Most people looking to get a passport will get it from a passport acceptance facility. These are offices that send passport applications on to the State Department. They are located in Federal, state, and probate courts, as well as most post offices and some public libraries. These facilities are not meant for a fast turnover, however, as regular service takes six weeks and express service still takes two.

Finding a Passport Agency

For those in need of a faster passport, the State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs has 13 Regional Passport Agencies. These are facilities meant to help a traveler get a passport as quickly as possible, but an appointment is usually necessary. Passport Agencies are located in Boston (MA), Chicago (IL), Norwalk (CT), Honolulu (HI), Los Angeles (CA), Miami (FL), New Orleans (LA), New York (NY), Philadelphia (PA), San Francisco (CA), Seattle (WA) and two in Washington (DC). In addition, there are two Passport Processing Centers in Charleston (SC) and Portsmouth (NH), but these are not open to the public.

These passport agencies are the only places that you can go directly through the state department if you need to get a passport on a short notice. They are larger offices that do not have other functions, so you are sure to get your passport much more quickly than if you had gone through a regular passport acceptance facility. However, it can still take a few days for a passport agency to process and produce a passport for you.

If you are in a dire emergency (e.g. death of a loved one), they can issue an emergency passport, which is only of limited validity. These are often destination-specific and must be replaced with a standard passport. Your other option in a travel emergency is to go through a passport expediter, a private business that charges up to $160 on top of government fees, but can get your passport in about 24 hours.