Passport Offices To Close Due to New State Department Policies - Expedited Passports

Starting in May, the number of passport offices in your area may become fewer. As reported on local Maine news website WLBZ2.com, “The State Department will no longer allow offices that process vital records like a birth certificate or marriage license to process passports or passport cards.”

In Maine alone, 25 passport acceptance facilities will be forced to stop accepting passport applications as of May 1st, 2011. The new regulations are designed to make passport fraud and identity theft more difficult.

Fortunately, neither post offices nor libraries handle birth certificates, marriage certificates or similar records. So, if your local post office or library accepts passport applications, they should be able to continue doing so. You can always find a list of the passport acceptance offices close to you by looking online at the US Department of State’s website.

Of course, it’s important to make sure that you’re applying at the right type of passport office to meet your needs. Passport acceptance facilities offer two types of service: routine service and expedited service. Routine service generally takes at least 6 weeks, and you should allow at least 8 weeks. Expedited service costs an additional $60 and gets your passport to you in about 3 weeks.

If you need your passport more quickly, your options are to either to visit a regional passport agency office or to use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport. There are only 21 passport agencies in the entire US right now, so depending on where you live you may find that a passport agency office is much less accessible than a passport acceptance office. If that’s the case, a private passport expediting company is probably going to be more convenient for you.

We deliver your application directly to the Department of State, resulting in processing times as low as 24 hours! Plus, you don’t have to make an appointment like you would at a passport agency and you’ll have access to a passport specialist to walk you through the process.

Can’t get to a passport agency office? Let us help!

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!

On July 13th, the price to get a new passport will go up significantly, as will the cost for a passport renewal.  One county DMV office in New York is helping residents beat the price increases by making it easier to apply before they go into effect.

Erie County, New York, which sits right along the US/Canadian border and depends heavily on tourism, has set up a temporary passport acceptance office in the Amherst, New York DMV office.  Local residents are taking advantage of the help, and the passport team processed 10 applications in the first 5 minutes after the office opened.

In a report on local news website WBEN.com, Erie County Clerk Kathy Hochul discussed the rationale for the temporary office:

“We’ re glad there’s a line, because …. our whole idea is to help people beat the 47 percent fee increase,” Hochul said. ” .. It helps people know that they can save a lot of money. It’s going from $100 to $135, a family of four wants to go to Marineland (Niagara Falls Ont,)  that’s a big hit. So I’m encouraging people to come in now. There may be some lines  but I’m telling you it will be worth it in the long run.”

The temporary passport office is open every day except Sunday, from 10 in the morning to 2 in the afternoon. It will close down after the increased fees go into effect on Tuesday, July 13th.

For more about the passport fee increases, see Passport Fees Going Up July 13th

This passport office can help you submit your application for normal processing, which can take about 6 weeks, or for the Department of State’s expedited service, which can take 3 weeks. If you need your passport sooner than that, you’ll need to make an appointment at a different type of passport office, called a Regional Passport Agency office.

Another option, which is much more convenient, is to use a private passport expediting service like RushMyPassport. An expediting company will deliver your application to the Department of State, for processing times as low as 24 hours with no need to wait in line or drive to a passport office.

Apply for your passport today!

A new 24-hour passport office will be opening in Portsmouth, New Hampshire later this year.  The office will be located at the National Passport Center in Portsmouth, which has 840 employees but is not open to the public yet.

Starting in October, workers at the center will be able to assist customers who need emergency passport services by issuing US passport books and US passport cards on site.  This will be a relief to many New Hampshire residents, as previously obtaining 24-hour passport service required a trip to Boston or Connecticut.

Fosters.com quotes U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen discussing the announcement:

“The new services available in Portsmouth will help New Hampshire residents who need an expedited passport get the help they need in a more convenient place, and I’m glad these services will be available this year.”

One important point to keep in mind, however, is that residents who need 24-hour passport services will not be able to simply walk in to the Portsmouth passport office and get one. Before you can be seen at the office, you need to make an appointment during business hours. If you work during the day, expect to have to take some time off work, too- Regional Passport Agency offices are  not open on evenings, weekends or holidays.

If you don’t want to go through the trouble of making an appointment and traveling to the passport office or you simply can’t take any more time off work, there is another way to get your passport quickly.

By using a private passport expediting service like RushMyPassport.com, you get passport processing times as low as 24 hours without having to make an appointment, take time off work or drive to a Regional Passport Agency office.  Plus, you get personal service from a trained passport specialist, reducing the likelihood of common mistakes that can hold up your application.

Need 24 hour passport services? We can help! Apply with us today!

If you need to apply for a passport and you live in Union County, New Jersey, here’s how to score free passport photos: Go submit your application at the Union  County Clerk’s office before the end of February.

According to this article on NJ.com, Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi has decided that her office will waive the normal $10 fee for having passport photos taken at the office for applicants who submit their applications before the end of next month:

“My offices will waive the normal $10 fee for having your photograph taken when you apply by Feb. 27 for a passport book or passport card at our offices in Elizabeth and Westfield. The free passport photo is our way of trying to reduce your travel expenses a bit and encourage you to get your passport ready for spring and summer vacations.”

