Passport Acceptance in West Virginia: A Federal Service at Local Counters

West Virginia has no state passport agency. Passports are issued by the U.S. Department of State, and the offices on this page are local acceptance facilities that check your application and forward it. They are run by county clerks, courthouses, municipal offices, libraries and post offices rather than by a single state department.

That structure explains why the listings differ so much from one town to the next. Beckley Passport Office on Industrial Drive and Charleston Passport Office on Lee Street East serve cities of very different sizes. Fayette County Passport Office on North Court Street in Fayetteville sits in a county seat. Each location sets its own days, hours and appointment rules, so a quick phone call before you drive is worth the minute.

The Department of State sets the rules and fees everywhere in the country. A first-time adult applicant files Form DS-11 in person, pays an application fee to the Department of State and pays a separate execution fee to the facility. At the time of writing those figures are $130 and $35 for an adult passport book, but fees change, so confirm them on travel.state.gov before you leave home. Payment rules differ by office: the federal fee is usually a check or money order, and the execution fee depends on the facility.

Adult passport books are valid for ten years, and books for applicants under 16 are valid for five. A passport card costs less but works only for land and sea entry from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, and it cannot be used for international flights. For occasional drives into Canada or a Caribbean cruise, the card can be enough.

Kanawha Valley and Huntington: Where West Virginia's Largest Passport Counters Cluster

Kanawha County has more listings than any other county in our database, with six. Charleston Passport Office at 1002 Lee Street East (304-561-1000) is the obvious starting point. The county also lists Cabin Creek Passport Office at 15043 MacCorkle Avenue in Belle (304-595-3594) and Clendenin Passport Office at 100 Maywood Avenue West (304-548-6941). If downtown parking or a weekday commute is a problem, a location along the Kanawha River may be easier to reach.

Farther west, Cabell County lists Barboursville Passport Office at 680 Central Avenue (304-736-3675) and Culloden Passport Office on U.S. Highway 60 (304-743-5211). Barboursville is a short drive from Huntington, home to Marshall University and Huntington Tri-State Airport (HTS). Students and faculty planning study-abroad terms should apply well before departure, because processing takes weeks, not days.

Charleston's Yeager Airport (CRW) offers regional service, and many international trips from the state connect through airports such as Charlotte, Washington Dulles or Pittsburgh. Airline ticket names must match your passport, so settle the application before you buy a nonrefundable fare.

Government buildings often have security screening at the entrance. Allow a few extra minutes and carry your photo ID where you can reach it easily.

Eastern Panhandle, Wheeling and the Southern Coalfields

The Eastern Panhandle is one of the fastest-growing parts of the state. Berkeley County lists Martinsburg Berkeley County Passport Office at 101 West King Street (304-267-8933) and Falling Waters Passport Office at 9853 Williamsport Pike (304-274-2091). Jefferson County Passport Office at 119 North George Street in Charles Town (304-728-3231) and Berkeley Springs Passport Office at 417 North Washington Street in Morgan County (304-258-1424) round out the region. Many people here commute toward Maryland or Washington, D.C., and the MARC Brunswick Line serves Martinsburg, so a counter near work can be as practical as one near home.

In the north, Wheeling Passport Office at 2501 Chapline Street (304-233-3912) serves Ohio County and a metro area that reaches across the Ohio River. Fairmont Passport Office at 331 Madison Street (304-366-1610) in Marion County and Harrison County Passport Office at 301 West Main Street in Clarksburg (304-624-8640) cover the I-79 corridor. Clarksburg is also home to North Central West Virginia Airport (CKB).

In the south, Raleigh County is served by Beckley Passport Office (304-252-5336), and Bluefield Passport Office at 3010 East Cumberland Road (304-325-9196) sits near the Virginia line. Interstates 64 and 77 help, but secondary roads in the coalfields are slower than the mileage suggests. Allow extra time, especially in winter, and do not assume a small office keeps the same hours every day.

Rural Mountain Counties: Pendleton, Calhoun, Pocahontas and Beyond

Most West Virginia counties have small populations, and the passport counter is often in or near the courthouse. Examples include Pendleton County Passport Office at 100 South Main Street in Franklin (304-358-7067), Gilmer County Passport Office at 10 Howard Street in Glenville (304-462-7241), Calhoun County Passport Office at 363 Main Street in Grantsville (304-354-6910) and Wirt County Passport Office at 1 Court Street in Elizabeth (304-275-6597). Clay County Passport Office at 246 Main Street in Clay (304-587-4256) is another.

These offices may share staff with other duties, so passport hours can be limited at busy times. Ask whether an appointment is needed, and which days a trained agent is on site.

In Pocahontas County, one of the state's most sparsely populated counties, Green Bank Passport Office sits at WV 92 and Wesley Chapel Road (304-456-4081), in the community best known for the Green Bank Observatory. Mountain roads and winter weather can double a drive, so check conditions and call ahead.

