A same day passport is only available at one of the U.S. Department of State’s 27 regional passport agencies and centers, by appointment, if you have confirmed international travel within 14 calendar days (or 28 days if you also need a foreign visa). No other location, including post offices and public library acceptance facilities, can issue a passport on the spot. Book the appointment, gather your documents, and in most cases you’ll pick up the finished book later the same day.
Who Qualifies for Same-Day Service
The State Department runs two fast-track tracks, and they’re not interchangeable.
Urgent Travel Service is for travelers with confirmed international departure within 14 calendar days, or within 28 calendar days if a foreign visa needs to be stamped in the passport before the trip.1U.S. Department of State. Get My Passport Fast
Life-or-Death Emergency Service is for travel within 14 days because an immediate family member outside the United States has died, is dying, or has a life-threatening illness or injury. Immediate family here means a parent or legal guardian, child, spouse, sibling, or grandparent. You’ll need documentation: a death certificate, a mortuary statement, or a signed letter on hospital letterhead from a doctor.2U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport if you Have a Life-or-Death Emergency Traveling abroad for your own medical care does not qualify as a life-or-death emergency.
One detail worth confirming before you book: if you’re flying, you need a passport book. The passport card is only valid for land and sea crossings with Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.
How to Book the Appointment
Every passport agency is appointment-only. Walk-ins aren’t accepted, and there’s no line to stand in.
If you haven’t started an application yet, use the State Department’s Online Passport Appointment System. You’ll enter travel dates and verify identity with email and phone codes to complete scheduling.3Travel.State.Gov. Make an Appointment at a Passport Agency or Center
If you already applied by mail and now need to expedite, call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778. Agents are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern, and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern. The line is closed on federal holidays.4U.S. Department of State. Apply at the National Passport Center Use the same number to change or cancel a scheduled appointment. Have your itinerary handy either way, because the system uses your travel dates to confirm eligibility.
Where the Passport Agencies Are
Same-day issuance is only available at Department of State regional passport agencies and centers. Post offices, county clerks, libraries, and other passport acceptance facilities cannot do it. As of early 2026, there are 27 agency locations across the country.3Travel.State.Gov. Make an Appointment at a Passport Agency or Center
Agencies operate in Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, El Paso, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, San Juan, Seattle, Washington, and in Colorado and Connecticut. There are also centers in Arkansas, Charleston, New Orleans, and Vermont, along with the National Passport Center and the Western Passport Center. You aren’t required to go to the closest one. Book wherever the earliest appointment is available.
What to Bring
Missing paperwork at an agency is more costly than at a post office, because you may not be able to rebook before your flight. Bring everything below.
Proof of U.S. Citizenship
Bring one: a U.S. birth certificate issued by the city, county, or state of birth (listing your full name, date of birth, place of birth, both parents’ full names, with the registrar’s signature and official seal); a previous undamaged U.S. passport valid for the full 10 years (adults) or 5 years (children under 16); a Consular Report of Birth Abroad; or a Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship.5U.S. Department of State. Get Citizenship Evidence for a U.S. Passport
Photo ID and a Photocopy
Bring a valid government-issued photo ID like a driver’s license or state ID, plus a photocopy on white, 8.5-by-11-inch paper, printed on one side only.6U.S. Department of State. Get Photo ID for a U.S. Passport
Passport Photo
One color photo taken within the last six months, 2 by 2 inches, white or off-white background, no shadows, neutral expression, eyes open, mouth closed.7Travel.State.Gov. Passport Photos Drugstores and shipping stores take them, but check the requirements yourself. Don’t count on the agency to fix a bad photo.
Proof of Travel
A confirmed flight itinerary or ticket showing international departure within 14 calendar days, or within 28 days if you need a foreign visa.1U.S. Department of State. Get My Passport Fast
The Application Form
First-time applicants, children under 16, and anyone who doesn’t meet renewal eligibility use Form DS-11. Eligible renewals use Form DS-82.8U.S. Department of State. Passport Forms Use the State Department’s online Form Filler tool and print the completed form. Don’t sign a DS-11 until an agent tells you to. Sign and date a DS-82 after printing.9U.S. Department of State. Renew Your Passport by Mail
Fees and How You Can Pay
You’ll pay the standard application fee plus a $60 expedited service fee. For an adult passport book the application fee is $130, and first-time applicants using DS-11 also pay a $35 execution fee.10Travel.State.Gov. Passport Fees That brings a first-time adult passport book to $225 total.
Payment rules at agencies are stricter than at post offices. Agencies accept credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover), debit cards (Visa or Mastercard), and contactless payments including Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay. No checks, no money orders, no cash.10Travel.State.Gov. Passport Fees
If you’d rather have the finished passport mailed than come back for it, you can add 1-to-3-day delivery for $22.05. That option is for the passport book only.10Travel.State.Gov. Passport Fees
Getting a Same-Day Passport for a Child Under 16
Minors add paperwork. Children under 16 must apply in person using Form DS-11, and both parents or legal guardians must appear at the appointment with the child.11Travel.State.Gov. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16
If one parent can’t be there and both have custody, the absent parent has to sign a Statement of Consent (Form DS-3053) in front of a notary and include a photocopy of the ID shown to the notary. That signed consent is only valid for 90 days from the notarization date.12U.S. Department of State. Statement of Consent: U.S. Passport Issuance to a Child DS-3053 If neither parent can attend, both must submit DS-3053 or notarized consent authorizing the adult who is bringing the child.
Also bring the child’s birth certificate or another document proving the parental relationship, such as an adoption decree or custody order.11Travel.State.Gov. Apply for a Child’s Passport Under 16
What Happens at the Appointment
Arrive early. Agencies run on tight schedules, and at USPS-affiliated locations arrivals more than five minutes late have forfeited their slot. Expect airport-style security at the entrance.
Inside, you check in with your appointment confirmation. An agent reviews your citizenship evidence, photo ID, passport photo, travel proof, and application form. If you’re on a DS-11, you’ll sign it in front of the agent. The agent takes payment and submits the application.
You’ll then get a specific return time later that same day to pick up the finished passport. Bring your ID and the receipt from the morning visit when you come back. Same-day issuance is standard for urgent appointments at agencies, though how quickly it comes together depends on the location’s workload and how close your departure is.
If You Can’t Get to an Agency Yourself
Registered private courier companies can hand-deliver your application to an agency and pick up the finished passport for you. Couriers are private businesses, not part of the State Department, and they charge their own service fees on top of the government fees.1U.S. Department of State. Get My Passport Fast
Courier companies register annually with the Department of State, and their employees must be individually registered to enter agencies. Each submission needs a letter of authorization from you permitting the company to deliver the application and retrieve the passport, along with proof you’re departing within 14 days or need a visa within 28.13Federal Register. Passports; Procedures for Passport Couriers
The State Department cautions that couriers can charge several hundred dollars on top of government fees and may bill for services the Department provides free, like help with forms or scheduling.1U.S. Department of State. Get My Passport Fast If you can travel to an agency yourself, you’ll save a lot.
If You’re Already Outside the United States
Passport agencies only operate inside the United States. If you’re overseas and your passport is lost, stolen, or expired, contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate for emergency assistance.14U.S. Department of State. Help Abroad Embassies can issue emergency travel documents to get you home. Process and timing vary by post.