The Union County Clerk’s office is a passport acceptance facility, which means they accept applications from people who need to apply f0r their passports in person. They do not issue passports on site, so be prepared to wait 6 weeks for your passport to arrive in the mail if you apply with normal processing.

Although passport acceptance offices can expedite your passport application with the payment of an additional $60 fee, you could still wait up to three weeks for your passport to arrive.  If you have a trip scheduled and you need a passport sooner than that, you have two options:

• Apply at a Regional Passport Agency office (if you’re in New Jersey, this will most likely mean a trip to New York City).
• Use a private passport expediting company.

Using a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com is usually the most convenient of the two options. With an expediting company, you can apply at the County Clerk’s office and get your free passport photos, but you will have them seal your documents and send them overnight to the expediting company.

Then, the expediting company delivers them by hand to the Department of State. No need to make an appointment or drive to a passport office-we handle all of that for you, and then send your passport back as soon as its ready. This process cuts processing times to as little as 24 hours!

Apply for your passport today!

The US Department of State is adding additional regional Passport Agency offices this year, to make it easier for Americans to obtain passport services. One of the new passport offices will be in Vermont, according to this report in the Rutland Herald.  Montpelier, Vermont is one of 5 locations in the US to be included in the US Passport Agency’s expansion. The others are: Buffalo, N.Y., El Paso, Texas, Atlanta and San Diego.

This will make obtaining passport services  easier for Vermonters planning on traveling internationally, including those who regularly cross the border into Canada.  Regional Passport Agency offices are appointment-only offices that issue passports for US citizens traveling within the next 14 days.

However, even with the additional passport offices, these passport services will still be hard to get for many Americans. That’s because regional Passport Agency offices are only open for a limited number of hours during the day, so most people have to take off work to visit them. Also, even with the additional offices, many Americans still won’t have a passport office nearby.

If you have an international trip planned for the near future and you need passport services, a passport expediting service is the easiest way to get them.  When you use an expediting company, all you have to do is fill out your application, get your documents “sealed” by a passport acceptance facility (usually your local post office), and send them to the expediting company. The expediting company handles the rest of the passport services for you. So, you don’t have to take time off work, make an appointment, drive to a regional Passport Agency office or wait in line.  Plus, you passport application will be processed quickly-often in as little as 24 hours!

For exceptional speed and great customer service, apply for passport services with RushMyPassport.com today!

There are a couple of different options when it comes to passport renewal in Miami, Florida. First, you may be able to renew by mail. Passport renewal by mail is an option for you if:

• You have your old US passport and it has not been damaged or mutilated.
• You got your old passport when you were 16 or older and it is less than 15 years old.
• You have legal documentation to submit for any name changes.

If you have to apply in person, you can find the nearest Passport Application Acceptance Facility and submit your application there.  Be sure to apply early and allow at least a couple of months to receive your passport with regular processing. Even with the government’s expedited processing option, it can still take at least 3 weeks for you to receive your new passport.

If you are traveling or need to apply for a visa in 14 days or less, you can schedule an appointment with the Miami Regional Passport Agency office. This can be somewhat of a hassle.  Appointments are free, but only available from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm, so most people will have to get time off work. You cannot be more than 15 minutes early to the appointment, or they won’t let you in. If you are more than 15 minutes late, you have to schedule a new appointment.

Even after you arrive at your appointment, you may not be seen immediately. Instead, you will have to take a number and wait to be called. Waiting times can vary depending on how busy the office is.

If you don’t have time to go through all of that, there is an easier way to get fast  passport renewal services in Miami. RushMyPassport.com, one of the nation’s leading passport expediters, can expedite your passport renewal from our office near Miami in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Our services are nationwide, but if you live in Miami you can drop your application off at our office and pick your passport up when its ready, instead of having to FedEx your application materials. There’s no need for an appointment, and we offer processing times as low as 24 hours.  We’re open from 9 am to 6 pm, so we also have more convenient hours than the Miami Regional Passport Agency office.

Renew your passport with us today!

Some passport requests, including renewals and name changes, can be handled through the mail.  However, the government requires many passport applicants to apply in person. If any of the following conditions apply to you, you’ll need to submit your passport application in person at a passport office:

• This is your first time applying for a US passport, or your current US passport was issued before you turned 16.
• You are currently under 16 years of age.
• Your passport has been lost, stolen or damaged.
• Your most recent passport is more than 15 years old.
• Your name has changed and you don’t have legal documentation for the name change.

There are actually two types of US passport offices. The first is called an acceptance facility. Libraries, post offices county clerks can act as US passport offices by accepting your application, witnessing your signature, and sealing your application documents. There government also has 15 Passport Agency offices scattered throughout the country. These passport offices accept applications by appointment only, usually for emergency passports that are needed in less than 2 weeks. A list of Passport Agency offices and instructions for making an appointment is available at the Department of State’s website, along with a list of passport acceptance facilities.

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