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)
Apr 24, 2021, 9:33 am
#1186
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: ORD
Programs: Marriott Titanium Elite, UA Silver, AA Gold
Posts: 494
Passport appointment
Was able to snag an appointment at a passport agency for a renewal last night in Chicago.
what’s the experience like at these agency’s currently? The email confirmation said delivery of passport would be discussed at the appointment; what does that mean?
last time I utilized a passport agency, i picked it up same day. Unsure if that’s possible in the current climate.
what’s the experience like at these agency’s currently? The email confirmation said delivery of passport would be discussed at the appointment; what does that mean?
last time I utilized a passport agency, i picked it up same day. Unsure if that’s possible in the current climate.
Apr 24, 2021, 11:44 pm
#1187
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP.
Posts: 1,325
Was able to snag an appointment at a passport agency for a renewal last night in Chicago.
what’s the experience like at these agency’s currently? The email confirmation said delivery of passport would be discussed at the appointment; what does that mean?
last time I utilized a passport agency, i picked it up same day. Unsure if that’s possible in the current climate.
what’s the experience like at these agency’s currently? The email confirmation said delivery of passport would be discussed at the appointment; what does that mean?
last time I utilized a passport agency, i picked it up same day. Unsure if that’s possible in the current climate.
Apr 25, 2021, 11:55 am
#1188
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
Was able to snag an appointment at a passport agency for a renewal last night in Chicago.
what’s the experience like at these agency’s currently? The email confirmation said delivery of passport would be discussed at the appointment; what does that mean?
last time I utilized a passport agency, i picked it up same day. Unsure if that’s possible in the current climate.
what’s the experience like at these agency’s currently? The email confirmation said delivery of passport would be discussed at the appointment; what does that mean?
last time I utilized a passport agency, i picked it up same day. Unsure if that’s possible in the current climate.
Apr 26, 2021, 7:18 am
#1189
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: ORD
Programs: Marriott Titanium Elite, UA Silver, AA Gold
Posts: 494
Haven't dealt with that office during the pandemic, but previously they would most often tell me to come back the next day to pick up my passports even when I was one of the first people to get in my applications into the morning. It would have been different if I was facing same-day flights those times.
Apr 26, 2021, 1:32 pm
#1190
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: WAS
Programs: enjoyed being warm spit for a few years on CO/UA but now nothing :(
Posts: 2,507
On the other hand, Mexico is so advanced not only do they require hole-punching of voter registration cards and inking fingers in addition to photo id (which are compared to poll books held by the registrars and party poll watchers), they also let people print out vital statistics documents (birth, marriage, divorce, etc.) from atm-like kiosks in shopping malls. I havent seen how they driver's licenses, though.
Apr 26, 2021, 2:26 pm
#1192
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: WAS
Programs: enjoyed being warm spit for a few years on CO/UA but now nothing :(
Posts: 2,507
Last edited by Section 107; Apr 28, 2021 at 4:13 pm
Apr 27, 2021, 2:53 am
#1193
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 15,351
When I discovered that getting certified copies etc cost not just more money than getting extra originals, not to mention the time involved and the pain of getting them remotely, I too started ordering them up in multiples, not quite 10, but not too far from it.
Apr 27, 2021, 7:08 am
#1194
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 280
Maybe a good rule of thumb is two copies for each citizenship one holds, with a couple more if you have only one. Original copies are required (and not always given back) for transcription of the birth certificate into the other country's vital records registers, issuance of a (first) passport and identity card, etc. And as countries improve "security", sometimes they require them again even for passport renewals.
Last edited by crescatfloreat; Apr 27, 2021 at 7:28 am
Apr 28, 2021, 7:12 am
#1195
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 280
Yet another minor passport application from me. This time I'd like speed so I requested all the possible improvements, speed-ups initially. We shall see how it fares.
April 17th.
Deposited expedited US passport application at USPS for a child with priority express mailing back and forth. The child doesn't have its federal name, i.e. SS identifier, so an additional paper attesting to this was also added. It was sent to Philadelphia.
