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)
Jul 8, 2021 | 1:00 am
#1411
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 351
You will get your passport a couple of days earlier than you would have without the $17.56, though.
Jul 8, 2021 | 10:24 am
#1412
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: WAS
Programs: enjoyed being warm spit for a few years on CO/UA but now nothing :(
Posts: 2,817
Jul 8, 2021 | 5:29 pm
#1413
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 9
7/1 Emailed Local congressman and his assistant sent inquiry to agency on same day
7/8 Passport located at agency and email sent back to congressman who then emailed me
They know the urgency of my travel date now which is 2 weeks from tomorrow, so hopefully it will get sent asap. I have been IN PROCESS since 5/7 and mailed my application on 4/7.
If all else fails email your local congressman people. My application has just been sitting there for weeks but hopefully now it will get wrapped up and mailed out finally.
7/8 Passport located at agency and email sent back to congressman who then emailed me
They know the urgency of my travel date now which is 2 weeks from tomorrow, so hopefully it will get sent asap. I have been IN PROCESS since 5/7 and mailed my application on 4/7.
If all else fails email your local congressman people. My application has just been sitting there for weeks but hopefully now it will get wrapped up and mailed out finally.
Jul 9, 2021 | 12:22 pm
#1415
Join Date: Jul 2021
Posts: 21
Jul 9, 2021 | 12:31 pm
#1416
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: WAS
Programs: enjoyed being warm spit for a few years on CO/UA but now nothing :(
Posts: 2,817
First, sign up for the emailed processing status notifications. Second, did you request expedited processing? If not, call the passport center and request and pay for an "upgrade" to expedited processing. Then, about 3-4 weeks before your travel date, contact one of your congressional reps and ask them to check on it for you. They will need you to complete a form authorizing them to intercede on your behalf. They may be able to get it processed and mailed faster or they may be able to get you an in-person appointment within 72 hours of your flight. Be patient, be flexible.
Jul 12, 2021 | 7:56 am
#1418
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 177
Without a doubt. I'm sure some are busier than others or the staff is just more helpful at one vs. another. I was surprised to get a human on the second ring and one that immediately acknowledged that he would be able to help. Try your senator and/or your house rep, if you're not getting any response. GL
Jul 12, 2021 | 11:38 am
#1419
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 858
Also keep in mind that the Passport agencies are being overwhelmed with requests from congressional representatives to speed up passport process. A lot of people in tight timeframes are reaching out to them.
Jul 12, 2021 | 3:51 pm
#1420
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
7-12 received an email today passport was approved, it says "You should receive your passport book on or around 07/15/2021."
Jul 12, 2021 | 6:01 pm
#1421
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 858
Jul 12, 2021 | 8:12 pm
#1423
Join Date: Jul 2021
Posts: 13
My situation is very similar to your dates.
I visited the local post office on June 15 for a lost passport. I expedited the application as our trip is on August 12th.
The check was cashed and the application showed on the website as received and showed as processing on June 18th. Likely Philadelphia as that is the closest office. The Status has not changed since. But I saw it as good news that it went into process so quickly after my sending the application in, three days after. I had read here others waiting weeks before that happened.
Two days ago I got an email that said the same thing. That the application is in process. That was the first email I had received, so hopefully that meant something. But I am still worried, and will do so until the passport is in hand.
I contacted my congressperson today and his staff were very nice, and are going to intervene. He was 90% sure that I will receive the passport on time.
We can not cancel the trip with the tour company after 30 days before the trip, which is going to be Thursday the 15th, as we were going to fly in two days early. So really hoping to get some news soon.
Jul 12, 2021 | 8:56 pm
#1424
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 8
Thank you for posting this. It gives me hope.
My situation is very similar to your dates.
I visited the local post office on June 15 for a lost passport. I expedited the application as our trip is on August 12th.
The check was cashed and the application showed on the website as received and showed as processing on June 18th. Likely Philadelphia as that is the closest office. The Status has not changed since. But I saw it as good news that it went into process so quickly after my sending the application in, three days after. I had read here others waiting weeks before that happened.
Two days ago I got an email that said the same thing. That the application is in process. That was the first email I had received, so hopefully that meant something. But I am still worried, and will do so until the passport is in hand.
I contacted my congressperson today and his staff were very nice, and are going to intervene. He was 90% sure that I will receive the passport on time.
We can not cancel the trip with the tour company after 30 days before the trip, which is going to be Thursday the 15th, as we were going to fly in two days early. So really hoping to get some news soon.
My situation is very similar to your dates.
I visited the local post office on June 15 for a lost passport. I expedited the application as our trip is on August 12th.
The check was cashed and the application showed on the website as received and showed as processing on June 18th. Likely Philadelphia as that is the closest office. The Status has not changed since. But I saw it as good news that it went into process so quickly after my sending the application in, three days after. I had read here others waiting weeks before that happened.
Two days ago I got an email that said the same thing. That the application is in process. That was the first email I had received, so hopefully that meant something. But I am still worried, and will do so until the passport is in hand.
I contacted my congressperson today and his staff were very nice, and are going to intervene. He was 90% sure that I will receive the passport on time.
We can not cancel the trip with the tour company after 30 days before the trip, which is going to be Thursday the 15th, as we were going to fly in two days early. So really hoping to get some news soon.
Jul 13, 2021 | 8:39 am
#1425
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: WAS
Programs: enjoyed being warm spit for a few years on CO/UA but now nothing :(
Posts: 2,817
based on most commenters' experience and the State website, this is very impressive timing indeed, only 4 weeks total! The delay must really be due to load at individual processing centers. One would hope State is telling passport agents to send the applications to various centers that are less backlogged than others.....