Acceptance agents work at US passport offices. They are authorized by the government to witness the signing of your DS-11 application for a new passport. They also send in your application to the appropriate regional agency for processing if you choose to do so directly through the US Passport Agency.

You only apply at a passport office if you need a new passport. For other services, you can apply by mail. You should also only use a passport office if you are not in a hurry. Otherwise skip to the next section.

There are more than 5,000 United States passport offices. These can be post offices, clerks of court, public libraries and other state, county, township, and municipal government offices.

San Francisco Passport Agency

The San Francisco Passport Agency only serves customers who are traveling, or submitting their passports for foreign visas, within 14 days. To apply at the Agency, you must schedule an appointment.

Recently, the New York Times published an articles about passport processing. Charles Milton´s well-planned vacation to England almost didn´t happen because he only discovered his passport was missing 3 days before his departure date.

The article stated, "The next morning, three days before the trip, he called the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs, which issues passports. Mr. Milton soon found himself in a two-hour phone marathon, shuttled to six or seven extensions and, finally, being told that the soonest he could get a passport was 10 business days."

When Mr. Milton told the agent that he didn´t have 10 business days to wait, he was informed of an alternative solution: a private passport expeditor. If you are in an emergency situation, read on.

San Francisco Passport Expediting Services

U.S. Passport expediting services have a special relationship with the State Department so they can process your passport within 10 days to as little as 24 hours. If you have an emergency and need to obtain your passport within 2 weeks or less, use a passport expediting service. Besides the convenience, it's guaranteed.

In a hurry? Get your passport in 10 days or less.

U.S. Passport Top