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)
Mar 12, 2021 | 1:08 pm
#1006
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 2
By the skin of my teeth (btsoyt)
Hello,
So, I booked a flight back in January to Aruba for end of March. I realized I need to renew my passport : here is my story
AFTER paying $350+ - $400 later:
Used Passport Expediting Courier (paid a fee just to have it arrive at company in DC so they can pop it in a USPS envelope to go to PA....... made no sense)
2/15/2021 - Dropped FEDEX envelope by following all instructions directed by passport expediting courier.
- Same day, 1 hour later got notification it was picked up
WAS SUPPOSED TO GET TO DESTINATION 2 DAYS from PICK UP DATE
Did it happen? Of course not because my luck... FedEx was backed up due to inclement weather across the nation
2/26/2021 - Arrived at Virginia
2/27/2021 - Arrived at Washington DC
2/28/2021 - Finally arrived at PA from Washington DC
3/3/2021 - Accepted, In Process, Check Cashed
NOW I am Freaking out because I paid for expedited service and the email i got said process time takes 4-6 weeks from date received......
3/4/2021 - 3/11/2021 -- Checking status online frantically and obsessively my trip is in 3 weeks
3/8/2021 - Called Passport Agency to try to get an appointment in person - no luck, rep says extremely difficult to get appointment
3/11/2021 - Call passport agency to get appointment (2 weeks before flight) was told NO APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE
3/11/2021 - Read this forum and used advice of those who contacted senate to push application through
3/11/2021 - Contacted State Senator
3/12/2021 @ 1:09 PM Dept of State sends an email with SHIPPING CONFIRMATION ---- WHAT????!!??!!
Idk how, idk who but THANK YOU!!!!!
Was a very stressful process, my passport renewal application was stuck in NY for 2 weeks and I was losing hope and stress eating.
Email says I should get my new passport in mail by next week.
Not sure if writing to senator helped the process but...... total time from submitting to receiving email was ::::: 3 weeks and 4 days...
Will update when I get my passport in hand.... not out of the woods yet....
So, I booked a flight back in January to Aruba for end of March. I realized I need to renew my passport : here is my story
AFTER paying $350+ - $400 later:
Used Passport Expediting Courier (paid a fee just to have it arrive at company in DC so they can pop it in a USPS envelope to go to PA....... made no sense)
2/15/2021 - Dropped FEDEX envelope by following all instructions directed by passport expediting courier.
- Same day, 1 hour later got notification it was picked up
WAS SUPPOSED TO GET TO DESTINATION 2 DAYS from PICK UP DATE
Did it happen? Of course not because my luck... FedEx was backed up due to inclement weather across the nation
2/26/2021 - Arrived at Virginia
2/27/2021 - Arrived at Washington DC
2/28/2021 - Finally arrived at PA from Washington DC
3/3/2021 - Accepted, In Process, Check Cashed
NOW I am Freaking out because I paid for expedited service and the email i got said process time takes 4-6 weeks from date received......
3/4/2021 - 3/11/2021 -- Checking status online frantically and obsessively my trip is in 3 weeks
3/8/2021 - Called Passport Agency to try to get an appointment in person - no luck, rep says extremely difficult to get appointment
3/11/2021 - Call passport agency to get appointment (2 weeks before flight) was told NO APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE
3/11/2021 - Read this forum and used advice of those who contacted senate to push application through
3/11/2021 - Contacted State Senator
3/12/2021 @ 1:09 PM Dept of State sends an email with SHIPPING CONFIRMATION ---- WHAT????!!??!!
Idk how, idk who but THANK YOU!!!!!
Was a very stressful process, my passport renewal application was stuck in NY for 2 weeks and I was losing hope and stress eating.
Email says I should get my new passport in mail by next week.
Not sure if writing to senator helped the process but...... total time from submitting to receiving email was ::::: 3 weeks and 4 days...
Will update when I get my passport in hand.... not out of the woods yet....
