New Jersey Passport - Applying for an American Passport in New Jersey

Applying for a United States passport in New Jersey can be done at one of the many passport application acceptance facilities, the closest regional passport agency or through a registered passport and visa expediter. This article will describe each option and explain which one is the fastest way to get a passport.

New Jersey Application Acceptance Facilities

There are nearly 300 passport offices where American citizens and non-citizen nationals can submit application form DS-11 and supporting documents in order to get a new passport. The vast majority is located in post offices but there are also a few in public library and county clerk offices.

Most of the cities and towns in New Jersey have at least one passport office. Applicants who live in locations where there is no application acceptance facility need to look in neighboring towns. There are a few cities with multiple facilities such as Newark, Princeton and Trenton. Jersey City has the most. Following are a couple of locations in these cities.

Jersey City Main Post Office
69 Montgomery Street
Jersey City, NJ 07302

Journal Square Station Post Office
899 Bergen Ave
Jersey City, NJ 07302

When applying, an agent will review the application form and supporting documents, administer an oath and witness the signing of the application. Everything will be placed in an envelope and sealed. The packet should be mailed to the address on the form.

Standard processing time is estimated to take up to 6 weeks. There is an optional expedited service that can be requested. Expedited applications are processed in 3 weeks or less. Individuals who require faster service need to use one of the methods described below.

Regional Passport Agency

Americans who live in New Jersey can schedule an appointment at a regional passport agency if they need to obtain passports in less than two weeks for travel abroad or in four weeks if a visa is required. Applications can be processed as fast as the same day in some situations. The closest agencies are located in New York and Philadelphia. Addresses are provided below.

New York Passport Agency
Great New York Federal Building
376 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014

Philadelphia Passport Agency
U.S. Custom House
200 Chestnut Street,
Room 103
Philadelphia, PA 19106-2970

Appointments are made by calling 1-877-487-2778 toll-free. These agencies are only open until 3:00 p.m. on Monday to Friday, excluding Federal holidays. However, the automated appointment system operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Applicants should arrive early enough to go through the security check point and arrive at the proper location. Arriving late could result in cancellation of the appointment.

Passport and Visa Expediters

Anyone in New Jersey who needs a passport fast but is unable to personally visit a regional agency can still get a passport quickly through a registered passport and visa expediter. These expediting services are registered with processing centers and can be authorized by the applicants to submit the applications forms. They can get passports applications processed as fast as the same day.

While you can apply for expedited passport service online, you are still required to personally appear before an agent. You can do this by visiting a nearby application acceptance facility. Instead of mailing the sealed envelope directly, it will be sent to the passport and visa expediter.

When you need to get your travel document in a hurry, it is important that you choose an expediting service that is well-established and has excellent customer reviews. The few minutes you take to research and evaluate the different service providers could mean the difference between getting your passport in time for your trip or not.

Visit U.S. Passport Service Guide for a list of New Jersey passport offices and access our directory of more than 50 passport expediting services.

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