Six new passport agencies that are to slated to open in the United States will increase the total number of passport agencies and centers to 35 — in addition to greater than 7,400 post offices, local government facilities, and other public passport acceptance facilities across the nation — in order to better serve the growing number of citizens of the United States who want passports to travel internationally.
Six New Passport Agencies to Open In the United States
The new passport facilities are located in the following six cities:
- Charlotte
- Cincinnati
- Kansas City
- Orlando
- San Antonio
- Salt Lake City
“More Americans can travel abroad today than at any time in our history. In 1990, only five percent of Americans had a passport. Today, that number is 48 percent”, according to this article by Antony J. Blinken, who is the current Secretary of State of the United States. “In Fiscal Year 2023, the Department of State issued over 24 million passport books and cards — more than ever before.”
Greater than 99 percent of Americans already live within 25 miles of an acceptance facility.
Four types of service are offered for getting a passport:
- Routine — Choose this service if you are traveling more than eight weeks from the date you submit your application. Routine service takes up to eight weeks and does not include mailing times. Mailing times may add two weeks on to the total time to get your passport.
- Expedited — Choose this service if you are traveling in fewer than eight weeks from the date you submit your application. Expedited service takes up to three weeks and does not include mailing times. Mailing times may add two weeks on to the total time to get your passport.
- Urgent Travel — Choose this service if you are traveling in fewer than three weeks. If you have not applied, book an appointment online. Your appointment at a passport agency or center must within 14 calendar days of your international travel date. If you have already applied, call 1-877-487-2778. An available appointment cannot be guaranteed.
- Life-or-Death Emergency — You may qualify for a life-or-death emergency appointment if you need to travel to a foreign country within the next 14 days because your immediate family member outside of the United States:
- Has died, or
- Is dying or is in hospice care, or
- Has a life-threatening illness or injury
Refer to the Life-or-Death Emergencies section for additional information on how to book an appointment.
Final Boarding Call
If you live in one of the aforementioned six metropolitan areas that have been announced, getting a passport may likely be faster for you — and these new facilities will relieve the workload of other facilities in processing applications and renewals for passports.
Photograph ©2019 by Brian Cohen.
