How Passport Application Services Are Organized in New Mexico

New Mexico has no state agency that issues passports. The U.S. Department of State produces every passport, and the offices listed on this page are acceptance facilities. They check your identity, witness your signature, collect your payment and send the application on for processing. Depending on where you live, that counter may be in a post office, a county clerk's office, a library or a town hall.

The people behind these counters are acceptance agents. They confirm that your documents look genuine and that you are the person named on the form. They do not decide whether you qualify for a passport, and they cannot speed up your case. Approval, printing and mailing all happen at State Department facilities outside the state.

The state covers more than 121,000 square miles and has a little over two million people. Our database holds 44 listings across 25 counties, so the distance to the nearest counter matters more here than in a compact eastern state. A short errand in Albuquerque can turn into a long drive on the eastern plains or in the northern mountains. Planning around that gap is the most useful thing you can do before you apply.

Passport Offices in the Albuquerque Metro and Rio Grande Corridor

Albuquerque has three listings, more than any other city in the state. The Albuquerque Passport Office at 1135 Broadway Boulevard Northeast (505-346-8052) is one of them. Bernalillo County has four listings in total. One is the Cedar Crest Passport Office at 12218 New Mexico 14 Scenic (505-281-5668), which serves the East Mountains on the far side of the Sandia range.

North and south of the city, the corridor keeps going. The Bernalillo Passport Office at 145 Calle Del Presidente (505-771-8822) is in Sandoval County. The Bosque Passport Office at 1002 S Highway 116 (505-864-2366) is in Valencia County. In Santa Fe County, the Edgewood Passport Office at 13 Plaza Loop (505-281-3535) covers the eastern edge of the metro area. Los Alamos has its own listing at 199 Central Park Square (505-662-2153), which saves Pajarito Plateau residents a drive down the hill.

Metro counters see the heaviest demand before spring break and summer. Call ahead to ask whether the office takes walk-ins or only appointments, and what hours it keeps for passport work. Some facilities accept applications only during set windows, so one phone call can save you a wasted trip.

Southern New Mexico: Las Cruces, Alamogordo and the Border Communities

Doña Ana County has the most listings in the state, with five. In Las Cruces, the Commerce Passport Office at 1180 Commerce Drive (575-521-4953) is one option. The Anthony Passport Office at 1190 Anthony Drive (575-882-5259) sits near the Texas line. The Hatch Passport Office at 107 Davis Street (575-267-4811) serves the Hatch Valley to the north. Border-area residents often travel to Mexico, so ask about the cheaper passport card when you apply.

Otero County has four listings. The Alamogordo Passport Office at 930 12th St (575-437-9390) serves the largest town in the county. The Holloman AFB Passport Office at 721 New Mexico Ave (575-572-3842) is on an Air Force base, so confirm access rules for civilian visitors before you drive out. The Cloudcroft Passport Office at 20 Curlew Place (575-682-2431) is up in the Sacramento Mountains, where winter weather can slow the road from the valley.

Farther west, the Deming Passport Office at 201 West Spruce Street (575-546-9461) is in Luna County. The Lordsburg Passport Office at 401 Shakespeare Street (575-542-9601) is in Hidalgo County. Long distances separate these towns, so a family in the bootheel may pick whichever office has the earliest opening rather than the nearest one.

Eastern Plains, Pecos Valley, Northern Mountains and the Four Corners

On the eastern plains, the New Mexico Passport Office at 700 North Main Street in Clovis (575-762-9148) is in Curry County. The Clayton Passport Office at 1 Walnut Street (575-374-9541) is in Union County, close to the Oklahoma and Texas lines. The Lovington Passport Office at 203 East Avenue D (575-396-2300) is in Lea County. The Malaga Passport Office at 1623 Pecos Highway (575-745-2952) is in Eddy County.

In the Pecos Valley, Chaves County has the Dexter Passport Office at 302 South Lincoln Avenue (575-734-5823) and the Hagerman Passport Office at 108 East Argyle Street (575-752-3730). Lincoln County adds the Alto Passport Office at 100 Sun Valley Rd (575-336-4341), which is handy for the Ruidoso area.

In the north and west, the Farmington Passport Office at 2301 East 20th Street (505-324-3055) serves San Juan County and the Four Corners. The Chama Passport Office at 199 5th St W (575-756-2240) is in Rio Arriba County near the Colorado line. The Grants Passport Office at 816 West Santa Fe Avenue (505-287-3143) is in Cibola County. The Magdalena Passport Office at 100 1st Street (575-854-2231) is in Socorro County. Small-town counters often keep short hours with one or two trained agents, so a missed phone call can cost you a whole day.

