Beat the Surge of Passport Applications

 

Record numbers of people are applying for US passports this year. In some cities, crowds of people are lining up at Passport Acceptance Agents, trying to get first-time passports for themselves or their children. Meanwhile, an unprecedented number of passports will expire this year. That means the State Department will be getting more passport renewal applications than they've ever seen before!

If you need to get a new passport this year, read on for our tips on how to beat the crowds to get your passport

A Perfect Storm of Passport Applications

There's no doubt about it - 2017 is going to be a banner year for passports! We're already seeing huge numbers of passport applications. It's very likely that there will be far more US passports issued this year than in any year in history.

Ever since records have been kept, there's been a steady upward trend in the number of US passports issued each year. But this year is special. Several factors have come together to increase the number of passport applications beyond anything ever seen before:

• 10th Anniversary of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. WHTI, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, went into effect in 2007. This law requires everyone traveling in or out of the US by air to have a valid passport. More than 18 million people applied for US passports in 2007, and all of those passports are now expiring.
• REAL ID Deadline Approaching. Starting in January 2018 - just eight months from now! - you'll need to have a Federally-approved form of identification in order to board any flight, domestic or international. Some driver's licenses are not accepted as REAL ID, so many travelers are applying for passport books or passport cards to use for domestic travel.
• The Trump Passport Surge. We called it back in November, and we were right. There has been an increase in passport applications as a result of President Trump's policies, particularly the immigration raids that were launched as part of the crackdown on illegal immigration.

 

Skip the Lines at the Passport Acceptance Facility

If you're applying for your first passport, a child's passport, or for a replacement for a lost, stolen, or damaged passport, your first stop will be a Passport Acceptance Facility. From Florida to California, from sea to shining sea, Passport Acceptance Facilities are reporting long lines of applicants. At some locations, people are lining up hours before the facility even opens! We know you don't have time for that.

To cope with the high number of passport applications, new facilities are opening up all the time, and many existing facilities are extending their operating hours. 

If you need to visit a Passport Acceptance Facility, use our locator to find all the locations near your home, school, or business. Make sure to consider all of your options, including:

• Walk-In Facilities. These locations don't require appointments, but take passport applications on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Appointment-Only Facilities. Although appointments may be harder to come by these days, the good news is that you won't need to wait in line for hours to be seen! It's a good idea to plan ahead and schedule your appointment well in advance of your trip.
• Facilities with Evening or Weekend Hours. Some locations offer service outside of normal business hours -- very convenient for people who work full time!
• Passport Fairs. Some Passport Acceptance Facilities will host special "Passport Fairs" or "Passport Days." These events, typically held on Saturdays, allow travelers to bring in passport applications for service on a day that the facility is normally closed. Sometimes they are held at locations outside the Passport Acceptance Facility. Passport Fairs are usually first-come, first-serve, so plan to get there early! For example, this coming Saturday, April 8, Passport Fairs will be held at:
  
  
  • Mountain Home Post Office, Mountain Home, Arkansas
  • Yankton Post Office, Yankton, South Dakota

Passport News Roundup: Photo Update and More

Welcome to the latest PassportInfo.com Passport News Roundup! In today’s edition, we’ll be focusing on the new US State Department rule for passport photos. We’ll also be exploring your new options for applying for a new passport this November. There are new passport acceptance facilities that have opened in some places, and in others, passport fairs have been scheduled to let you apply for your new passport outside of standard business hours. Read on for the freshest passport news in town!

Starting Today, No Glasses in Passport Photos

Need to get a photo for your new passport? Put your glasses back in their case. Starting today, the State Department will not accept any passport photographs that include eyeglasses.

Six weeks ago, we brought you the news that the US State Department was changing their official requirements for US passport photos. Previously, passport applicants were allowed to wear glasses in their passport photos as long as they had clear lenses. Applicants also had to be careful to make sure that the camera flash did not cause any glare on the glasses that would make their eyes hard to see. Unfortunately, one of the most common reasons for passport applications to be rejected is a photo that does not meet government standards. Many applicants have had to resubmit their passport applications because of photos that had glare on glasses or too-dark tinted lenses. The new rule that glasses can not be worn will prevent those problems.

If you have already received a passport that shows you wearing glasses, don’t worry - your passport remains completely valid. You’ll just need to take your glasses off when you get the photo done for your passport renewal!