I should add that it was not as straightforward as I thought to schedule a passport application appointment at a local post office for the next day. The local ones I checked were booked until Thursday next week at the earliest and I eventually, luckily found a slot in the suburbs not too far away. Unexpected obstacles all along the way!
I shall provide updates.
April 17th.
Deposited expedited US passport application at USPS for a child with priority express mailing back and forth. The child doesn't have its federal name, i.e. SS identifier, so an additional paper attesting to this was also added. It was sent to Philadelphia.
I should add that it was not as straightforward as I thought to schedule a passport application appointment at a local post office for the next day. The local ones I checked were booked until Thursday next week at the earliest and I eventually, luckily found a slot in the suburbs not too far away. Unexpected obstacles all along the way!
I shall provide updates.
April 21st - application delivered in Philadelphia (one day late).
April 23rd - application appears as "in process" online. "The U.S. Department of State has received your application for your passport book on 04/22/2021, etc."
April 28th - "in process" email received.
Apr 28, 2021, 11:14 am
#1196
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: GM on VX, UA, AA, HA, AS, SY; Budget Fastbreak
Posts: 27,628
I keep procrastinating about renewing my expired passport. One reason I want it is so that I can fly without REAL ID or so that I have the passport while awaiting REAL ID process. So I’m both very happy and torn about the REAL ID extension because I still should renew passport and I feel relief for not needing to expedite. I love this thread!!
Apr 28, 2021, 2:41 pm
#1197
Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 5
Wife sent in old passport and required information on 3/14 to have name changed. Check was cashed days later. We paid to have expedited, so should be 4-6 weeks.
3/17 - Shows in process and has been in process ever since with no other contact. Found out it’s at their Virginia office, but they have no contact to give us.
We’re passed 5 weeks now and I’m starting to worry since I’m seeing others have gotten theirs in less time. We leave on our trip 5/23, but I have to fill out a form with the country’s government website a week before we leave and I need the passport info. Anyone else waiting this long on expedited passport?
3/17 - Shows in process and has been in process ever since with no other contact. Found out it’s at their Virginia office, but they have no contact to give us.
We’re passed 5 weeks now and I’m starting to worry since I’m seeing others have gotten theirs in less time. We leave on our trip 5/23, but I have to fill out a form with the country’s government website a week before we leave and I need the passport info. Anyone else waiting this long on expedited passport?
Application still shows in process with no communication about anything wrong or needed. Already called the state senators office to see if that helps. Passport customer service is useless and say there’s no way to contact the location the application is being processed, which I call BS on. You’re telling me your offices have no way to be contacted... We paid for expedited everything and it’s been in process for over 6 weeks now. They’re real quick to cash our check though! 3 days and the check was cashed.
Apr 28, 2021, 7:47 pm
#1198
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 81
+1
I'm in the same boat as FallenPlat re TTP not accepting a new passport. I'm thinking the back end system only updates once or twice per month (unbelievable, right?) and am simply trying once per day to make my passport update on the TTP website. I'll report back as to the number of days it takes from the date a passport is issued to the date that TTP website will accept that new passport number.
I'm in the same boat as FallenPlat re TTP not accepting a new passport. I'm thinking the back end system only updates once or twice per month (unbelievable, right?) and am simply trying once per day to make my passport update on the TTP website. I'll report back as to the number of days it takes from the date a passport is issued to the date that TTP website will accept that new passport number.
Apr 29, 2021, 9:19 am
#1199
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 280
I keep procrastinating about renewing my expired passport. One reason I want it is so that I can fly without REAL ID or so that I have the passport while awaiting REAL ID process. So I’m both very happy and torn about the REAL ID extension because I still should renew passport and I feel relief for not needing to expedite. I love this thread!!
Apr 29, 2021, 9:45 am
#1200
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 81
I keep procrastinating about renewing my expired passport. One reason I want it is so that I can fly without REAL ID or so that I have the passport while awaiting REAL ID process. So I’m both very happy and torn about the REAL ID extension because I still should renew passport and I feel relief for not needing to expedite. I love this thread!!