The State Department Offers a New Passport Application Process — What You Need to Know

The agency is launching the initiative as it has seen “the highest demand” for new passports.

The United States Department of State has taken a road trip across America this summer to assist travelers in completing their passport application.

The Special Passport Acceptance Fairs will take place at local city administrative offices, public libraries, and recreation centers. The majority of events will be held in California and New Jersey. However, there are also several other events in Alabama, Florida Michigan, Missouri Texas and Wisconsin. The U.S. Department of State’s website has a full list of events, including new ones added every week. Department of State website.

Special events are only available for those who wish to apply for a new passport. Travelers renewing an existing passport should send their renewal application by mail.

The Department of State maintains a list that includes Post Offices, other locations, and other places that can help process passport applications. This list can be searched by zip code .

Current processing times for passports are 10 to 13 week for routine service and 7 to 8 weeks for expedited service. A traveler who has international travel planned within the next 14 days can make an appointment at an agency to expedite their passport.

The State Department revealed earlier this year that it received as many as 500,000 applications each week. This was the highest amount ever recorded during the period.

The department released a press release in March that stated, “We are on course to set a record for the highest ever demand year. Volumes seen in previous surges of demand in 2017 and 2007 will be far exceeded.”

At a March hearing, United States Secretary Antony J. Blinken stated that an “intense” effort was being made to solve the passport bottleneck. The efforts included hiring more staff, opening satellite offices and increasing phone lines.

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