How Do You Get a Passport in Florida? - Expedited Passports

Sunny Florida is a paradise in and of itself, but it’s also located temptingly close to other, more exotic tropical retreats. To the south, the Caribbean beckons, while Mexico is just a short plane ride away.

Without a valid passport, these destinations could remain just out of reach, though there are some exceptions, like closed-loop cruises, for which passports are not required. To determine whether or not you need a passport, see Do You Need a Passport to Go to the Caribbean? and Do You Need a Passport to Go to Mexico?

Getting a Passport in Florida

If you are applying for a passport for the first time or you need a replace an existing passport that has been lost, stolen or damaged, you are required to apply in person at one of the 262 passport acceptance facilities located in the state. These offices are usually located in post offices, libraries and other government buildings. The easiest way to find the one closest to you is to use the Department of State website.

When you apply, you’ll need to bring a new passport photo, proof of identity and proof of citizenship. Depending on your situation, other documents may be required. See the following for details:

How to Get a New Passport

Passport Replacement Services (For lost, stolen or damaged passports)

How to Get a Child Passport (For children aged 16 and younger)

Passport Renewals

In most cases, if you are simply renewing an old passport, you may do so by mail. To see if you’re eligible and for a list of the required documents, see How to Apply for a Passport Renewal. (more…)

If you are applying for a new passport or replacing a passport that’s been lost or stolen, you are required to submit your application in person. Where do you go to do that? The answer depends on how fast you need your passport to travel.

Passport Acceptance Offices

Most people are able to submit their applications at a passport acceptance facility. This is by far the most accessible type of passport office; there are usually several acceptance facilities located in each city or town. These passport offices are usually hiding in plain sight, inside your local post office or library. Your county court clerk may also be a passport acceptance facility. Sometimes, colleges with international study programs also have these passport offices on campus.

At a passport acceptance office, you’ll meet with a passport agent to submit your application. You may also be able to get your photo taken at the office, but check first because not all acceptance offices offer this service.

The turnaround time for an application submitted at an acceptance office is about six weeks. Expedited service is available for an additional $60 charge; however, this only cuts the expected processing time down to three weeks.

For faster processing, you must chart a course for a different type of passport office.

Regional Passport Agencies

Regional passport agencies are branches of the Department of State that have the sability to issue emergency passports, generally wihin 24 hours if you have all of your documents in order. However, only people who really need an emergency passport are allowed to use them. You are eligible to make an appointent at a regional passport agency if you are planning to leave the country within the next two weeks, or you need your passport to apply for a travel visa within the next four weeks. Proof of imminent travel is required in addition to the standard documents you would present when applying for a passport.

There are a few characteristics that make regional passport agencies an inconvenient alternative. First, they are open by appointment only- you can’t just walk in. Second, there are only 24 of them serving the entire United States, so you may not have one nearby. Third, they tend to be open limited hours, with some locations making your local bank look like a 7-11 in comparison.

One easier way to get a passport in a hurry is to use a private company like RushMyPassport. We hand-deliver your application right to the Department of State, for processing in as little as 24 hours and no need to visit a passport agency office. If you are required to apply in person, just submit your paperwork to be “sealed” at one of the more numerous and accessible acceptance offices.

Let us help you get your passport quickly and easily, today!

Seattle residents who need an emergency passport should be sure they head to the right address. Earlier this month, the office moved from its previous location in the Jackson Federal building to a new location in the Fifth and Yesler Building. The move reflects the increased demand for emergency passports in the Seattle area since they became required for most travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. According to the Seattle Times, the new office is roomier and has more service windows.

The Seattle Passport Agency is one of 24 regional passport agency offices sprinkled throughout the US. These offices serve as emergency passport offices for US citizens who have booked an international trip within the next two weeks and require a new passport or a passport renewal for travel.  You are also eligible to use the office if you are traveling within the next four weeks to a country that requires you to apply for a travel visa before leaving the US.  Here’s how it works:

• Make an appointment: all passport agency offices are open by appointment only. To reserve your appointment, call 1-877-487-2778. The passport office has limited operating hours of 8:00 am to 3:00 pm, so if you work first shift, you may need to ask for additional time off to make the appointment.
• Come to the new office, located at in suite 600 of the Fifth and Yessler building at 300 5th Avenue in Seattle. Be punctual: if you miss your scheduled appointment time, you’ll have to reschedule.
• Bring all of the documents needed to apply for an emergency passport or passport renewal. For details, see How to Apply for a New Passport and Passport Renewal: A Step-by-Step Guide. Call the National Passport Center at 1-877-487-2778 if you have any questions about what to bring.
• Bring proof of travel, such as a flight itinerary. For car trips into Canada, see What Can I Use as Proof of Travel When Driving to Mexico or Canada?
• At the office, pay the required fees.

