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)
May 6, 2021, 3:43 pm
#1231
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 280
Your old passport should be sent back to you in any case.
Last edited by crescatfloreat; May 6, 2021 at 3:49 pm
May 8, 2021, 10:15 am
#1232
Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 1
Sent my passport expedited. Door to door time was 20 days. I'm overall pleased with the passport office (and not USPS).
4/17: Shipped my passport Priority Express.
4/21: Passport office received application.
4/25: Check shows up as cashed. I first checked the passport tracking system at this point and I was in the system.
5/04: I receive email that passport is shipped (Priority Express)
5/07: Passport received.
The most stressful part was the USPS; during the shipment of my passport to Philadelphia they just stopped scanning after it got to the local distribution center. It still hasn't showed that shipment as delivered.
But overall I shouldn't have worried, and the stated 4-6 week wait might just be the passport service underpromising but overdelivering.
4/17: Shipped my passport Priority Express.
4/21: Passport office received application.
4/25: Check shows up as cashed. I first checked the passport tracking system at this point and I was in the system.
5/04: I receive email that passport is shipped (Priority Express)
5/07: Passport received.
The most stressful part was the USPS; during the shipment of my passport to Philadelphia they just stopped scanning after it got to the local distribution center. It still hasn't showed that shipment as delivered.
But overall I shouldn't have worried, and the stated 4-6 week wait might just be the passport service underpromising but overdelivering.
May 8, 2021, 12:03 pm
#1233
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: Bolt Bus Rewards
Posts: 1,283
Adult Renewal Standard Handling
3/29/21: Mailed (Express Mail) from NYC
3/31/21: Received Irving, TX
04/12/21: Acknowledged receipt said 10 - 12 weeks
05/03/21: The U.S. Department of State has shipped your passport book to you using Priority Mail.
05/04/21: The U.S. Department of State approved your application for your passport book. We're now printing your passport book and preparing to give it to you.
05/06/21: Passport received
3/29/21: Mailed (Express Mail) from NYC
3/31/21: Received Irving, TX
04/12/21: Acknowledged receipt said 10 - 12 weeks
05/03/21: The U.S. Department of State has shipped your passport book to you using Priority Mail.
05/04/21: The U.S. Department of State approved your application for your passport book. We're now printing your passport book and preparing to give it to you.
05/06/21: Passport received
May 9, 2021, 9:34 pm
#1234
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 280
Sent my passport expedited. Door to door time was 20 days. I'm overall pleased with the passport office (and not USPS).
4/17: Shipped my passport Priority Express.
4/21: Passport office received application.
4/25: Check shows up as cashed. I first checked the passport tracking system at this point and I was in the system.
5/04: I receive email that passport is shipped (Priority Express)
5/07: Passport received.
The most stressful part was the USPS; during the shipment of my passport to Philadelphia they just stopped scanning after it got to the local distribution center. It still hasn't showed that shipment as delivered.
But overall I shouldn't have worried, and the stated 4-6 week wait might just be the passport service underpromising but overdelivering.
4/17: Shipped my passport Priority Express.
4/21: Passport office received application.
4/25: Check shows up as cashed. I first checked the passport tracking system at this point and I was in the system.
5/04: I receive email that passport is shipped (Priority Express)
5/07: Passport received.
The most stressful part was the USPS; during the shipment of my passport to Philadelphia they just stopped scanning after it got to the local distribution center. It still hasn't showed that shipment as delivered.
But overall I shouldn't have worried, and the stated 4-6 week wait might just be the passport service underpromising but overdelivering.
BTW, if your Priority Express letter wasn't delivered on the 20th, you can ask to be reimbursed.
April 17th - deposited expedited US passport application at USPS for a child with priority express mailing.
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. No change since. I hope nothing else is wrong with my application (quality and size of photograph, etc...)
May 10, 2021, 1:39 pm
#1235
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 280
Maybe it's of small comfort but apparently one can request reimbursement of the expedited fee after an apparent 20 business days of inaction, or lack of progress of one's application:
https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...st/refund.html
Moderators, please feel free to delete this if it's been posted before. I don't remember seeing it but the thread is long.
https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...st/refund.html
Moderators, please feel free to delete this if it's been posted before. I don't remember seeing it but the thread is long.
