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)
#1321
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 177
Another thumbs up for the local state representative. I reached out to them 3 weeks prior to date of departure. I was able to speak with a live person on the second ring (YMMV!!) and he was immediately able to assure me that this would not be a problem - just that it was actually too soon for the agency to confirm an appointment. But after a week and a half wait, they were able to secure an in-person appointment for 3 days prior to departure. On the paperwork I have, I'm told to tell the officers that I have a "customer service appointment." And FWIW, the appointment is at 7am. I suspect there's a decent block of these customer service appointments each day, outside of the bookable ones via the state.travel.gov website (9am to 3 or 4pm).
#1322
Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 2
Original documents received 06/18/2021.
#1323
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 423
I'm trying to follow the thread but there's so many data points. Need to travel to Mexico in 7 weeks and realized passport expired in March. Live in LA, no appointments available at local agencies even when I select travel within 3 days. I vaguely remember having worked with a company to rush my husband's passport 10 years ago but haven't dealt with this in ages and I realize I need to gather all my documents and apply somewhere ASAP.
- How long does expedited service currently take?
- Where should I apply for fastest service - USPS?
- What docs do I need?
- If I apply Monday and it doesn't arrive in time, I call a local state representative?? (and who would that be for California)
- Is there some work around that I have possibly missed (e.g. would it be possible to fly to Mexico with a driver's license only, and return on an expired passport? I also have Global Entry.)
Sorry for being so out of the loop I just emerged out of my Covid bubble clueless and now in a panic.
- How long does expedited service currently take?
- Where should I apply for fastest service - USPS?
- What docs do I need?
- If I apply Monday and it doesn't arrive in time, I call a local state representative?? (and who would that be for California)
- Is there some work around that I have possibly missed (e.g. would it be possible to fly to Mexico with a driver's license only, and return on an expired passport? I also have Global Entry.)
Sorry for being so out of the loop I just emerged out of my Covid bubble clueless and now in a panic.
#1324
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 285
Just for your information, Applied for a passport renewal, routine processing:
May 5 Mailed Priority Mail 2 Day with Electronic Signature Conformation
May 8 Mail received at the Philadelphia center and signed for
June 16. Application received and showing In Process
Basically, it took 5 1/2 weeks from the time they received it to open the mail and log the application.
Just posting so people are aware of the very lengthy wait time before the passport application will show up in the system, and the 10-12 week processing period starts after it.
It is a routine renewal for me and I am in no rush, I have held a valid passport since 1986 and my first planned trip under the new one is in November, so I can wait it out.
May 5 Mailed Priority Mail 2 Day with Electronic Signature Conformation
May 8 Mail received at the Philadelphia center and signed for
June 16. Application received and showing In Process
Basically, it took 5 1/2 weeks from the time they received it to open the mail and log the application.
Just posting so people are aware of the very lengthy wait time before the passport application will show up in the system, and the 10-12 week processing period starts after it.
It is a routine renewal for me and I am in no rush, I have held a valid passport since 1986 and my first planned trip under the new one is in November, so I can wait it out.
Last edited by zephyr17; Jun 20, 2021 at 5:18 pm Reason: Clarity
#1325
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 285
MSC 75, I can't tell you about expedited. I am doing a routine renewal that finally showed up in the system after sitting in the mailroom for nearly 6 weeks, per my post above.
If your old passport is physically undamaged and in good shape, the only document you need is that old passport, since it was issued less than 15 years ago, and your DS-82 renewal application with a current, qualifying photo..
Since passports are Federal, it is your US House Representative you should contact. You can find your Representative at https://www.house.gov/representative...representative . You can also try your Senators, Diane Feinstein or Alan Padilla. I'd try your representative first, though, they have fewer people knocking on their door for constituent services than the nearly 40 million Feinstein and Padilla represent.
I don't know if actually applying at USPS is really any faster. Once they take the application, it is still mailed and will take the same mailing (and sitting at the passport center) time. You do not need to apply in person with a renewal, although you can. It isn't like going to an actual Passport Agency.
Your Global Entry card is good for land crossings without your accompanying passport. At least into the US, not sure how Mexico feels about it, but my guess is it would be okay. It isn't good for air travel and neither is your driver's license, even if you have an enhanced DL. You could walk across with your GE card and maybe fly on a Mexican internal flight from Tijuana. Apparently with COVID, US CBP is allowing re-entry for citizens with expired passports, although that was mainly intended for those who got stuck overseas and had no way to renew their passports when everything closed up.