As long as you have all the paperwork in order, you should be able to get an emergency passport from the passport office within 24 hours.

However, if you can’t  make it to the agency office or you just don’t want to fool with making an appointment, there is a more convenient option: using a private expediting company like RushMyPassport. We personally deliver your application to the Department of State, for processing in as little as 24 hours, with no need to make an appointment or wait in line. If you are applying for a new passport, you’ll need to go to a post office or other acceptance facility to have your documents sealed first, but that’s it. If you’re eligible to apply for a passport renewal by mail, you don’t even have to do that.

Need an emergency passport? Apply the easy way with RushMyPassport!

According to the Department of State, the new passport office that just opened in Atlanta, Georgia marks the end of the department’s US Passport Agency Expansion Project.

The project, paid for by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, opened a total of 7 new passport facilities to assist US citizens facing passport emergencies. New offices were built in Atlanta, Georgia; Buffalo, New York; El Paso, Texas; San Diego, California; and St. Albans, Vermont, while public access was added to existing facilities in Arkansas and New Hampshire.

In a press release, the State Department said that “These ARRA-funded facilities are providing urgent passport services to millions of U.S. citizens in previously underserved areas. Each facility issues passport books on site to qualifying customers who have plans to travel within 14 days. Four of the facilities are located within several miles of the Canadian and Mexican borders and issue passport cards on site.”

The new passport offices are definitely an improvement, but if you need an expedited passport you’re still likely to find the service to be a hassle. For one thing, even with the new locations, many Americans still face a long car trip or even a plane ride to get to the nearest passport agency office. There are only 25 of them in the United States.

Secondly, passport agency offices tend to keep limited office hours. Not only are they closed on weekends and holidays as you might expect, they typically close earlier in the afternoon than other businesses, usually by 3:00 or 4:00 local time. Plus, they don’t accept walk-ins, so you’ll have to go through the trouble of making an appointment.

If you can’t fit all of that into your schedule, using an expediting company like RushMyPassport might be a better option for you. With an expediting company, if you need to apply for your passport in person you can simply go down to your local post office to have your documents “sealed” by the clerk. Once your paperwork is in order, send it to us and we’ll hand-deliver it to the Department of State. Depending on the option you select, we can have it processed in as little as 24 hours!

Need a new passport fast? We can help!

Earlier this month, residents of Georgia and neighboring states got some welcome news: the Department of State just opened a new regional Passport Agency office in Atlanta. When you consider that Atlanta is the ninth largest city in the country, the big question becomes “What took so long?”

A Regional Passport Agency office is a special passport office for US citizens who need emergency passport services. Prior to the opening of the Atlanta Regional Passport Agency, Georgia residents had to drive or fly all the way to New Orleans or Washington, DC to get a passport in the event of a travel emergency.

Writing on the Department of State blog, Atlanta Passport Agency Director Gale McCoy described helping a teenage boy get a passport for a trip to Paris and said, “Emergencies like this happen every day in airports across the country, and the odds of it happening in Atlanta are great, considering that the Atlanta airport serves more than 80 international destinations and is the world’s busiest airport in terms of passenger volume. That’s why it was so important for Atlanta to have a passport agency.”

The Atlanta Passport Agency is located on Peachtree Street in the middle of downtown, and is open by appointment only. To make an appointment, call 1-877-487-2778. To qualify for an appointment, you must need a passport to travel overseas within 14 days, or four weeks if you also need to apply for a travel visa for your destination country. In addition to the other documents required to get a passport, you must bring a copy of your itinerary as well . As long as everything is in order, the passport agency office will issue your passport within 24 hours so you can be on your way.