Mar 12, 2021 | 1:17 pm
#1007
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 21
Nice
Hello,
So, I booked a flight back in January to Aruba for end of March. I realized I need to renew my passport : here is my story
AFTER paying $350+ - $400 later:
Used Passport Expediting Courier (paid a fee just to have it arrive at company in DC so they can pop it in a USPS envelope to go to PA....... made no sense)
2/15/2021 - Dropped FEDEX envelope by following all instructions directed by passport expediting courier.
- Same day, 1 hour later got notification it was picked up
WAS SUPPOSED TO GET TO DESTINATION 2 DAYS from PICK UP DATE
Did it happen? Of course not because my luck... FedEx was backed up due to inclement weather across the nation
2/26/2021 - Arrived at Virginia
2/27/2021 - Arrived at Washington DC
2/28/2021 - Finally arrived at PA from Washington DC
3/3/2021 - Accepted, In Process, Check Cashed
NOW I am Freaking out because I paid for expedited service and the email i got said process time takes 4-6 weeks from date received......
3/4/2021 - 3/11/2021 -- Checking status online frantically and obsessively my trip is in 3 weeks
3/8/2021 - Called Passport Agency to try to get an appointment in person - no luck, rep says extremely difficult to get appointment
3/11/2021 - Call passport agency to get appointment (2 weeks before flight) was told NO APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE
3/11/2021 - Read this forum and used advice of those who contacted senate to push application through
3/11/2021 - Contacted State Senator
3/12/2021 @ 1:09 PM Dept of State sends an email with SHIPPING CONFIRMATION ---- WHAT????!!??!!
Idk how, idk who but THANK YOU!!!!!
Was a very stressful process, my passport renewal application was stuck in NY for 2 weeks and I was losing hope and stress eating.
Email says I should get my new passport in mail by next week.
Not sure if writing to senator helped the process but...... total time from submitting to receiving email was ::::: 3 weeks and 4 days...
Will update when I get my passport in hand.... not out of the woods yet....
So, I booked a flight back in January to Aruba for end of March. I realized I need to renew my passport : here is my story
AFTER paying $350+ - $400 later:
Used Passport Expediting Courier (paid a fee just to have it arrive at company in DC so they can pop it in a USPS envelope to go to PA....... made no sense)
2/15/2021 - Dropped FEDEX envelope by following all instructions directed by passport expediting courier.
- Same day, 1 hour later got notification it was picked up
WAS SUPPOSED TO GET TO DESTINATION 2 DAYS from PICK UP DATE
Did it happen? Of course not because my luck... FedEx was backed up due to inclement weather across the nation
2/26/2021 - Arrived at Virginia
2/27/2021 - Arrived at Washington DC
2/28/2021 - Finally arrived at PA from Washington DC
3/3/2021 - Accepted, In Process, Check Cashed
NOW I am Freaking out because I paid for expedited service and the email i got said process time takes 4-6 weeks from date received......
3/4/2021 - 3/11/2021 -- Checking status online frantically and obsessively my trip is in 3 weeks
3/8/2021 - Called Passport Agency to try to get an appointment in person - no luck, rep says extremely difficult to get appointment
3/11/2021 - Call passport agency to get appointment (2 weeks before flight) was told NO APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE
3/11/2021 - Read this forum and used advice of those who contacted senate to push application through
3/11/2021 - Contacted State Senator
3/12/2021 @ 1:09 PM Dept of State sends an email with SHIPPING CONFIRMATION ---- WHAT????!!??!!
Idk how, idk who but THANK YOU!!!!!
Was a very stressful process, my passport renewal application was stuck in NY for 2 weeks and I was losing hope and stress eating.
Email says I should get my new passport in mail by next week.
Not sure if writing to senator helped the process but...... total time from submitting to receiving email was ::::: 3 weeks and 4 days...
Will update when I get my passport in hand.... not out of the woods yet....
I'll send an email to my Senator. See if that helps as well.
Mar 12, 2021 | 6:59 pm
#1011
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 2
Yess i know this but i went thru a courier service and they require you to use fedex to get the application to them, then once they receive it, they put it in a usps envelope which i mentioned in my post was veryyyyyyyyy pointless. My point was that I made a mistake in using a courier service... anyway! contact your state senate they will help you, my passport has shipped and i should receive it by monday. Good luck.
