Every passport issued in the United States comes from one agency: the U.S. Department of State. The passport office in your town does something narrower. It accepts your application, verifies who you are, and forwards the package to a federal processing center. Our directory lists 8,306 of these locations across 51 states, from the Accord Passport Office in Ulster County, New York, to the Avondale Passport Office in Maricopa County, Arizona. This page explains who operates them, what they can and cannot do, and how to choose the right one before you set aside an afternoon.

How Passport Applications Work Across the United States

Federal law gives the State Department sole authority to issue passport books and passport cards. No state, county or city can issue one. That is why an application in Texas follows the same form, the same identity rules and the same federal fee schedule as one in Vermont.

The local office you visit is formally called a passport acceptance facility. A trained acceptance agent watches you sign the application, checks your photo ID, collects your documents and seals them in an envelope. The agent does not decide whether you get a passport. The State Department makes that decision after your package reaches a processing center.

Applications follow one of two paths. First-time applicants, children under 16, and people whose previous passport was lost, stolen or damaged must apply in person on Form DS-11. Many adults renewing an undamaged passport can skip the office entirely. If your last passport was issued when you were 16 or older, and within the past 15 years, you can usually renew by mail or online.

A third type of site, the regional passport agency, is run directly by the State Department. These agencies handle urgent international travel and work by appointment only. They are not the place for routine applications, and they normally ask for proof of imminent travel.

Who Runs Your Local Passport Office: Federal, County or City

The name on a listing tells you the community, not the operator. Four kinds of organizations act as acceptance facilities, and the one you choose affects hours, payment methods and wait times.

Post offices. The U.S. Postal Service is the largest operator. The Acton Passport Office at 7 Post Office Square in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, is an example of a post office address in our database. Most post offices require an appointment, and many only offer passport service on set days.

Clerks of court and county clerks. In many states the county clerk, circuit clerk or recorder handles applications as part of county government. Several listings here, such as the Norman County Passport Office in Ada, Minnesota, and the Dallas County Passport Office in Adel, Iowa, carry the county name for this reason.

Libraries and town halls. Some public libraries and municipal clerks accept applications, run by a town, city or library board. Township and town offices are common in the Midwest and Northeast. The Addison Township Passport Office in DuPage County, Illinois, and the Ada Township Passport Office in Kent County, Michigan, fit this pattern.

Federal and military sites. Our database includes the U.S.A.F. Academy Passport Office on Community Center Drive in El Paso County, Colorado. Offices on military installations often serve their own community first, so call to confirm whether civilians can use them and what gate access you need.

You do not have to live in the state, county or city where you apply. You can use any acceptance facility in the country. Hours, appointment rules, accepted payment types and photo services still vary a lot. A county office may take only checks and money orders, while a library may offer photos and card payments. Call the number on the listing before you go, because a phone call takes five minutes and a wasted trip takes half a day.

What to Bring to a Passport Office in the United States

Acceptance agents cannot make exceptions to federal document rules. Arriving with the wrong paperwork is the most common reason people leave without finishing. For a first-time adult application, plan to bring the following:

  • Form DS-11, completed but not signed. Sign it only when the agent tells you to.
  • Proof of citizenship, such as a certified birth certificate with a registrar's seal, a naturalization certificate, or a previous passport.
  • A photocopy of the citizenship document, single-sided, on plain white letter-size paper.
  • Valid photo ID, such as a driver's license or military ID, plus a photocopy of the front and back.
  • One passport photo, 2 by 2 inches, in color, taken recently against a plain white background.
  • The application fee, normally paid by check or money order to the U.S. Department of State.
  • The execution fee, paid separately to the facility. It has been $35 per application, but confirm the current amount before you go.
  • Your appointment confirmation, if the office requires one.

Children under 16 add a few steps. The child must appear in person, and both parents or guardians must normally attend. If one parent cannot come, bring that parent's signed and notarized consent on Form DS-3053 with a copy of their photo ID. The child's birth certificate must list the parents. Teenagers aged 16 and 17 apply on their own, but must still use Form DS-11.

