Getting a U.S. passport in California involves two layers: a federal agency that decides your application and a local office that accepts it. This page covers the local layer. Our database lists 763 passport offices across the state, from the Barrington Passport Office at 200 South Barrington Avenue in Los Angeles to the Chinatown Passport Office at 867 Stockton St in San Francisco. Below you will find how the system is organised, how access differs between big cities and rural counties, and what to prepare before you go.

Who Runs Passport Services in California

Passports are a federal service. The U.S. Department of State decides who receives one, sets the fees, and prints the book or card. California has no state passport agency, and no California statute governs how a passport is issued. What the state has is a large network of local acceptance facilities. They check your identity, witness your signature, and forward the paperwork to the State Department.

Acceptance facilities come in several forms. Many are U.S. Postal Service branches. Others are county clerk or clerk-recorder offices, public libraries, city halls, and some university offices. Each one decides for itself whether to take walk-ins, how many appointments to offer per day, and which payment methods to accept. That is why two offices a few miles apart can run very differently.

Two federal passport agencies also operate in California, in Los Angeles and San Francisco. They are not walk-in counters. They serve people with international travel coming up within days, or those who need a foreign visa on a short timeline, and an appointment is required. Everyone else applies through an ordinary acceptance facility, or by mail when renewing.

One related point causes frequent confusion. The California Department of Motor Vehicles issues driver licenses and ID cards, including the REAL ID version marked with a star. A REAL ID is not a passport and cannot be used for international travel. A valid passport, on the other hand, works as identification at airport security for domestic flights.

How Passport Access Differs Across California's Regions

California covers roughly 160,000 square miles, and passport offices cluster where the population does. Our listings reach 490 cities in 56 of the state's 58 counties, but the density behind those numbers varies enormously.

Los Angeles and Southern California

Los Angeles has 63 listings, more than any other city in the state, and Los Angeles County accounts for 159. Offices such as the Barrington Passport Office in West Los Angeles, the Long Beach Passport Office at 333 West Ocean Boulevard, the Crowell Passport Office on Huntington Drive in Pasadena, and the Claremont A Hughes Passport Office on Danbury Rd give residents options across a very large basin. Traffic can turn a ten-mile trip into an hour, so pick the office by drive time, not by distance.

Orange County is the next densest area. Our listings include the Holiday Passport Office on West Ball Road in Anaheim, the Orange County Passport Office on West Santa Ana Boulevard in Santa Ana, the Fullerton Passport Office on East Chapman Avenue, the Costa Mesa Passport Office on Adams Avenue, and the Huntington Beach and Newport Beach offices. The UC Irvine Passport Office on Jamboree Road serves the Irvine area.

San Diego County has 65 listings, including the Andrew Jackson Passport Office at 6401 El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego and the Escondido A Passport Office on West Mission Avenue. The border with Mexico is close, so many locals want a passport card for land and sea crossings. Ask whether the office you choose handles card applications as well as books.

The Inland Empire is more spread out. San Bernardino County has 53 listings and Riverside County has 44. Examples include the Downtown Riverside Passport Office at 3890 Orange Street and the Rancho Cucamonga Passport Office at 12505 Cultural Center Drive. Many residents here commute long distances, so an office near work can be easier than one near home.

The Bay Area and Sacramento

San Francisco has 26 listings in a compact city, with the Chinatown Passport Office on Stockton St among them. Across the bay, the Airport Oakland Passport Office on Pardee Drive serves Alameda County. In Silicon Valley, the Robertsville Passport Office on Branham Lane in San Jose is one of five San Jose listings. On the Peninsula, the Linda Mar Passport Office on Roberts Road in Pacifica serves San Mateo County. Contra Costa County also has 24 listings, so East Bay residents rarely need to cross a bridge.

In the state capital, the Land Park Passport Office on South Land Park Drive in Sacramento is one of seven Sacramento listings. North of the Bay Area, Sonoma County residents tend to rely on smaller local offices, so calling ahead matters more there.

Central Valley, Central Coast, and Rural Counties

In the Central Valley, our listings include the Calaveras Passport Office on West Robinhood Drive in Stockton, the Modesto Passport Office on Kearney Avenue, and the Fresno County Passport Office at 2221 Kern Street. On the coast, the San Roque Passport Office on State Street serves Santa Barbara. These offices often cover several surrounding towns, so appointment slots can fill faster than the local population suggests.

In the most rural counties, the nearest acceptance facility may be a small post office that takes passport applications only on certain days or hours. Driving an hour or more is not unusual. A phone call before you leave is the cheapest insurance against a wasted trip.

What to Bring to a California Passport Acceptance Facility

Requirements come from the State Department, so they are the same at every office in California. Offices differ mainly in scheduling and payment. First-time applicants, children under 16, and anyone who does not qualify for mail renewal must apply in person. Bring the following:

For a first-time adult book, the application fee is currently $130 and the acceptance fee is $35. Fees change, so confirm the amounts on travel.state.gov before you write the checks.

