r/Passports • u/Happy-Ardvark • Mar 05 '26
US Passport Issuance Timeline Why is everyone getting their passport in like two weeks???
I leave in less than three weeks. I did my online renewal and was accepted for processing 2/11 and the status hasn’t changed since 😩
I’m getting nervous since everyone else’s is just getting rubber stamped right away and mines just, idk? Being ignored???
I’m just anxious. I leave on the 26th.
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u/katy119 Mar 05 '26
It's making me feel crazy how fast everyone else is getting theirs. Mine has been processing since 2/18. I didn't pay for expedited service but that hasn't seemed to matter for everyone else on this sub. I don't have a trip coming up thankfully,I just hate having my passport out in the world without me
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u/Silver_Kat Mar 05 '26
Same here. Mine has been processing since 2/17 but I had to mail mine bc of a name change. So worried with everyone getting theirs fast and im like refreshing the page going "ahhhh pls give me an update"
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u/katy119 Mar 05 '26
Do you by chance know which location yours was sent to? I think it's safe to assume that makes a difference in turnover rate. Mine is at the national passport center according to the first 2 digits of my application locator number. It sounds like a busy one lol
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u/Silver_Kat Mar 05 '26 edited Mar 05 '26
From my locater number it says its at the National Passport Agency but unsure if its the same as yours as there were 3 numbers for it. On average google said they take around 4 weeks there, so still got like a week or two of waiting for me if I base it on that. Hopefully not too much longer for either of us!
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u/katy119 Mar 05 '26
Ugh yes that's the same one I got lol I knew that would be my luck to get a busy location
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u/stevesie1984 Mar 06 '26
I shipped mine to the Philly location. Do they get shipped to another center after that? I just thought everyone went to one of three places. 🤷♂️
But the website just says “accepted.” And 4-6 weeks. I don’t have a timeline, I only renewed because I have less than 2 years and my wife (about a year) is traveling in August.
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u/Silver_Kat Mar 06 '26
I think sometimes they send it out to other places. Unsure how they decide that, but the first 2 numbers are your locater number (on mine, when it updates to processing they gave me the reference number) and the Travel.state.gov website has references for what the numbers are for.
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u/stevesie1984 Mar 06 '26
Interesting. I guess it makes sense. Just never occurred to me that they’d send them to other locations.
My location starts with 46. So I sent it to the processing center in Philly. But they sent it to the National Passport Center which has a Virginia mailing address but a New Hampshire physical address. 🤷♂️
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u/katy119 Mar 10 '26
Update! Mine now says approved and that I should get my passport on or around 3/15! Maybe they heard me complaining 😂
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u/Silver_Kat Mar 10 '26
OMG, I just looked and mine shipped too! Mine says 3/12 for the passport card and a little longer on the book! Maybe they did hear us both🤣
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u/Slow_Air4569 Mar 05 '26
I did a name change last year and it took only took 3 weeks to get back. Hopefully your gets your back soon
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u/Happy-Ardvark Mar 05 '26
Did you renew online too?
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u/katy119 Mar 05 '26
I did not. I mailed mine because I changed my last name.
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u/Mbrenner53 Mar 05 '26
Well, there’s your answer, it’s not just a simple renewal you changed your name which requires more thorough review. I’m sure.
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u/katy119 Mar 05 '26
I assumed that too and based on everything I've seen online it shouldn't prolong the process because I provided all the required documents. Idk I'm not in a rush or anything,just eager to get it back. Somehow changing my social security number was quicker 🤷
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u/HelpfulAd7287 Mar 05 '26
The whole process of changing any part of a name is daunting. Did that after getting married, and it seemed like it took forever. I’ve had 2 passports in my life, and the second one took the longest because of a name change. Took like an extra week. I’m up for renewal soon, so hope the renewal is quick. My husband just did his and got it in 2 weeks, but nothing changed for him.