Of course, even with this new passport agency open, the Department of State’s emergency passport services will still be out of reach for many. Some people won’t be able to get the time off work, others would rather walk through broken glass than deal with Atlanta traffic. If you need your passport application processed quickly and can’t use the passport agency or would prefer not to go through the hassle for whatever reason, RushMyPassport can help. We hand-deliver your paperwork to the Department of State, for processing in as little as 24 hours with no need to make an appointment or wait in line.

Don’t put yourself through any unnecessary hassles-let us help you get emergency passport processing the easy way!

On Monday, April 4th, San Diego residents who desperately need a new passport to travel can breathe a sigh of relief. That’s the day the new San Diego Passport Agency office officially opens to offer same-day passport services to San Diego residents with imminent international travel plans and no passports. According to this press release from the Department of State, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be hosted by Under Secretary of State for Management Patrick F. Kennedy to celebrate the opening of the new facility.

Unlike your local post office, a passport agency office has the ability to offer same day passport service.  You are eligible to make an appointment at a passport agency office if you need a passport for travel within the next 14 days, or if you are traveling within 4 weeks and also need to apply for a visa.  Previously, San Diego residents in need of these services had to go all the way to either Los Angeles or San Francisco.

The new passport agency office is located at 401 West A Street. Operating hours are 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m, Monday through Friday.

The State Department featured the new agency office in a spotlight on its website recently, and said that “Undoubtedly, the San Diego Passport Agency will join the ranks as a saving grace for travelers who bought their ticket to paradise, before checking the expiration date of their passport.”

That will no doubt be true for many people. But what if you can’t get the time off work to make it to the office when it’s open? Or what if you just don’t want to deal with the hassle of going down to the office?

There is an easier way : with a private passport expediting service like RushMyPassport, you don’t have to make an appointment or wait in line. We’ll meet with the Department of State for you to deliver your application, resulting in processing times as low as 24 hours.

Need same day passport processing? Contact us today!

Vermonters in need of a same day passport can breathe a huge sigh of relief: A new regional passport agency office just opened in St. Albans. That means that Vermonters with verifiable passport emergencies can get same-day passport requests processed in state, instead of having to drive or catch a plane to New Hampshire or Boston.

To celebrate the occasion, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the new office on Friday, March 4th. Senator Patrick Leahy attended, and explained the importance of the new office to local NBC affiliate WPTZ.com:

“Here, we’re right on the Canadian border and the idea of having a regional passport agency is extremely important. If you came in this morning with all the appropriate documentation, we could have you on your way within a few hours.”

In addition, the new passport office will benefit the economy of the town of St. Albans, Mayor Martin Manahan told WCAX.com:

“From a selfish standpoint, the traffic it’s going to bring into our downtown and the advantage our businesses are going to have in our downtown as a result of that.”

This is the 22nd regional passport agency to open in the US, and it is the first one to open outside of a major city. Regional passport agencies provide same day passport service to US citizens who need a passport for travel within the next 14 days. They operate by appointment only – to make an appointment at the Vermont passport agency, call 1-877-487-2778.

To be eligible for an appointment, you must be able to bring a copy of a travel itinerary proving that you will be leaving the country in the next 14 days. In addition to standard passport fees, you’ll also need to pay an additional $60 expedite fee for each application you submit. Like all passport agency offices, the Vermont office has limited hours of operation, so your appointment will be sometime between the hours of 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Monday through Friday. (more…)

The Department of State just announced the opening of a new emergency passport office in Hot Springs, Arkansas. According to the press release, the new office is located in an existing passport printing facility. The passport factory has been open since 2007 and more than 30 million US passports have been produced there since that time. Because passports are printed on-site, the office is able to offer extremely fast passport processing, allowing applicants to receive their documents within 24 hours.

To be eligible to apply at an emergency passport office, you need to be able to prove that you have a travel emergency that necessitates a passport by bringing a copy of your travel itinerary. Your itinerary must show that you have booked tickets to leave the country in 2 weeks or less, or 4 weeks or less if you still need to apply for a travel visa for the country you will be visiting. See What to Bring When You Apply for an Emergency Passport for more details about what you’ll need to apply.

In 2009, the government began requiring a secure document such as a passport for American citizens traveling by land or sea to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean. Previously, only a driver’s license and birth certificate were required for land and sea travel.