Timing a Passport Visit in California

Spring and early summer are the busiest months, when families plan vacations and students prepare for study abroad. Book your appointment early and avoid lunch hours and the first day after a holiday. Routine processing takes several weeks, and expedited service shortens that for an added $60 fee. Current processing times are posted on the State Department site and shift through the year, so check them when you apply.

Adult passports are valid for ten years and passports for applicants under 16 for five. Many adults can renew by mail and skip the office visit entirely. If you are unsure which route applies to you, call one of the offices listed in our directory and ask before you pay for photos.

Passport acceptance facilities in California are distributed across post offices, county clerks' offices, and public libraries, providing residents with accessible locations to submit passport applications without traveling to a regional agency. California residents with urgent travel needs may also have access to a regional passport agency for in-person expedited service.

Passport Offices locations are available in 490 cities across California. They are spread across 57 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration of passport offices include Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, reflecting larger populations and greater volumes of international travelers requiring passport services.

Residents of California should verify that their chosen acceptance facility accepts walk-ins or requires an appointment, as policies vary by location. Processing times fluctuate with seasonal demand, so applying several months before planned international travel is strongly advised.

Passport Offices by Counties

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Residents of California applying for a passport should complete their application form in advance, gather all required documents including proof of citizenship and a compliant passport photo, and confirm whether their chosen facility requires an appointment. Many passport renewal applicants in California can mail their DS-82 form directly to a processing center, avoiding an in-person visit altogether.

Browse Passport Offices by county across California to find the nearest location.

Choosing a Passport Office in Your California County

The best office is rarely the closest one on a map. In dense counties, look at hours, appointment availability, and parking. In rural areas, look at which days the office accepts passport applications at all. Our directory lists each office with its address and phone number, so you can compare several before booking.

Counties with the most listings give you the widest choice. After Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties come Contra Costa and San Mateo with 24 each, then Alameda and Santa Clara County with 21 each. San Francisco is both a city and a county, with 26 listings. Sacramento County residents can start with the Land Park Passport Office on South Land Park Drive.

When you call, ask four things: whether you need an appointment, which payment types are accepted for the acceptance fee, whether photos are taken on site, and what hours the passport counter keeps. Passport counters often run shorter hours than the rest of the building. If you live between two counties, check both, since you may apply at any acceptance facility in the state, not only in your home county.

Passport Office FAQs for California Residents

No. U.S. passports are issued only by the federal Department of State. California does not run its own passport service, and no state agency approves applications. What California offers is a network of local acceptance facilities, including post offices, county clerk offices, and libraries, that verify your identity and send your paperwork on. The two federal passport agencies in Los Angeles and San Francisco handle urgent cases by appointment only. If a website offers to speed up your passport for a large service charge, be cautious, because the official fees are the ones published by the State Department.

Often, yes. Many acceptance facilities, especially busy ones in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego, take applications by appointment or limit walk-ins to set hours. Smaller offices in rural counties may accept applications only on certain days. Call the office before you go. Our directory lists the Fresno County Passport Office at 559-488-3428 and the Modesto Passport Office at 209-523-5094, for example. Ask about appointments, hours, photo services, and whether the acceptance fee can be paid by card, since some offices accept only checks or money orders.

Fees are set federally, so they are the same in every California county. A first-time adult passport book carries a $130 application fee, plus a separate $35 acceptance fee paid to the facility, for $165 before photo costs. A passport card is $30 plus the same $35. Applicants under 16 pay a lower application fee for the book. Expedited service adds $60. Fees can change, so confirm current amounts on travel.state.gov before you write your checks. The State Department portion is usually paid by check or money order, while the facility sets its own payment options.

If you leave within 14 calendar days, or need a foreign visa within 28 days, you may qualify for an in-person appointment at a federal passport agency. California has two, in Los Angeles and San Francisco. You cannot walk in. You must book through the State Department and bring proof of travel, such as a flight itinerary. Slots fill quickly in summer and around holidays. If your trip is further out, paying for expedited service at a regular acceptance facility is usually easier to arrange. Life-or-death emergencies abroad are handled through a separate State Department phone line.

Many adults can. You generally qualify if your most recent passport was issued when you were 16 or older, was issued within the past 15 years, is undamaged, and is in your current name or you can document a legal name change. Mail Form DS-82, your old passport, a new photo, and the fee to the address on the form. Eligible applicants can also renew online through the State Department. If you do not qualify, apply in person with Form DS-11 at any California acceptance facility.

Certified copies come from the county recorder or clerk-recorder in the county where you were born, or from the California Department of Public Health, Vital Records. Order a certified copy with a raised or multicolored seal. An informational copy will not be accepted as proof of citizenship. Mail orders can take weeks, so order before you book your appointment. If you were born in another state, contact that state's vital records office. A previous undamaged U.S. passport, a naturalization certificate, or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad can also prove citizenship.