Is it faster to renew my passport at a post office than mailing it in?

by Kavin
(Brooklyn, NY)

Question: I'm a little hesitant to mail my currently valid passport and would rather submit my paperwork and passport to the passport office directly. Will this be faster?

Answer: Passport application acceptance agents located in local post offices do not receive applications for renewals.

Passport renewal applications must be sent by mail or submitted at a regional passport agency. However, regional agencies only attend to applicants who need to travel within two weeks or less or within four weeks if the applicant needs to obtain a visa after the passport is issued.

Applying for a passport renewal by mail requires the applicant to send his or her most recently issued passport. Millions of people do this every year.

There are a couple of things you can do to better protect your documents and ensure safe delivery. One, use a a secure means of packaging, such as a Tyvek envelope.

Two, mail your passport application and any personal documents using a traceable delivery method.

Standard processing takes up to 6 weeks, 8 weeks or more depending on the demand at the time you apply. If you want your passport faster, you can request expedited passport renewal service which is estimated to take 2-3 weeks. If you do this, you need to include an additional $60 in the payment to the Department of State.

Write the word "Expedite" on the outside of the envelope. You can also accelerate the process by using two-way overnight delivery.

Note, address to which the application and supporting documents is sent depends on the type of processing you select.

Your most recent passport will be returned to you along with your new one. However, they may arrive separately.

For complete instructions, click the link below.

How to Renew Passports