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Current US passport wait? (Merged Threads)

Old Mar 1, 2022, 6:35 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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:
  1. 14 days before your trip, you need to schedule an appointment with the passport agency.
  2. 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)
  3. Click 1 (For English)
  4. Click 2 (New Passport)
  5. 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.
  6. When your it hits exactly 8:00 am Click 2 (for traveling within 14 days option)
  7. 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.
  8. If you did not click 1 exactly at 8 am, you may have to wait for more than an hour and half
After the appointment slot has been reserved you will be provided with a unique identifier code and reservation number. These details will also be emailed to you.

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.
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Current US passport wait? (Merged Threads)

Old Jan 30, 2018, 1:05 pm
  #151  
Moderator: Information Desk, Women Travelers, FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 15,609
Originally Posted by chgoeditor
Dropped my application in the mail this evening, meaning the USPS is likely to pick it up on 1/19/18. Non-expedited renewal. Will try to remember to update.
1/19/18: Mailed
1/24/18: In processing
1/30/18: Printed
1/31/18: Mailed
2/1/18: Expected delivery

Last edited by chgoeditor; Jan 31, 2018 at 5:36 pm
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Old Feb 3, 2018, 5:52 pm
  #152  
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: New Mexico
Posts: 3
A little off topic but has anyone had issues with their photo being denied? This is what I'm a little paranoid about. I went to a place that specialized in passport photos and they turned my skin orange yellow so I quickly went over to CVS and I'm hoping that this photo is acceptable. All she asked me do was put my hair behind my ears and not smile.
My husband & I just take each other's pix with a digital camera and get them printed at Walgreens for a quarter (.25 c !) Just make sure it's a plain white background and the head size is correct. Works for us everytime!
MoreMilesPlease likes this.
idealist in NM is offline  
Old Feb 6, 2018, 12:01 pm
  #153  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 42
Applied 2018-01-23 for passport applications for two minor children, one new, one renewal. Received in the mail 2018-02-05. Under 2 weeks standard processing.

Previous history:
2013: standard processing (not expedited) passports in ~2 weeks.
2017-4-10 application, 2017-06-09 in-person "expedited" pickup. -- almost 9 weeks.
So it took two months when we had scheduled travel, 2 weeks with no scheduled travel...
agpt is offline  
Old Feb 9, 2018, 3:48 pm
  #154  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 1,025
Hmmm 2 weeks for you guys sounds good.

I have travel mid April and I'm wondering if I should expedite it. I'm sending out everything Monday.
phant0m is offline  
Old Feb 9, 2018, 6:58 pm
  #155  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,488
Originally Posted by phant0m
Hmmm 2 weeks for you guys sounds good.

I have travel mid April and I'm wondering if I should expedite it. I'm sending out everything Monday.
If you send it soon, you should be fine.
Jaimito Cartero is offline  
Old Feb 13, 2018, 11:20 am
  #156  
Original Member
 
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,620
Originally Posted by agpt
Applied 2018-01-23 for passport applications for two minor children, one new, one renewal. Received in the mail 2018-02-05. Under 2 weeks standard processing.

Previous history:
2013: standard processing (not expedited) passports in ~2 weeks.
2017-4-10 application, 2017-06-09 in-person "expedited" pickup. -- almost 9 weeks.
So it took two months when we had scheduled travel, 2 weeks with no scheduled travel...
I dont think renew option exist for a minor.
seawolf is offline  
Old Feb 13, 2018, 11:31 am
  #157  
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Gold, Hyatt something
Posts: 33,488
Originally Posted by seawolf
I dont think renew option exist for a minor.
It is an option, but must be done in person, not just by mail.
Jaimito Cartero is offline  
Old Feb 13, 2018, 3:11 pm
  #158  
Original Member
 
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,620
Originally Posted by Jaimito Cartero
It is an option, but must be done in person, not just by mail.






Which is exactly the same process and fees of a first-time application including the use of a first-time application form (DS-11).

In fact, you can't even use ONLY the minor's expiring passport to support the application as proof of parental relationship is still required. The difference between the minor's first time application and the subsequent applications is that the subsequent ones required MORE documents as either the expiring passport or a DS-64 would need to be included with the application.

Last edited by seawolf; Feb 13, 2018 at 3:23 pm
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Old Feb 14, 2018, 11:12 am
  #159  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: DTW
Programs: Marriott Platinum, SPG Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 389
Sent my via USPS priority mail with confirmation.

Sent it on 1/25 and hit my mailbox on 2/12.
Cthunder86 is offline  
Old Feb 16, 2018, 6:39 pm
  #160  
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: SJC
Posts: 327
Routine Processing:

Sent via USPS priority mail on 2/7/2018
First e-mail giving passport tracking number @ 7:46a 2/16/2018
Second e-mail notifying that passport has been printed @ 9:48a 2/16/2018
Third e-mail with mailing info. and Priority Mail tracking number @ 11:49a 2/16/2017
Expected delivery per USPS website on 2/20/2017
Paubri is offline  
Old Feb 27, 2018, 8:50 pm
  #161  
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 760
Standard child renewal
1/26/18 Done at USPS local branch
2/7/18 New passport delivered

Standard adult renewal
1/26/18 Sent via USPS priority mail
2/14/18 New passport delivered
whistler814 is offline  
Old Feb 28, 2018, 4:20 pm
  #162  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 1,025
Standard Adult Renewal
2/17 Arrived at passport processing center.

Haven't heard anything yet. I'll update when I do.
phant0m is offline  
Old Mar 1, 2018, 8:56 am
  #163  
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: delta
Posts: 7
Sent expedited renewal application on 2/21 (name change, sent marriage certificate)
arrived 2/24
trackable on 2/26
check cleared 2/27

Will update when status updates.

Last edited by Mary Tracy; Mar 1, 2018 at 9:27 am
Mary Tracy is offline  
Old Mar 1, 2018, 12:14 pm
  #164  
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 1
Routine 1 Adult, 2 Children applications
2/26/18 Dropped off at passport acceptance facility (County Clerk)
3/2/18 Emails @ 10:45 pm - passports in processing, trackable
3/5/18 Checks cleared
3/8/18 Emails @ 10:45 am - passports have been printed
3/10/18 Passports arrived

Last edited by givehim6; Mar 10, 2018 at 9:42 pm Reason: updated info
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Old Mar 2, 2018, 3:37 pm
  #165  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: PHL
Programs: AA Plat, MR AMB + (LTT) , Hertz PC, UA Silver, HH Gold
Posts: 265
Expedited Renewal with a new passport card

Sent via USPS priority mail on 2/20/2018 (from philly to philly)
First e-mail giving passport tracking number @ 8:48pm 2/22/2018
Second e-mail notifying that passport has been printed @ 6:46 pm 2/27/2018
Third e-mail with mailing info. and Priority Mail tracking number @ 12:24am 2/28/2018
New Passport Book delivered from NH 3/2/2018
New Passport Card Delivered on 3/3/2018
Old Passport Book Delivered on 3/6/2018

Last edited by TomBrady; Mar 6, 2018 at 3:55 pm
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