Central West Virginia has its own cluster. Upshur County Passport Office at 38 West Main Street in Buckhannon, Weston Passport Office at 119 Center Avenue in Lewis County (304-269-1475) and the US District Court Passport Office at 300 East 3rd Street in Elkins (304-636-1445) are all listed. Listing names come from public records, so a court-based listing may follow different public hours than a county clerk. Confirm before you go.

What to Bring to a West Virginia Passport Acceptance Facility

Requirements come from the Department of State, so the list is the same at every West Virginia location.

People born in West Virginia can order a certified birth certificate from the Vital Registration Office of the West Virginia Department of Health in Charleston. Order it before you book your visit, not after. Keep photocopies single-sided, do not staple anything, and hand over documents in the order the agent asks for them.

Routine processing takes several weeks, and the Department of State posts current estimates on its website. Mailing adds days at each end. Check your passport's expiration date too, since many countries require several months of validity beyond your travel dates.

Passport acceptance facilities in West Virginia 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. West Virginia 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 63 cities across West Virginia. They are spread across 45 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration of passport offices include Keyser, Beckley, Weston, reflecting larger populations and greater volumes of international travelers requiring passport services.

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

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

Getting to a Passport Counter in West Virginia Without Wasting a Trip

Geography shapes how West Virginians get passports. Interstates 64, 77, 79 and 81 carry most long trips, but the Appalachian ridges make straight-line distances misleading. A county seat that looks close on a map can take far longer to reach in winter, and county offices often close when roads are bad. Check the weather and call ahead.

You are not limited to the county where you live. Someone in Bluefield, in Mercer County, can apply in Beckley, Charleston or across the line in Virginia if that fits a work schedule. Eastern Panhandle residents who commute toward Maryland or Washington, D.C. often use a facility near their job. Pick the counter with the best hours, not just the closest courthouse.

Green Bank Passport Office is the only Pocahontas County listing named in our database, so plan around its hours and bring every document the first time. A missing photocopy can mean a second long drive.

If you must travel urgently, ordinary facilities cannot speed things up beyond the expedite option. For international travel generally within 14 days, the Department of State may offer an appointment at a regional passport agency, such as the one in Washington, D.C. Those appointments are arranged through the Department of State, not through a county office.

West Virginia Passport Questions Answered

No. Any passport acceptance facility in the United States can take your application, regardless of where you live. West Virginians often choose by schedule rather than by county. A person living in Clay County might use a Charleston office near work, while someone in Berkeley Springs might pick whichever Martinsburg or Charles Town office fits their commute. The only practical limits are each office's hours, appointment rules and whether it handles your situation, such as children's applications. Call first, confirm the days passport services are offered, and ask what payment methods the office accepts. Your application then travels to the Department of State, not to a local or state agency.

Fees are set nationally, so they are the same in Wheeling as in Bluefield. For a first-time adult passport book, the Department of State charges an application fee of $130, and the acceptance facility adds a $35 execution fee. Applicants under 16 pay a lower application fee, currently $100, plus the same execution fee. Expedited handling costs an additional $60, and some places charge extra for photos. Fees can change, so check travel.state.gov before you go. Bring a check or money order for the federal portion, and ask the office what it accepts for its own fee.

Children under 16 must apply in person, and both parents or guardians normally need to be there. If one parent cannot attend, bring a signed and notarized Form DS-3053 along with a photocopy of the front and back of that parent's ID. You also need the child's certified birth certificate showing the parents' names, each parent's photo ID with copies, and a 2 by 2 inch photo. Passports for children under 16 last five years, so the cost spreads over fewer years than an adult book. Applicants aged 16 and 17 apply in person but follow somewhat different parental-consent rules.

It depends on the office, and policies change. Larger locations such as Charleston Passport Office (304-561-1000) or Wheeling Passport Office (304-233-3912) may run set hours or ask you to book ahead, while small courthouse counters may serve you only on certain days or when a trained staff member is available. Rural offices may close for lunch or stop accepting applications before closing time. Phone first, ask whether passport services are offered that day, and confirm which forms of payment are accepted. Arriving early with every document is better than returning a second time.

Often yes. Adults can usually renew by mail with Form DS-82 if the most recent passport is undamaged, was issued when they were 16 or older, was issued within the last 15 years, and is in their current name or they can document a legal name change. In that case no acceptance facility visit or execution fee is needed. The Department of State has also been expanding online renewal for eligible adults, so check travel.state.gov first. If your passport was lost, stolen or issued when you were a minor, you must apply in person on Form DS-11 at a facility.

If you were born in West Virginia, request a certified copy from the Vital Registration Office of the West Virginia Department of Health in Charleston. Passport staff need a certified document issued by the registrar, showing your full name, date and place of birth, and the parents' full names, with a raised or multicolored seal. Hospital souvenir certificates are not accepted. If you were born in another state, contact that state's vital records office. Order early, because you cannot apply without proof of citizenship. A previous U.S. passport or a naturalization certificate can also serve as proof.