblings, and grandparents.
If you're traveling in more than 72 hours, learn more about Where to Apply.
If you need a passport due to a life-or-death emergency within 72 hours (3 business days), you must call us. Appointments for this service are extremely limited due to our limited staffing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mar 2, 2021 | 10:56 am
#971
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 291
Quote:
Originally Posted by crescatfloreat
Applied for a renewal for a 5 year old on 12/30. At the US Post office. Not expedited.
They received the request on January 5th.
"Processing" [online] since then.
Update:
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!
Originally Posted by crescatfloreat
Applied for a renewal for a 5 year old on 12/30. At the US Post office. Not expedited.
They received the request on January 5th.
"Processing" [online] since then.
Update:
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!
Edit: actually, looking at the envelope, it was posted on the 22nd of February... so the postal performance is not as bad as originally thought.
Last edited by crescatfloreat; Mar 2, 2021 at 2:19 pm Reason: Improve
Mar 2, 2021 | 11:36 am
#972
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 6
Did you ever receive an update to this from USPS?
Mar 2, 2021 | 2:45 pm
#973
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Gold
Posts: 15,009
Update: I received yesterday a letter from the Houston agency dated February 11th (!) complaining about the size of the picture I submitted. Fail on my part, but it does look like they did review the application shortly after sending the email.
Edit: actually, looking at the envelope, it was posted on the 22nd of February... so the postal performance is not as bad as originally thought.
Edit: actually, looking at the envelope, it was posted on the 22nd of February... so the postal performance is not as bad as originally thought.
Mar 2, 2021 | 3:43 pm
#974
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Klagetoh
Posts: 24,130
Mar 2, 2021 | 4:23 pm
#975
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 6
Yeah I'm basically in the same boat. Mine said delivered Sunday afternoon on February 7th to the Philadelphia po box. Not a word since and they havent cashed my check. I've called the passport agency twice but they had no information, but I guess why would they if the check isn't cashed.