ooh good idea. It’ll be a good backup. I know there’s a fee but that’s ok.

My CA dmv (in-person in 2018?) advised that they actually take my actual CA DL during the REAL DL process and I didn’t like the idea of not having a photo id; they only give a piece of paper as a temporary CA DL. It would also be unfun if I needed a photo id inbetween the time of going to dmv and returning home. So I’m less in a rush to change my CA DL if I don’t need it. I have zero intl travel plans and still will order my passport soon - and I like the idea of that passport card. It would at least be fun.

Advice?
 

My wife applied for her first passport in the post office on 3/31. The status update still says "Not Available" and the check hasn't been cashed. No way to track delivery since everything was just collected at the post office during her appointment. Calling the national hotline wasn't any help, they couldn't find any record of having received it yet. They basically just said to keep waiting. We're afraid it's lost, is there anything we can do? Would the post office keep any tracking info when they send out a batch of applications? Would the national hotline be able to start any kind of investigation? Any use contacting local representative or senator at this point? Or should we just sit tight in hope it goes to "In process" at some point?

My wife's case is similar. She applied at USPS for first time passort on 3/27 and status still shows "Not available". Called the local post office this morning and they said that they sent out passport applications everyday and have nothing to do with it, once it leaves the Post office. It takes 10-12 weeks as per them to get new passport back.

Your applications are not lost. Please read the earlier posts in this thread - it is taking up to 6 weeks for regularly mailed applications (including those accepted at a US Post Orifice!) to be received and officially entered into the system with the checks typically cashed within 3 days of being officially received. Regular processing is then taking 10-12 weeks; expedited processing is varying from a week to 3 weeks.

The state dept passport website provides an option to register to receive email notifications about status changes - it does work; you might wish to register for it.

Post Orifice is a good Freudian slip! It truly is like a black hole.
To summarise: if you haven't chosen Priority Mail Express or at the very least Priority Mail it might take forever to even arrive. And even Express seems to be slower these days - as in my case...

Thanks, we're probably in the same boat. I was walking by the post office today and the clerk looked up my wife's application. She said they bundle each day's applications and mail them together at the end of the day. She ran the tracking number and saw that the bundle with her application was delivered on April 3.

Thanks, the passport website says the status checker can take up for 4 weeks to reflect an application. I didn't see any earlier posts about it taking 6 weeks to receive and enter them into the system. If it then takes 10-12 weeks after that to process, the application website should warn you that it takes up to 18 weeks to get a passport. The way it's worded now it sounds like you'll get it back in 12 weeks from when they receive it, but it's actually 12 weeks from when when enter it into the system (and it can take up to 6 weeks to "receive" it).

I got my passport renewed last year in just 13 days (from mailing at the post office to receiving the new one in hand, with just routine service), so things have really slowed down since then.

Thanks, everyone. We already registered at DOS's site for wife's cases email notification but didn't get any email back yet. In my passport's case, which I had applied just 2 weeks prior (on 3/15) , my case was "In Process" & email sent by 3/19 from same exact Post Office. So, I think more people getting vaccinated is increasing passport applications volume.

And indeed, with the new month, TTP now accepts my new passport information. Rejected yesterday, accepted today.

Another data point on regular service being serviced in Philadelphia. Took almost a month to start processing.

3/02/21: Mailed application by Priority mail
3/12/21: Application received in Philadelphia, PA (a week late, thanks USPS)
4/09/21: Status updated to "In Process" and check cashed

The rest is TBD. No INTL travel planned but hoping to get it back before a June Global Entry interview so I dont lose the appointment.

Planning to travel 6/26

sent in my renewal non-expedited since at the time the estimated wait wasn't as long as it currently is
delivered my priority mail 4/1
still showing status not available and my check has not been cashed.

4/29 (4 weeks) called at 8am when they opened and the estimated hold time was 12 minutes, left a call back number. They called back 1:20 minutes later when i was on another call.
called back in just before 10:30 and the estimated wait was 30+ minutes with no call back option. I left it on speaker and finally got through 2:12 later!
she searched by name as well as ssn but nothing in the system, said to keep an eye on the website and it will update eventually and i should have it in time.

I still have time left, not sure what I can do at this point. She said once it is in the system i can upgrade to expedited via credit card over the phone so i will have to do that it seems.

nothing you can really do until it gets accepted/entered into the system. However, you can register for email updates on the passport status website - the updates work. So once you get the notice it has been accepted east you will get an update and then if getting too close to travel time you can contact your congresscritter's office for assistance. State is advising 10-12 weeks for routine processing after acceptance. So just keep an eye on it.

I'm on the same boat. My minor's application was done in USPS office on 4/9 at USPS office (regular service) and still the online tracking based on Last Name, DOB and SSN shows as "not available". The USPS receipt has no information to track our application. And our flight is on 6/13. I am thinking of reaching out to my congress representative but don't think he/she will do much help with no tracking or other information. Any suggestions on what I can do since the DoS website itself says the threshold for case inquiry is 4 weeks?

And now I'm the same as mnbp: after three (!) weeks, the Global Entry website finally accepted my updated passport information. Thanks to all the posters who told me what to expect, and to wait, since I really didn't want to drive out to DFW for an on-site update.