The days of going to Mexico or Canada with only a driver's license and birth certificate are long gone. See the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI).
You can get entry requirements at a consumer version of Timatic (Timatic is what the airlines use to verify your documents to decide to allow you to board). It is at https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/pas...quirements.htm
If your old passport is physically undamaged and in good shape, the only document you need is that old passport, since it was issued less than 15 years ago, and your DS-82 renewal application with a current, qualifying photo..
Since passports are Federal, it is your US House Representative you should contact. You can find your Representative at https://www.house.gov/representative...representative . You can also try your Senators, Diane Feinstein or Alan Padilla. I'd try your representative first, though, they have fewer people knocking on their door for constituent services than the nearly 40 million Feinstein and Padilla represent.
I don't know if actually applying at USPS is really any faster. Once they take the application, it is still mailed and will take the same mailing (and sitting at the passport center) time. You do not need to apply in person with a renewal, although you can. It isn't like going to an actual Passport Agency.
Your Global Entry card is good for land crossings without your accompanying passport. At least into the US, not sure how Mexico feels about it, but my guess is it would be okay. It isn't good for air travel and neither is your driver's license, even if you have an enhanced DL. You could walk across with your GE card and maybe fly on a Mexican internal flight from Tijuana. Apparently with COVID, US CBP is allowing re-entry for citizens with expired passports, although that was mainly intended for those who got stuck overseas and had no way to renew their passports when everything closed up.
The days of going to Mexico or Canada with only a driver's license and birth certificate are long gone. See the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI).
You can get entry requirements at a consumer version of Timatic (Timatic is what the airlines use to verify your documents to decide to allow you to board). It is at https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/pas...quirements.htm
Last edited by zephyr17; Jun 20, 2021 at 6:11 pm
#1326
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 423
Some follow-up questions after catching up on the thread:
- I decided to do expedited + 1-2 day delivery on both ends. Is doing expedited through Philly a worse choice than regular through TX? I saw some posts about wanting to avoid Philly.
- Is there a chance they may exceed the 6 weeks processing time for expedited? My travel date is exactly 7 weeks from tomorrow (Monday) when I mail the application. 6 weeks + 4 mailing days barely gets it to me the friday before travel.
- Would bugging my representative around the 4-5 week mark work, even though they say to expect 4-6 weeks for expedited?
Last edited by msc75; Jun 21, 2021 at 3:56 pm
#1327
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 8
First time US Passport applicant here base in San Francisco, CA. Did the expedite and 1-2 day shipping fee due to my upcoming travel in August 2nd.
6-14 applied in person in USPS 1300 Evans Lane in SF
6-18 application received
6-21 my personal check payment was cleared in my checking account
TBC
6-14 applied in person in USPS 1300 Evans Lane in SF
6-18 application received
6-21 my personal check payment was cleared in my checking account
TBC
#1328
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Southern California
Programs: Alaska MVP 75K, Delta Plat, Bonvoy Ambasador, Hilton diamond.
Posts: 527
My daughter's passport application has us pretty nervous since we are planing on traveling June 26th.
5-15 Application submitted via county clerk with expedite & 2nd day shipping.
6-14 My wife managed to secure an in-person appointment in Tuscon for 6/24.
6-15 Application showed up online.
6-21 (today) I managed to snag an appointment at the San Diego passport agency for 6/25
The big question is, will a child's passport be issued same day in San Diego for an AM appointment assuming all paperwork is in order and both parents are present? I'm leaning towards the 7 hour each way drive to Tuscon on Thursday to have that "oh crap" cushion, or am I just being paranoid? Will the fact that there is an application already in the system with a locator # assigned be an issue?
A couple of things I've learned trying to secure an in-person appointment. The scheduling system releases appointments 10 business days out at approximately 12am local time to the office. There is a 2-3 minute variance on the 12am time. Trick is to be at the search for appointment screen and keep hitting "search" for the nearest office you can get too. As an example tonight @ 12am (6/22) appointments for July 2nd will be released. You have to be fast. Places like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego, the appointment slots last 30 seconds. By the time I completed clicking through and validating my e-mail with the code the appointments were gone on multiple nights. I don't know about central & east coast locations but Seattle seems to be less popular and has appointments last minutes, and Honolulu is almost a sure bet. If hunting for a west coast appointment under 10 days I noticed that they pop up between 9pm & 11pm PST randomly as people in the east & central time zones secure more local appointments at 12am est/cst/mst and end up releasing the appointments further west they were sitting on from before...pretty sure that's how I managed to snag San Diego.
