The State Department’s new passport offices will be in Salt Lake City, Kansas City, Orlando, Charlotte, San Antonio and Cincinnati and will help people with “urgent travel needs,” but no date has yet been announced for when they will open.
In its June 18 notice, the State Department emphasized that the opening of these offices was made possible thanks to collaboration with “congressional partners and other stakeholders.”
“With the addition of the six facilities, the passport network will expand to 35 agencies and centres, resulting in the opening of over 7,400 official passport reception facilities across the country,” sources said.
What do I need to know about applying for a passport?
One of the big questions that will determine whether you need to go to a reception facility or a passport agency is how quickly you need to get your documents.
Agencies require appointments and travel documentation within 14 days. If you need a foreign visa, a first-time passport, or a renewal urgently, please contact an agency. Agencies do not take passport photos and cannot guarantee same-day service.
Travelers can visit a facility that accepts their application during “normal processing” hours — a good choice if you’re traveling in the next three weeks. The facility can expedite your application if necessary, and some even offer walk-in passport photo services.
You can use the Department of State’s designated search page to find a receiving facility near you. Local receiving facilities include post offices, libraries, and government agencies. The agency claims that “more than 99% of Americans already live within 25 miles of a receiving facility.”
“Today, more Americans can travel internationally than at any time in history. In 1990, only 5% of Americans held a passport. Today, that number is 48%. In fiscal year 2023, the State Department issued more than 24 million passport books and cards, more than ever before,” the State Department said in a July 1 notice.