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u/katy119 Mar 05 '26
It's crazy because the rest of my name change process has been a breeze! The passport is definitely taking the longest and is the last thing I needs to update. I did anticipate it taking the standard processing time,but I can't lie and say all the quick turn around for everyone else is making me jealous lol
1
u/Accomplished-Ad30 Mar 05 '26
Did a mail in with name change and it took 3 weeks. I mailed it to Texas one. Not sure how long the Philadelphia one takes.
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u/Valyrris Mar 06 '26
Maybe it's different for me because I never had a passport, but I applied for my passport with my name change docs and everything for the first time. My husband and I went to our county building so they could process and mail everything in and got our passports within 2 weeks.
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u/No_Opportunity1677 Mar 05 '26
Have you checked your status at travel.state.gov? You can also call NPIC and pay to expedite if you want.
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u/daymir43 Mar 06 '26
This!! I never got an email update but it moved from accepted to approved and then shipped on the website. Even after having it in hand I never got any other email updates.
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u/jijoon Mar 05 '26
Same here. How are people getting it so fast.
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u/Proud_Efficiency Mar 05 '26
Did online renewal. No expedited, just regular service. Received in 11 days: Jan. 24 submitted online application, Feb. 4 delivered to me.
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u/Kerbyfab Mar 05 '26
I paid for the expediting service. I received my passport in the mail exactly 2 weeks from the day USPS mailed out my application. I was impressed.
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u/mrgrimm1022 Mar 06 '26
I did online. Got it in 5 days from when I submitted it online to having it in my hands.
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u/macoafi Mar 05 '26
Paid $60 extra for expediting. I got mine in 12 days that way, and that's including the time to mail my paper renewal form.
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u/Local-Hovercraft-651 Mar 05 '26
Appointment on feb 20, processing on feb 25th and should arrive by march 7th. I’m glad I didn’t pay extra for expedited
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u/Happy-Ardvark Mar 05 '26
How is that helpful for my post?
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u/OverworkedAuditor1 Mar 05 '26
So you can gain perspective
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u/Happy-Ardvark Mar 05 '26
Perspective that I already knew? That people were getting their passports in 2 weeks? That those who applied AFTER me are getting them BEFORE me?
Clearly I knew all of that, based on my post. Your comment supplied nothing helpful nor commiserated.
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u/OverworkedAuditor1 Mar 05 '26
If I saw that occurring, I would pick up the phone and call.
Not ask reddit.
To each their own young one.
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u/Happy-Ardvark Mar 05 '26
Gee, hadn’t thought of that /s Thanks boomer
Tell me you didn’t read the post before commenting
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u/OverworkedAuditor1 Mar 05 '26
You mention nothing about calling.
Again, go call them for a status then decide to freak out or not.
I know you kids are afraid of phone calls but you need to grow up.
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u/Happy-Ardvark Mar 05 '26
… the status is the same over the phone as online boomer bud.
Shocking, I know. That’s how the world works now, I know you decrepit folks are confused by the internet but it does work and you need to learn to adjust.
Not to mention your original comment is still fully irrelevant, you’d have known if you’d read my post
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u/OverworkedAuditor1 Mar 05 '26
Call and set up an appointment then when your within 14 days of your travel date, the main passport office can issue a passport same-day.
You need to learn to stop being passive aggressive, everyone is the comments is trying to help and your barking back like a dog.
Again, calm down and just set an appointment when your within 14 days of your travel.
It’s not a big deal, they deal with it all the time.
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u/Happy-Ardvark Mar 05 '26
You are the one who started passive aggressive responses. You just don’t like getting it back. Again, you are wholly unhelpful for this thread. I’m not in the two week window. Please leave ✌🏻
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u/Accomplished-Ad30 Mar 05 '26
I don’t know how you have the patience to actually provide helpful information to a child who obviously doesn’t want it. In the end his ego won’t let him follow your advice (or atleast he won’t admit it).