5-15 Application submitted via county clerk with expedite & 2nd day shipping.
6-14 My wife managed to secure an in-person appointment in Tuscon for 6/24.
6-15 Application showed up online.
6-21 (today) I managed to snag an appointment at the San Diego passport agency for 6/25
The big question is, will a child's passport be issued same day in San Diego for an AM appointment assuming all paperwork is in order and both parents are present? I'm leaning towards the 7 hour each way drive to Tuscon on Thursday to have that "oh crap" cushion, or am I just being paranoid? Will the fact that there is an application already in the system with a locator # assigned be an issue?
A couple of things I've learned trying to secure an in-person appointment. The scheduling system releases appointments 10 business days out at approximately 12am local time to the office. There is a 2-3 minute variance on the 12am time. Trick is to be at the search for appointment screen and keep hitting "search" for the nearest office you can get too. As an example tonight @ 12am (6/22) appointments for July 2nd will be released. You have to be fast. Places like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego, the appointment slots last 30 seconds. By the time I completed clicking through and validating my e-mail with the code the appointments were gone on multiple nights. I don't know about central & east coast locations but Seattle seems to be less popular and has appointments last minutes, and Honolulu is almost a sure bet. If hunting for a west coast appointment under 10 days I noticed that they pop up between 9pm & 11pm PST randomly as people in the east & central time zones secure more local appointments at 12am est/cst/mst and end up releasing the appointments further west they were sitting on from before...pretty sure that's how I managed to snag San Diego.
Last edited by bubu-SNA; Jun 21, 2021 at 1:47 pm Reason: typo
#1329
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: WAS
Programs: enjoyed being warm spit for a few years on CO/UA but now nothing :(
Posts: 2,507
My daughter's passport application has us pretty nervous since we are planing on traveling June 26th.
5-15 Application submitted via county clerk with expedite & 2nd day shipping.
6-14 My wife managed to secure an in-person appointment in Tuscon for 6/24.
6-15 Application showed up online.
6-21 (today) I managed to snag an appointment at the San Diego passport agency for 6/25
The big question is, will a child's passport be issued same day in San Diego for an AM appointment assuming all paperwork is in order and both parents are present? I'm leaning towards the 7 hour each way drive to Tuscon on Thursday to have that "oh crap" cushion, or am I just being paranoid? Will the fact that there is an application already in the system with a locator # assigned be an issue?
5-15 Application submitted via county clerk with expedite & 2nd day shipping.
6-14 My wife managed to secure an in-person appointment in Tuscon for 6/24.
6-15 Application showed up online.
6-21 (today) I managed to snag an appointment at the San Diego passport agency for 6/25
The big question is, will a child's passport be issued same day in San Diego for an AM appointment assuming all paperwork is in order and both parents are present? I'm leaning towards the 7 hour each way drive to Tuscon on Thursday to have that "oh crap" cushion, or am I just being paranoid? Will the fact that there is an application already in the system with a locator # assigned be an issue?
#1330
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 285
MSC75, I can't speak to the difference between Philly and Texas, I was stuck with Philly because that is where State says routine applications for my home state should go. I will say the Expedited PO Box is different one than that for routine. Hopefully, they open the mail quicker for the applications arriving at the expedited PO box.
The door to door time for expedited is actually listed as 12 weeks. They are including 6 weeks
"mailing" time, which disingenuously apparently includes the sitting-in-their-mailroom time. My application arrived in a couple days, according to the USPS signed receipt, but the total time was indeed about 6 weeks before it "arrived".
I am dubious about how effective to contacting Congresscritter's office before your application is "in process" and a locator number assigned would be. LThe constituent services staff will need that locator number to give to State to get information on your application. You can try it before, but I am not sure how well the bureaucracy will handle a request for an application that hasn't been logged in, even in response to a legislator's office. You can always contact your representative's office and see what they say.
