With over 8,000 passport offices in the United States, you may
wonder where to start when looking for a passport office. The Bureau of
Consular Affairs, a department within the U.S. Department of State, has
authorized many different agencies to perform passport services. Post
offices, State Department offices, town and local government buildings
are just some of the authorized passport service agencies.
Most
people typically start by contacting their local post office. Many post
offices are set up for passport processing, and that includes passport
photos, which have very strict guidelines. For people residing in medium
to large cities, there is usually a wide selection available. But for
persons living in rural areas or towns which don't have passport
facilities, it can be a challenge finding an alternative.
If you
have internet access, navigate to the U.S. Department of State web site.
This is a very informative resource which provides a wealth of passport
information, including locations of passport offices. Look for the link
titled "Passport Acceptance Facility Search Page". Here you can search
for all available passport offices in several different ways.
Enter
in your zip code and select the maximum mile radius to search.
Searching by City and State is also an easy way to get a complete list.
People with special needs such as disability access can narrow their
search for facilities which meet those needs. As you'll need to have 2
official passport photographs taken to submit with your application,
there's the option to only display offices that are also set up for that
process.
The U.S. Postal Service also has a very informative web
site which will help with searching just those post offices which have
passport services.
Since passport application requires a
face-to-face interaction, in order to verify your identity, you may wish
to schedule an appointment at the location you've selected. Drop in
services are typically available at most offices, but during busy summer
months the lines can be long. It's a good idea to schedule a morning
appointment as delays can happen, causing you to have to wait for your
afternoon visit.
Overseas U.S. citizens can apply for a passport
at the U.S. Consulate or U.S. Embassy of the country they are currently
residing in.
There are many offices available to assist you with
applying for your passport. Just a little research will help you locate
the one closest to you.
C.L. Hendricks has been a Jill-of-all-trades and become an expert
in some. She has also traveled extensively and now writes about travel
destinations around the world for How to Get a Passport
[http://www.how-to-get-a-passport.com] and other travel sites as Web Content Provider.