What to Bring to a New Mexico Passport Acceptance Counter

First-time adult applicants, and anyone who cannot renew by mail, must apply in person on Form DS-11. Gather these items before you leave home:

For a first-time adult passport book, the State Department application fee is $130, and the facility charges a separate $35 execution fee. Expedited service adds $60. Fees change, so check travel.state.gov before you go. Finally, keep every document in one folder. Agents can turn you away for a missing photocopy, and in a rural town that can mean a second long drive.

Passport acceptance facilities in New Mexico 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. New Mexico 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 39 cities across New Mexico. They are spread across 25 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration of passport offices include Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Clovis, reflecting larger populations and greater volumes of international travelers requiring passport services.

Residents of New Mexico 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

B
C
D
E
G
H
L
O
Q
R
S
T
U
V

Residents of New Mexico 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 New Mexico can mail their DS-82 form directly to a processing center, avoiding an in-person visit altogether.

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

Planning a Passport Trip in New Mexico: Timing, REAL ID and Long Distances

Since May 7, 2025, travelers 18 and older need a REAL ID-compliant license or another accepted document, such as a passport, to board domestic flights. The New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division, part of the Taxation and Revenue Department, issues REAL ID licenses marked with a star. A passport book or card also works at the checkpoint, so it makes a useful second document for flights out of the Albuquerque International Sunport.

Processing times shift through the year, and the State Department posts current estimates online. Apply well before any trip, and avoid booking nonrefundable travel until the passport is in your hands. Many countries also require several months of validity beyond your travel dates.

Rural applicants should plan the drive as carefully as the paperwork. A family in Chama, Magdalena or Lordsburg may spend half a day on the road. Call first, confirm the hours, and bring everything in one folder. Passport cards cost less than books and work at land and sea crossings with Mexico and Canada, but not for international flights.

It depends on the office. Larger counters in Albuquerque and Las Cruces may handle walk-ins at set times. Smaller offices in towns such as Hagerman, Dexter or Hatch often work by appointment or during limited hours. Staff at these locations also handle other duties, so an agent may not be free at every hour. Call the number in the listing before you travel and ask three things: whether you need an appointment, which hours are open for passport work, and which payment methods are accepted. Also ask whether the office takes passport photos on site, since some do not.

In our database, Doña Ana County leads with five listings. Otero and Bernalillo counties follow with four each, and Lincoln and Chaves counties have three each. Chaves County in the Pecos Valley includes offices in Dexter and Hagerman. Curry County has two listings, including the New Mexico Passport Office in Clovis. Counts show how many offices exist, not how busy they are, so a county with fewer listings may still have good availability.

Often you can. Most adults can renew by mail on Form DS-82, or online through the State Department, if their most recent passport was issued when they were 16 or older. It must also be undamaged, in your possession, and issued within the last 15 years. Your name must match, or you must have a legal document showing the change. If you qualify, you skip the acceptance facility entirely, which helps in remote areas like Chama or Lordsburg. If you do not qualify, you must apply in person on Form DS-11 at an acceptance office.

Children under 16 must apply in person, and both parents or guardians normally need to appear with the child. If one parent cannot attend, that parent signs a notarized consent statement, Form DS-3053, and you bring a photocopy of the ID they used. Bring the child's original birth certificate showing the parents' names, plus a photocopy, and a 2x2 inch photo. Children under 16 receive a five-year passport. Applicants aged 16 and older receive a ten-year passport. Call your chosen office first, because not every small counter can take a child's application on short notice.

Yes. A valid U.S. passport book or passport card is accepted by TSA at security checkpoints, so you can fly domestically from Albuquerque, Santa Fe or any other New Mexico airport without a REAL ID license. The New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division issues REAL ID licenses marked with a star, and you must apply for one with proof of identity and residency. Many travelers carry both, because a passport also works for international trips and is a backup if a license is lost. Check the TSA website for the current list of accepted documents.

Start by applying at the nearest acceptance office and paying the $60 expedite fee, which shortens processing but does not guarantee a date. You can add paid overnight delivery for the finished passport. For true emergencies, such as international travel within a couple of weeks, the State Department offers urgent appointments at regional passport agencies, and the closest one may be outside New Mexico. Book through the National Passport Information Center, and bring proof of your travel. Confirm current rules on travel.state.gov, since eligibility for urgent service changes.