Choosing the Right State Page and Avoiding Common Mistakes

Start with the state page for the area where you will be when you apply, which is not always where you live. Large states have a lot of listings, so browse by county or city after you pick a state. Our biggest pages cover Passport Offices in New York, Passport Offices in California, Passport Offices in Texas and Passport Offices in Ohio. In sprawling counties such as San Bernardino County, California, where the Adelanto Passport Office is listed, the nearest office on a map may not be the quickest to reach, so check driving routes too.

Several mistakes cause most of the delays we hear about. People sign the application before meeting the agent, which can force them to start over with a fresh form. Others bring a hospital souvenir birth certificate instead of the certified copy issued by a state or county vital records office. Some arrive with an expired driver's license, or without photocopies. Parents forget the second parent's consent. And many travelers book flights before checking current processing times, which change through the year. Pick your office, call ahead, and gather every document the night before.

Passport Offices by State
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Reading Passport Office Listings From State to State

Listings in the Midwest and Northeast often use township or town names, while listings in the South and West more often follow cities and counties. In Wisconsin, you will find the Abbotsford Passport Office on North 2nd Street in Clark County. In Maryland, the Abell Passport Office sits on Abell Road in St. Mary's County, and in Georgia the Acworth Passport Office is on North Main Street in Cobb County. For smaller communities, check the neighboring county as well, since a larger town nearby may have more appointment times. If you live near Grand Rapids, start with Passport Offices in Michigan. For the Badger State, see Passport Offices in Wisconsin. Always confirm hours and services by phone, because staffing at small offices changes often.

Passport Office Questions in the United States

The U.S. Department of State is the only agency that can issue a U.S. passport book or card. State, county and city offices listed here are acceptance facilities. Their staff verify your identity, witness your signature on Form DS-11, collect your fees and mail the package to a federal processing center. They cannot approve your application, speed it up, or print a passport on the spot. If you have questions about the status of an application, contact the State Department directly, not the local office that accepted your paperwork.

No. Passport applications have no residency requirement, so you can use any acceptance facility in the country. A student in Ohio can apply near campus, and a commuter in New Jersey can apply at an office closer to work. Your passport is mailed to the address on your application, so make sure it is accurate and reachable. Choose based on appointment availability, hours, payment options and travel time rather than on where you vote or pay taxes. Our state pages help you compare nearby options.

You pay two separate charges. The application fee goes to the U.S. Department of State, and the amount depends on your age and on whether you want a book, a card or both. The execution fee goes to the facility that accepts your paperwork, and it has been $35 per application. Some offices also charge for passport photos. Federal fees are the same in every state, but fee amounts can change, so check the State Department's current schedule before you write the check. Many offices accept only checks or money orders.

Often, yes. Most post offices require appointments, and busy county clerk offices in large states such as California and New York frequently book out for days or weeks. Smaller town halls and libraries may accept walk-ins, but only during limited hours or on specific weekdays. Policies change without notice, so call the number on the listing and ask three things: whether you need an appointment, which days passport service is offered, and which payment types they accept. Also ask if photos are available on site.

Often you can. Adults can generally renew by mail or online if the passport is undamaged and in their possession, was issued when they were 16 or older, and was issued within the past 15 years. If your name changed, you must submit a legal document showing the change. You cannot renew this way if your passport was lost, stolen or heavily damaged. In those cases, you apply in person on Form DS-11, the same as a first-time applicant, and a local acceptance facility handles it.

Start with the expedited service available through any acceptance facility, which adds a fee and shortens the processing time. If your international trip is only a couple of weeks away, or you face a life-or-death emergency abroad, you may qualify for an appointment at a regional passport agency. Those appointments are limited and are arranged through the State Department, not through local offices. Bring proof of travel, such as a ticket or itinerary, and all of your standard documents. Do not buy non-refundable tickets until you know your passport timeline.