I will say in your situation I'd contact my Representative's office as soon as I got the locator number.
You are in a tough situation, I hope it works out.
The door to door time for expedited is actually listed as 12 weeks. They are including 6 weeks
"mailing" time, which disingenuously apparently includes the sitting-in-their-mailroom time. My application arrived in a couple days, according to the USPS signed receipt, but the total time was indeed about 6 weeks before it "arrived".
I am dubious about how effective to contacting Congresscritter's office before your application is "in process" and a locator number assigned would be. LThe constituent services staff will need that locator number to give to State to get information on your application. You can try it before, but I am not sure how well the bureaucracy will handle a request for an application that hasn't been logged in, even in response to a legislator's office. You can always contact your representative's office and see what they say.
I will say in your situation I'd contact my Representative's office as soon as I got the locator number.
You are in a tough situation, I hope it works out.
#1331
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 1
Passport Processing Time
So originally I read this thread and have seen so many highs and lows and it scared me... but have faith! I know you guys keep seeing “reach out to your senators” but please do ... because it WORKS. I am Brooklyn, NY based.
Expedited Services requested:
05/27/22 - Passport shipped from Brooklyn, NYC and arrived in Philadelphia, PA same DAY
06/03/21 - Passport on processing .....
06/17/21 - Passport still in processing....
06/17/21 - Reached out to Senator Kristen Gillibrand’s office and Chuck Schumer’s office around 2am in the morning after doing some forum research on steps to take when in doubt and travel date is approaching.
06/17/21 - Response from Kristen Gillibrand’s case work office SAME DAY 2pm assigning me a casework number. Requested I fill out the privacy act form and I sent it back same day.
(It is now 6/22/21 and STILL NO response from Chuck Schumer’s office, you can’t even reach his office on a landline).
06/21/21 - Kristen Gillibrand’s office reaches back out to me to confirm they’ve submitted an inquiry on my behalf 11am.
06/21/21 - PASSPORT APROVED 11:07pm
06/24/21 - Expected arrival date of passport.
*** 06/25/21 is my Travel date. ***
Expedited Services requested:
05/27/22 - Passport shipped from Brooklyn, NYC and arrived in Philadelphia, PA same DAY
06/03/21 - Passport on processing .....
06/17/21 - Passport still in processing....
06/17/21 - Reached out to Senator Kristen Gillibrand’s office and Chuck Schumer’s office around 2am in the morning after doing some forum research on steps to take when in doubt and travel date is approaching.
06/17/21 - Response from Kristen Gillibrand’s case work office SAME DAY 2pm assigning me a casework number. Requested I fill out the privacy act form and I sent it back same day.
(It is now 6/22/21 and STILL NO response from Chuck Schumer’s office, you can’t even reach his office on a landline).
06/21/21 - Kristen Gillibrand’s office reaches back out to me to confirm they’ve submitted an inquiry on my behalf 11am.
06/21/21 - PASSPORT APROVED 11:07pm
06/24/21 - Expected arrival date of passport.
*** 06/25/21 is my Travel date. ***
#1332
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 4
My Elected official experience so far
After reading all these post, I had high hopes for my elected representatives. Unfortunately I have received no help from them. We applied for my 1 month old at the time passport on 05/28. Travel on 06/26, my wife grandma is very sick, currently on her death bed so we need to make it out on the 26th for the chance of her grandma seeing our kids for the 1st time before she goes...
05/28 - Applied at passport facility in Los Angeles CA - EXPIDTED AND 1/2 day shipping on the back end
06/03- Received Email confirmation that the application is in process
06/04- Check Cashed
06/11- Reached out to my local congressman office and let them know the situation and filled out privacy release form
06/11- Heard back from congressman office was told they are looking into it
06/14 - Reached out to one of my 2 senators filled out privacy release form (Feinstein)
06/15 - Reached out to the other senator filled out privacy release form (Padilla)
06/17 - sent follow up email to all 3 representatives
06/21 - Sent follow up email again
06/22 - Still in process
This is were we stand. Have not heard back from the senators at all and still waiting on the congressmen's office to provide me with an update. The last post gives me some hope still.... however its not looking good. Need to try my luck with the Life and death appointments they provide.
