passport information
The State Department’s current processing times for routine and expedited service are available here.
Passports are obtained through the State Department's U.S. Passports & International Travel. Through your local passport acceptance facility, you can apply for a new passport, renew your old one and replace a lost, stolen, or damaged passport.
Passports for adults expire in 10 years but minors' passports expire in 5 years. For additional information on obtaining a passport for a child under the age of 16, visit https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/under-16.html
Please check with your carrier or with the foreign Embassy of the country you are visiting if you have six or fewer months remaining on your passport as you may be denied entry with fewer than six months of validity. For additional information, please visit https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country.html.
For an additional fee plus the cost of two-day or overnight mail, you can expedite this process to receive your passport in sooner. Processing times begin when the application is received at a passport agency.
If you have submitted your passport application and need to find out its status, my office can help. Please complete this Privacy Release Form, including proof of your imminent travel (e.g. flight itinerary). A member of my staff will be back in touch with you as soon as possible.
For standard passport fees, visit the Passport Fees page on the Department of State's website.
You can check the status of your application on line or by phone. Visit the application status page of the Department of State's U.S. Passport & International Travel website for more information.
You have your passport and you're ready to go on your trip, right? Not quite. You still have to check with the country or countries you'll be visiting to determine whether or not you'll need a visa. A visa is permission from a country to cross its borders and is provided in the form of a page inserted in your U.S. Passport. You usually have to mail your passport to the Embassy or Consulate of the country you'll be visiting, so allow plenty of time to accomplish this.
Also, check the State Department website for travel alerts and warnings and consular information sheets that provide helpful information about the country you plan on visiting. The State Department services website also contains very comprehensive information on all the services it provides both stateside and abroad. This includes crisis assistance for U.S. Citizens living or traveling abroad and various travel publications available on-line.
Many U.S. Diplomatic Missions abroad have information online: Travel.state.gov