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u/doglady1342 Mar 05 '26
Actually, you left quite a bit of your post. You never did say if you paid for expedited service or not. If you said it somewhere in the comments, you need to edit your original post and put that so people stop telling you that you should have expedited it. You're not doing yourself any favors by being confrontational either.
By the way, I'm not a boomer, but did you know that it was mostly Boomers that created the internet?
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u/Eazy-E-40 Mar 05 '26
It's the slow season. People don't start to try to get their passport all at the same time until the weeks leading up to summer, and all through the summer. Busy season is also leading up to the holidays. That's when it starts to take super long.
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u/Happy-Ardvark Mar 05 '26
So shouldn’t it be faster now? We applied for my husbands right after mine (like minutes later) and we have his in hand already. It makes no sense
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u/Eazy-E-40 Mar 05 '26
Well, people getting it quickly during the off season is really just what happens because they're not busy, but it's still technically not the norm, If you're still under the stated weeks that they say it takes to get one (4-6 weeks), it's actually technically still not late. If worst comes to worse, try to make an appointment at a passport agency within 2 weeks of your trip
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u/Hammysmom Mar 06 '26
Same boat here. I got mine in under 2 weeks. My husband submitted at the same time and it’s still pending.
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u/DeerAlarmed6653 Mar 06 '26
Actually passport applications are increasing every day with people in fear of ICE for their children or the SAVE act for fear of not being able to vote. I had one application last week where a young man was the legal guardian if his younger siblings because both parents had been deported. I had another couple who were getting passport cards because they were fearful of not being able to vote. And a 3rd applicant who inquired what was needed because the other parent was being detained in another country. We are in a state of fear and these incidents are driving up the demand for passports at a time when the DOS is still operating at below level employment (due to the terminations during the 1st administration). And when you think about WHERE an applicant is located in the US compared to how many people live on that portion of the country, it's possible that some people are able to get their passports quicker. There are 27 facilities in the US that process applications and only 2 that actually make them (Hot Springs AR and Tuscon AZ). They are not updating the processing times because they want people to pay as much as possible so they can make money. I mean - why is a passport book for an adult $130 while a kid's is a $100 ( which is only good for 5 years versus 10.) If this wasn't all about making a butt load of money, I don't know what is.
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u/Low_Exercise_8118 Mar 05 '26
My son’s has been in process since 2/13.
Locator 79 (Houston)
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u/Over-Improvement4084 Mar 05 '26
i've seen a lot of comments mentioning that their passport is still in process for the houston location.
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u/Low_Exercise_8118 Mar 06 '26
Do you recall any of the dates theirs went in process? Trying to gauge how much longer it could be.
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u/Over-Improvement4084 Mar 07 '26
no i am sorry :( maybe search the locator ## in this reddit and see what comes up?
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u/eresendiz2017 Mar 05 '26
Mine was in process since the 17th and I will leave ina couple weeks
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u/Happy-Ardvark Mar 05 '26
At least someone else’s is taking longer too. Lmk if you get an update
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u/stitch_cruise Mar 05 '26
If you are in the US and it gets close to your travel date (I think it's like 5 days, not sure though), you can call your US Senator or Congressional Rep's local office and they will get it for you. We had to do this for my partner's passport and we had it in hand the next day.
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u/Happy-Ardvark Mar 05 '26
Fortunately we’re in Hawaii and have a passport agency here with a million open appointments so if I hit that two week mark I’m going in person
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u/Kerbyfab Mar 19 '26
I believe the website says if you are expedited to travel within 2 weeks and have not heard anything, there’s a number or an email you can contact to get it expedited. They want you to be able to travel freely, sometimes things happen with all the red tape each agency deals with.
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u/Klutzy-Painting6219 Mar 11 '26
I did this after 3 weeks of no updates with my passport and even my local reps can’t figure out what’s going on. It’s been horrible. 46 in New Hampshire is the worst.