Mar 12, 2021 | 9:35 pm
#1012
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 21
Good job
Yess i know this but i went thru a courier service and they require you to use fedex to get the application to them, then once they receive it, they put it in a usps envelope which i mentioned in my post was veryyyyyyyyy pointless. My point was that I made a mistake in using a courier service... anyway! contact your state senate they will help you, my passport has shipped and i should receive it by monday. Good luck.
I emailed the other Senator Bennett today. We will see how he responds.
Mar 13, 2021 | 6:32 am
#1013
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 4
3/11: called and talked to a rep around 10 pm ET. Upgraded to expedited service ($60 charge). Was told my application was being processed in NH and with expedited service it could be processed in 20 business days.. Asked for a travel date multiple times but I don't have one. They seem to indicate that they could try to accommodate any upcoming travel. Declined to upgrade to faster mailing once issued.
3/12: 12 AM received email that application was received and I selected regular service . . . noted 10-12 weeks.
3/12: Status checker changed later that day to note expedited service and 4-6 weeks.
3/13: woke up to email from a little after midnight with tracking info. I should receive by 3/20. Status checker says same.
Last edited by pbandnellie; Mar 13, 2021 at 6:38 am Reason: clarity
Mar 13, 2021 | 6:34 am
#1014
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 4
Have you tried calling the passport status number? They were very helpful when I called to expedited my application.
Mar 13, 2021 | 7:14 am
#1015
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
I wouldn't be surprised if there is an upcoming surge in US passport application numbers as people anticipate the re-opening of more international travel.
It's their staff -- inclusive of interns -- who usually respond to such communications. It's not commonly the Senators themselves who respond.
It's their staff -- inclusive of interns -- who usually respond to such communications. It's not commonly the Senators themselves who respond.
Mar 16, 2021 | 10:23 am
#1017
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: London
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 2,449
I mailed my passport renewal from NYC to PA for expedited delivery. Mailed on 2/25 USPS priority mail. Was supposed to be received on March 2, but it's been saying "delayed in transit" ever since. I filed a case with USPS but no response yet. As of today, 3/16, No status on the website and no checks cashed.
Does USPS sometimes not scan it in in? Is it lost?
Does USPS sometimes not scan it in in? Is it lost?
Mar 16, 2021 | 10:50 am
#1018
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: WAS
Programs: enjoyed being warm spit for a few years on CO/UA but now nothing :(
Posts: 2,817
Renewal for Minor Child
Another touchpoint: renewing for 2 children under 16.
Since the kids are under 16 renewal must be in-person with both parents. Our appt was at the local post office. Took about 30 minutes to process, including taking two photos. In addition to the standard passbook & card fees with regular delivery service (not expedited), we were charged USPS processing fee for both, fees for two photographs, fees for photocopies of 7 pages of forms and documents (I think that should have come out of the USPS processing fee!) and, since paying electronically by credit/debit card - two fees to convert the electronic payment to two money orders. Will provide processing details as available:
3/15 Renewal Application submitted
Since the kids are under 16 renewal must be in-person with both parents. Our appt was at the local post office. Took about 30 minutes to process, including taking two photos. In addition to the standard passbook & card fees with regular delivery service (not expedited), we were charged USPS processing fee for both, fees for two photographs, fees for photocopies of 7 pages of forms and documents (I think that should have come out of the USPS processing fee!) and, since paying electronically by credit/debit card - two fees to convert the electronic payment to two money orders. Will provide processing details as available:
3/15 Renewal Application submitted
Mar 16, 2021 | 10:53 am
#1019
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: WAS
Programs: enjoyed being warm spit for a few years on CO/UA but now nothing :(
Posts: 2,817
Mar 17, 2021 | 12:54 pm
#1020
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 21
Closer?
So I checked the status. Still says the usual. Recieved Feb 25th and it's processing . Overnight there and back plus expedited.
I finally get an email today March 17th saying received Feb 25th and it's processing. Good grief. Maybe this means they are finally starting it?
I finally get an email today March 17th saying received Feb 25th and it's processing. Good grief. Maybe this means they are finally starting it?