To request a White House tour, contact the office of your U.S. Representative or Senator and ask them to submit a tour request on your behalf. Tours are free, self-guided, and last about 45 minutes, but they require advance planning, a security screening for every person in your group, and a REAL ID or passport for every adult on arrival.
Who to Contact
Every tour request for a U.S. citizen goes through a Member of Congress. You can find your Representative or Senator at congress.gov/members or by calling the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.1The White House. Visit The White House Most congressional offices have a tour request or constituent services page on their website with an online form. Entering your zip code on house.gov or senate.gov will pull up the right office if you’re not sure.
Each office manages its own queue and coordinates directly with the White House on scheduling. Reach out as early as you can, because these offices handle thousands of requests a year.
When to Submit Your Request
Tour requests can be submitted between 7 and 90 days before your desired visit date.1The White House. Visit The White House Slots are first-come, first-served, so submitting closer to the 90-day mark gives you the best chance. Waiting until the last week is risky — your congressional office still needs time to process the request and the White House needs to run security checks.
Public tours are generally offered Tuesday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and Friday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., excluding federal holidays.1The White House. Visit The White House The schedule can change with little notice due to weather or official business, and even confirmed tours are sometimes cancelled when a diplomatic event or security situation takes priority.2house.gov. White House There’s no automatic rescheduling if that happens. You’d need to start a new request through your congressional office.
The Security Screening
Once your congressional office secures a tentative slot, everyone in your group must submit personal information through a secure RSVP link for a security screening. This applies to guests of all ages, including children. Adults typically provide full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and citizenship. U.S. citizens age 17 and under do not need to provide a Social Security number.3The White House. Visit The White House FAQs
Accuracy matters more than you might expect. The information you submit must exactly match the government-issued ID you present on arrival. A mismatch — a dropped middle name, a maiden name where you now use a married name — can get you delayed or turned away at the checkpoint.3The White House. Visit The White House FAQs Check every detail before your group coordinator submits.
ID on Arrival
Since May 7, 2025, every adult visitor to the White House must present a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or state-issued ID, a valid U.S. passport, or a U.S. military ID. Standard driver’s licenses that are not REAL ID-compliant are no longer accepted for anyone, including VIPs and members of the press.3The White House. Visit The White House FAQs REAL ID-compliant licenses carry a gold or black star in the upper corner. Bring your passport if you’re unsure.
U.S. citizens age 17 and under do not need to show ID, but they must be accompanied by an adult guardian. Unaccompanied minors will be turned away. Foreign nationals of all ages, including children, must present a valid passport.3The White House. Visit The White House FAQs
Tour Day Logistics
If your request is approved, you’ll get a confirmation with a specific date, entry time, and reporting location. The tour entrance is at the northeast corner of Lafayette Square, at H Street NW and Madison Place NW. McPherson Square is the closest Metro station, about a five-minute walk. Federal Triangle and Metro Center are also nearby.3The White House. Visit The White House FAQs
Arrive at least 15 minutes before your assigned entry time. Late arrivals are not accommodated, and there’s no way to catch up with your group once the window closes. No restrooms are available at the tour checkpoint or inside the White House, so use the White House Visitor Center at 1450 Pennsylvania Avenue NW beforehand. It’s open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.4U.S. National Park Service. Explore the White House Visitor Center
The tour itself is self-guided and lasts roughly 45 minutes, moving through public rooms on the State Floor including the Blue, Red, Green, and State Dining Rooms.3The White House. Visit The White House FAQs1The White House. Visit The White House There are no live tour guides, but informational signs and Secret Service officers stationed along the route can answer questions.
What You Can and Can’t Bring
The prohibited-items list is long, and there are no storage lockers or bag check facilities on site. If you show up with a banned item, you won’t get in. Leave anything questionable at your hotel or in your car. The following are not allowed:
- Bags of any kind, including backpacks, purses, handbags, fanny packs, and clutches
- Strollers (use a body-worn baby carrier instead)
- Food and beverages
- Cameras with detachable lenses, action cameras, tablets, tripods, monopods, and selfie sticks
- Tobacco products and personal grooming items
- Pointed objects, aerosol containers, and any weapons
You can bring cell phones, compact cameras with lenses shorter than three inches, umbrellas without metal tips, wallets, and car keys. Still photos on your phone are fine, but flash photography and video recording are not permitted. Silence your phone before entering.3The White House. Visit The White House FAQs
Parents traveling with infants can bring body-worn baby carriers, diaper bags, diapers, baby wipes, formula, bottles, and breast pumps through security.3The White House. Visit The White House FAQs This is one of the few exceptions to the no-bags rule.
Accessibility
The tour route is wheelchair accessible, and a limited number of wheelchairs are available to borrow from a Secret Service officer on the day of your visit. You can also bring your own wheelchair and any medical supplies, such as EpiPens and medication, through the security screening.3The White House. Visit The White House FAQs
Registered service animals are allowed after passing through Secret Service screening.3The White House. Visit The White House FAQs Emotional support animals and pets do not qualify. For other accommodations, tell your congressional office when submitting the initial request so they can flag it in the system.
If You’re Not a U.S. Citizen
Foreign nationals do not go through a Member of Congress. Instead, contact your country’s embassy in Washington, D.C., and the embassy will coordinate the tour request on your behalf.2house.gov. White House The embassy handles the security vetting before passing the request to the White House. Every foreign national, regardless of age, must present a valid passport at the entrance, with no exceptions for children.3The White House. Visit The White House FAQs The embassy route can take longer than the domestic congressional route, so start early.
If Your Request Falls Through
The White House Visitor Center at 1450 Pennsylvania Avenue NW is free, open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (closed January 1, Thanksgiving, and December 25), and requires no reservation. It has artifacts from the White House collection, an interactive touchscreen tour, a short film about the building’s history, a retail store, and restrooms.4U.S. National Park Service. Explore the White House Visitor Center It’s worth a stop before your tour anyway, and a reasonable backup if the tour itself doesn’t come through.