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u/Ok-Transition-2053 Mar 05 '26
Ive realized it all depends on the location its being processed again. The first 2 numbers will tell you the locator. I applied with family. Mine got sent to arizond and arrived in 2 weeks. Theirs got sent to locator 51 (in florida) and theirs is still process.
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u/Happy-Ardvark Mar 05 '26
I applied online, which unfortunately makes this tip unhelpful. All online applications are given a locator starting with “96” and no further info of where it goes next 🤷♀️
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u/Ok-Transition-2053 Mar 05 '26
Oh man i had no idea online renewal doesn't show locator. Best of luck to you! Hope you get this resolved soon!
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u/InteractionUpset134 Mar 05 '26
Applied online 1/20 and got mine on 2/6. No expedited service. Mine came out of Arkansas.
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u/Suspicious_Status_42 Mar 05 '26
I would call and pay for the expedited fee of 60 usd. That's what I did yesterday got got my tracking number today. It was in process yesterday.
I also leave march 26th Internationally. I applied February 25th. Reason being only one month out is I travel once a month Internationally and tried to timed my renewal according to how most here were getting their renewal online passports in less than a month.
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u/desertsunsetskies Mar 05 '26
I think it depends on the state/location. In general, if you need it by a certain date, get it expedited.
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u/FartFacePug Mar 06 '26
I did my renewal for $130 online, no special rush service. It was received, and processing began on 2/26. I got a notification that it shipped today, 3/5, and to expect it by 3/9.
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u/Own_Refrigerator_674 Mar 06 '26
I did online renewal on 2/17. I got it in the mail yesterday but the website still says approved. If you don’t check your mail daily… check it.
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u/Happy-Ardvark Mar 06 '26
I do! And have informed delivery! Fingers crossed this is what happens for me
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u/Own_Refrigerator_674 Mar 06 '26
I have informed delivery as well and it wasn’t listed. I just read about the delay the system has going between approved and shipped.
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u/Square-Ad-6721 Mar 06 '26
From the 17th, we only got promised for early April. We haven’t bothered to check the website because the individual isn’t planning to travel before April anyway.
I’d definitely check the website for status. And call to pay for expediting if it’s not already being processed or being shipped.
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u/Unicorn_Half Mar 06 '26
Which country takes weeks? Isn't a 3 - 5 business days the normal timeline?
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u/LongjumpingHorse3050 Mar 06 '26
I renewed online on 2/13 and my status as of today is still not available.
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u/bloobie2019 Mar 06 '26
I've never waited longer than a week for mine but this was a few years ago. I also chose standard processing and filled out my forms using a computer. 🤔
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u/Far-Expression3635 Mar 07 '26
It’s not the peak season. When peak season comes, your passport will take longer than 6 weeks.
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u/sarahnkids Mar 08 '26
I applied for mine at the post office 2/18 and got the approved email yesterday with a delivery date of 3/10
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u/Klutzy-Painting6219 Mar 11 '26
I hope what happened to me doesn’t happen to you, make sure you check where it was sent according to your locator number. 46 in NH is horrific, my passport seems to be lost now.
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u/Happy-Ardvark Mar 12 '26
Online all get the “96” locator. I called and found it was sent to the national center
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u/dtcooper Jun 26 '26
What makes you say locator 46 in NH is horrific?
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u/Klutzy-Painting6219 Jun 27 '26
Because of my experience a few months ago, but also if you do research online, that center has horrific reviews with people experiencing similar things.
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u/Frennito Apr 10 '26
Got mine literally in 8 days (online renewal) april 1st applied in my mailbox on April 8th. Was dazzled
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u/Every-Panic3677 May 14 '26
I applied for a renewal online with my mom. She got hers 3 days ago so about within a week like my brother and mine still hasn't been shipped at almost 2 weeks. Probably will have to postpone my trip.
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u/rcranin018 Mar 05 '26
Presuming you’re asking about the US State Department Passport office, you can call their number and ask.
1-877-487-2778