You can apply for a passport at over 4,500 passport acceptance facilities nationwide that include many Federal, state and probate courts, many post offices, some libraries and a number of county and municipal offices. These designated acceptance facilities are usually more convenient because they are near your home or workplace. (Most of the 13 passport agencies are designated to serve only those departing urgently and appointments are required.
You must always apply in person if you are 14 or older and if you do not meet all of the requirements for renewing a previous passport by mail. Usually, for children age 13 and under, only a parent or legal guardian need appear to apply for a passport on behalf of a child.
Passport acceptance facilities stock passport forms. Passport forms can also be downloaded from the Internet at http://travel.state.gov or obtained by calling the National Passport Information Center at 1-900-225-5674 or from the passport agencies.
Apply several months in advance of your planned departure. If you will need visas from foreign embassies, allow more time.
If you apply at a passport acceptance facility, the same day that you apply, your application will be sent to Passport Services for processing. Your will receive your passport within 6 weeks via first class mail. If you apply at a passport agency, you will receive your passport within 5 weeks (25 business days) via first class mail. Your passport will be mailed to the mailing address you provided on your application.
If your passport is lost or stolen report the loss on Form DS-64, when you apply in person for your new passport. If you are abroad, report the loss immediately to local police authorities and the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Remember to write your current address in pencil in the space provided in your passport, so that, if it is found, it can be returned to you. For more information, see How to Replace a Lost or Stolen Passport.
Yes. All persons, including newborn infants, are required to obtain passports in their own names.
If you need to get a valid passport amended due to a name change, use Form DS-19. See May I Apply for a Passport by Mail? for the documentation needed to accompany the form and your current passport for amendment.
If you are leaving on an emergency trip, apply in person at the nearest passport agency, presenting your tickets or airline-generated itinerary, as well as other required items listed in this publication. to ensure that customers with imminent travel receive their passports in time for their trips, many passport agencies are now operating by appointments and are generally serving only those leaving in less than 14, or less than 21 days.
If you do not live near a passport agency, but your overnight delivery service is reliable, departures within 7 to 10 business days may often be accommodated by appointments at a nearby passport acceptance facility. You will need to pay the additional $35 fee for expedited service and include a self-addressed, prepaid, two-way, overnight delivery envelope. (We have found that for states not densely populated and/or far from our Pittsburgh, PA cashiering facility, overnight service is not always reliable.) For all those customers leaving within 6 or fewer business days, apply at a passport agency. Whichever way you apply, be sure to include your departure date and travel plans on your application.