May 11, 2021, 2:34 pm
#1237
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: WAS
Programs: enjoyed being warm spit for a few years on CO/UA but now nothing :(
Posts: 2,507
Only one data point but a worrisome one in that a) it took 4 days for priority mail to arrive (weekend notwithstanding, but it could have been a very big pile on Monday morning) and b) it took 4 weeks to take the payment when usually it takes just days after receipt. In this case using priority mail did not make a difference; let's hope this is not the sign of a trend.
May 11, 2021, 4:19 pm
#1238
Join Date: Jan 2011
Programs: UA GS, Bonvoy Plat, Hyatt Silver, Hilton Gld
Posts: 17
Update (got our passport):
Service: Expedited (4-6wk quote) Adult Passport Renewal
Mailed 3/30/21
Delivered Philly 4/10/21
"In-Process" 4/20/21
Approved 5/4/21
Received 5/7/21
Old Passport Received 5/10/21
Almost 6 weeks from mailing to receiving (we sent it out Priority Mail, not Express overnight. DOS mailed it back Express Overnight but it took 2 days).
Exactly 4 weeks from "Delivered" to new passport Received.
Service: Expedited (4-6wk quote) Adult Passport Renewal
Mailed 3/30/21
Delivered Philly 4/10/21
"In-Process" 4/20/21
Approved 5/4/21
Received 5/7/21
Old Passport Received 5/10/21
Almost 6 weeks from mailing to receiving (we sent it out Priority Mail, not Express overnight. DOS mailed it back Express Overnight but it took 2 days).
Exactly 4 weeks from "Delivered" to new passport Received.
May 12, 2021, 1:35 pm
#1239
Moderator: Avianca, Travel Photography, Travel Technology & USA
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Far western edge of the La-La Land City limits
Programs: Emeritus VIP Fromins Deli Encino grandfathered successor program - UA MM & HH Diamond
Posts: 3,729
I was talking with an American friend of mine this past week (an occasional Flyertalk contributor), who has lived outside North America for the last 40 years. They currently live near Essen Germany. His wife's passport is expiring and he sent it to the American Consulate in Frankfurt for renewal. While these datapoints are unlikely to help more than a small group of people who are working on renewals, thought it might be of interest to some readers. Received this email overnight:
"The DHL Deutsche Post mailman just delivered D*****'s new passport. I had mailed off the application on 26 April and we got it on 12 May. A total of 16 days, including transit both directions and processing time at the U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt.
I noticed that the date of issuance is 30 April, so I surmise that they waited a week for the Cashier's Check to clear before they sent it out last Friday."
"The DHL Deutsche Post mailman just delivered D*****'s new passport. I had mailed off the application on 26 April and we got it on 12 May. A total of 16 days, including transit both directions and processing time at the U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt.
I noticed that the date of issuance is 30 April, so I surmise that they waited a week for the Cashier's Check to clear before they sent it out last Friday."
May 12, 2021, 3:51 pm
#1240
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
I was talking with an American friend of mine this past week (an occasional Flyertalk contributor), who has lived outside North America for the last 40 years. They currently live near Essen Germany. His wife's passport is expiring and he sent it to the American Consulate in Frankfurt for renewal. While these datapoints are unlikely to help more than a small group of people who are working on renewals, thought it might be of interest to some readers. Received this email overnight:
"The DHL Deutsche Post mailman just delivered D*****'s new passport. I had mailed off the application on 26 April and we got it on 12 May. A total of 16 days, including transit both directions and processing time at the U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt.
I noticed that the date of issuance is 30 April, so I surmise that they waited a week for the Cashier's Check to clear before they sent it out last Friday."
"The DHL Deutsche Post mailman just delivered D*****'s new passport. I had mailed off the application on 26 April and we got it on 12 May. A total of 16 days, including transit both directions and processing time at the U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt.
I noticed that the date of issuance is 30 April, so I surmise that they waited a week for the Cashier's Check to clear before they sent it out last Friday."