05/28 - Applied at passport facility in Los Angeles CA - EXPIDTED AND 1/2 day shipping on the back end
06/03- Received Email confirmation that the application is in process
06/04- Check Cashed
06/11- Reached out to my local congressman office and let them know the situation and filled out privacy release form
06/11- Heard back from congressman office was told they are looking into it
06/14 - Reached out to one of my 2 senators filled out privacy release form (Feinstein)
06/15 - Reached out to the other senator filled out privacy release form (Padilla)
06/17 - sent follow up email to all 3 representatives
06/21 - Sent follow up email again
06/22 - Still in process
This is were we stand. Have not heard back from the senators at all and still waiting on the congressmen's office to provide me with an update. The last post gives me some hope still.... however its not looking good. Need to try my luck with the Life and death appointments they provide.
#1333
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 4
My daughter's passport application has us pretty nervous since we are planing on traveling June 26th.
5-15 Application submitted via county clerk with expedite & 2nd day shipping.
6-14 My wife managed to secure an in-person appointment in Tuscon for 6/24.
6-15 Application showed up online.
6-21 (today) I managed to snag an appointment at the San Diego passport agency for 6/25
The big question is, will a child's passport be issued same day in San Diego for an AM appointment assuming all paperwork is in order and both parents are present? I'm leaning towards the 7 hour each way drive to Tuscon on Thursday to have that "oh crap" cushion, or am I just being paranoid? Will the fact that there is an application already in the system with a locator # assigned be an issue?
A couple of things I've learned trying to secure an in-person appointment. The scheduling system releases appointments 10 business days out at approximately 12am local time to the office. There is a 2-3 minute variance on the 12am time. Trick is to be at the search for appointment screen and keep hitting "search" for the nearest office you can get too. As an example tonight @ 12am (6/22) appointments for July 2nd will be released. You have to be fast. Places like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego, the appointment slots last 30 seconds. By the time I completed clicking through and validating my e-mail with the code the appointments were gone on multiple nights. I don't know about central & east coast locations but Seattle seems to be less popular and has appointments last minutes, and Honolulu is almost a sure bet. If hunting for a west coast appointment under 10 days I noticed that they pop up between 9pm & 11pm PST randomly as people in the east & central time zones secure more local appointments at 12am est/cst/mst and end up releasing the appointments further west they were sitting on from before...pretty sure that's how I managed to snag San Diego.
5-15 Application submitted via county clerk with expedite & 2nd day shipping.
6-14 My wife managed to secure an in-person appointment in Tuscon for 6/24.
6-15 Application showed up online.
6-21 (today) I managed to snag an appointment at the San Diego passport agency for 6/25
The big question is, will a child's passport be issued same day in San Diego for an AM appointment assuming all paperwork is in order and both parents are present? I'm leaning towards the 7 hour each way drive to Tuscon on Thursday to have that "oh crap" cushion, or am I just being paranoid? Will the fact that there is an application already in the system with a locator # assigned be an issue?
A couple of things I've learned trying to secure an in-person appointment. The scheduling system releases appointments 10 business days out at approximately 12am local time to the office. There is a 2-3 minute variance on the 12am time. Trick is to be at the search for appointment screen and keep hitting "search" for the nearest office you can get too. As an example tonight @ 12am (6/22) appointments for July 2nd will be released. You have to be fast. Places like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego, the appointment slots last 30 seconds. By the time I completed clicking through and validating my e-mail with the code the appointments were gone on multiple nights. I don't know about central & east coast locations but Seattle seems to be less popular and has appointments last minutes, and Honolulu is almost a sure bet. If hunting for a west coast appointment under 10 days I noticed that they pop up between 9pm & 11pm PST randomly as people in the east & central time zones secure more local appointments at 12am est/cst/mst and end up releasing the appointments further west they were sitting on from before...pretty sure that's how I managed to snag San Diego.
"Will the fact that there is an application already in the system with a locator # assigned be an issue?" - any update this with question?
#1334
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 423
Please let us know if you eventually hear back from any of these people. I'm in LA as well and will probably be hunting down the same people in 3-4 weeks.
#1335
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Southern California
Programs: Alaska MVP 75K, Delta Plat, Bonvoy Ambasador, Hilton diamond.
Posts: 527
I'm about to cancel my Tuscon 10:30am 6/24 appointment if someone is desperate to get in for same day service. PM me so we can co-ordinate the cancellation (the appointment slot should pop up in the system immediately).