Even over a year later, these new regulations still catch people by surprise, increasing the demand for passports. To keep travelers from becoming stranded due to not having the proper documents, the Department of State has been slowly but surely increasing the number of emergency passport offices. The passport agency office in Hot Springs brings the number of emergency passport offices in the US to 21. More new offices are set to open in the next 6 months in the following cities: Atlanta, San Diego, El Paso and St. Albans, Vermont.

With only 21 facilities to serve the entire United States, traveling to an emergency passport office is still inconvenient for many Americans. Plus, you can’t just walk in to a passport agency office-you must make an appointment to be seen. Additionally, passport agency offices typically have limited hours of operation and are not open in the evenings or on weekends, so if you work during the day you’ll have to get time off.

For these reasons, many people prefer to use private passport expediting companies like RushMyPassport. We’ll help you with your passport application and personally deliver your paperwork to the Department of State, resulting in processing times as low as 24 hours with no need to make an appointment or wait in line.

Apply for an emergency passport the easy way today!

In an attempt to keep up with increasing demand, the US Department of State is expanding the number of regional passport agency offices capable of issuing emergency passports. One new office is planned for San Diego, California. On August 10th, the Department of State is holding a tour of the future site of the new office, which is currently scheduled to open to the public in the spring of next year.

In a press release, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Passport Services Brenda S. Sprague commented, “I’m very excited about expanding our presence to the San Diego area. As passports are required for cross-border travel to Mexico, the new agency will help us better serve U.S. citizens in the region and create jobs and contribute to the local economy.”

The office, which will be located in the Columbia Center at 401 West A Street, will issue passports to US citizens who are traveling within 14 days, or who are traveling within 4 weeks but also need to obtain a foreign visa. An appointment will be required for services at this passport office. Currently, residents of San Diego who need an emergency passport must travel to Los Angeles or San Francisco.

While the new passport office should make things easier for people living in the San Diego area, getting to the office during business hours will still be a problem or at least an inconvenience for many. That’s why it’s nice to know that making an appointment and waiting in line at a Regional Passport Agency office isn’t the only way to get an emergency passport. You can also use a private passport expediting company and let them deal with the State Department for you.

When you work with RushMyPassport.com, for example, you get assigned a passport specialist who helps answer any questions you might have about the application process and helps you avoid common mistakes that could delay your passport. Then, we hand-deliver your paperwork to the Department of State for processing times as low as 24 hours.

Want to skip the passport office? Apply with us today!

Soon, El Paso residents who wish to apply for a passport will no longer be able to use the El Paso county passport office. The office, which accepted applications for regular and expedited processing, is located inside the El Paso County District Clerk’s office at 500 E. San Antonio.

County District Clerk Gilbert Sanchez announced the planned closure on Monday.  He blamed it on budget cuts and an “unsupportive” commissioner’s court, though the office was making money and the commissioners’ court is sorry to see it go.

Sanchez told the local Fox 14 station that he was closing the office because “It’s a non-mandated function. My position here is to service the courts. Commissioner (Veronica) Escobar has said why don’t they go to the post office…The people of El Paso had two years to get their passport. The post office is still open and they can get it by other means.”

The passport office will be closing next month unless something changes.  But if you’re in El Paso, don’t worry…there are actually multiple post offices throughout the city that will be happy to accept your passport application.  Visit the Department of State’s website for a list of passport offices in El Paso.

Like the office in the County District Clerk’s office, these passport offices are all passport acceptance facilities, which means they can only take applications for regular processing, which can take 6 weeks or more, or the government’s expedited processing, which can take 3 weeks.

If you need your passport more quickly, you’ll have to make an appointment at a different type of passport office, called a Regional Passport Agency office. These offices can issue same-day passports, but the nearest one is in Tucson, Arizona.

If you don’t want to go that far out of your way or you just don’t want to go through the hassle of making an appointment, a private expediting company like RushMyPassport.com may be a better fit for you.  With an expediting company, you can just go to the post office as usual and have them “seal” your documents. Then, send them to the expediting company and the expediting company will hand-deliver them to the Department of State, for processing times as low as 24 hours.

Apply for your expedited passport today!