I have often been dealing with passport applications submitted at US embassies/consulates in Europe. Even for in-person payment for applications -- with payment clearing immediately via cash or bank card payment -- but relying upon mail or courier service for the passport to get back to European residential addresses, a total of 9-16 days is within the range of what I've seen for in-person application submitted at US embassies/consulates in Europe on the beaten track. That's a part of why I am inclined to think that the above passport's return time was unlikely to be delayed after being issued to wait for a cashier's check to clear. Given the pandemic-related delays that have been hitting some applications submitted in Europe, and 16 days to get a passport back is actually good when not doing it all by mail/courier.
Was it a USD-denominated cashier's check from one of the US credit union branches in Germany that current and former US military personnel and family members use there? Not sure if it's still this way, but at least previously cashier's checks in the US would clear via a somewhat different process than checks written against regular current accounts at US banks.
May 12, 2021, 5:04 pm
#1241
Moderator: Avianca, Travel Photography, Travel Technology & USA
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Far western edge of the La-La Land City limits
Programs: Emeritus VIP Fromins Deli Encino grandfathered successor program - UA MM & HH Diamond
Posts: 3,729
Was it a USD-denominated cashier's check from one of the US credit union branches in Germany that current and former US military personnel and family members use there? Not sure if it's still this way, but at least previously cashier's checks in the US would clear via a somewhat different process than checks written against regular current accounts at US banks.
May 12, 2021, 6:47 pm
#1242
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
Anyone here come across any US Passport Agency offices that have any online appointments available for tomorrow or Friday?
I was just hit up by someone today over an urgent work-related need for a US passport renewal to take a trip from the US to Africa since the country (at least according to state.gov) requires having 6 months remaining validity (beyond the entry date) on the passport. Couldn't find an appointment at any of the US passport agency offices for this week.
I was just hit up by someone today over an urgent work-related need for a US passport renewal to take a trip from the US to Africa since the country (at least according to state.gov) requires having 6 months remaining validity (beyond the entry date) on the passport. Couldn't find an appointment at any of the US passport agency offices for this week.
May 13, 2021, 11:38 am
#1243
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.
May 13th - "application approved" email received. The online status must also have changed recently (it was still showing in process earlier this morning). "You should receive your passport book on or around 05/16/2021." "Shipped" email received about two hours later.
Edit:
May 15th - passport received from Tucson in Priority Express mailing. It's the old model passport and the date of issue is May 12th.
May 22nd - received birth certificate back. The letter was postmarked on May 17th.
Finis.
Last edited by crescatfloreat; Apr 22, 2023 at 2:13 pm Reason: Additional, new information
May 13, 2021, 12:59 pm
#1244
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: ATX
Programs: AA LT PLT, Marriott LT PLT
Posts: 277
(will continue to update as things progress)
Passport renewal in-process. Old passport was expired. Requested new book & card. Regular service (not-expedited). No planned international travel listed.
4/12/21: Mailed application from Austin, TX to Irving, TX via first class mail
4/16/21: (assumed) Application received in Irving, TX...no tracking on the envelope
5/12/21: Application Status shows up as "In Process" on website with a locator number and 10-12 week estimate
5/12/21: Cashed check appears on my bank account
??/??/21: Approved / Shipped Notifications
06/08/21: New passport book shipped from Houston, TX
06/09/21: New passport book received in Austin, TX (58 Days from ship to receive)
??/??/21: New passport card shipped
??/??/21: New passport card received
??/??/21: Old voided passport received
Passport renewal in-process. Old passport was expired. Requested new book & card. Regular service (not-expedited). No planned international travel listed.
4/12/21: Mailed application from Austin, TX to Irving, TX via first class mail
4/16/21: (assumed) Application received in Irving, TX...no tracking on the envelope
5/12/21: Application Status shows up as "In Process" on website with a locator number and 10-12 week estimate
5/12/21: Cashed check appears on my bank account
??/??/21: Approved / Shipped Notifications
06/08/21: New passport book shipped from Houston, TX
06/09/21: New passport book received in Austin, TX (58 Days from ship to receive)
??/??/21: New passport card shipped
??/??/21: New passport card received
??/??/21: Old voided passport received
Last edited by boxedlunch; Jun 9, 2021 at 2:35 pm Reason: updates