The State Department Releases New Locations to Get a Passport

The U.S. Government is continuing to offer in-person help for travelers looking to get a passport for the first-time. 

The State Department is expanding its Special Passport Acceptance Fairs to additional locations ahead of the summer travel season. Travelers looking to get a passport can head to one of the new spots between May 4 and June 26.

The fairs — which take place at local libraries, community centers, or government offices — are designed to provide assistance for only first-time customers and children who are using the DS-11 form. Travelers that already have a passport and just need to renew should not attend one of these events and complete the renewal process by mail. 

Travelers can visit the State Department’s website for the full list of events, and monitor for upcoming events, as the site is refreshed weekly. For travelers who have an urgent passport request, such as traveling within the next two weeks, the department offers appointments at 26 different passport agencies

The current processing times for passports has dropped considerably after waves of delay after the pandemic. Expedited passports are processed within 2-3 weeks, and routine passports are processed between 6-8 weeks, according to the State Department. The agency provides a refund of the expedited fee if they do not honor their promised delivery time. 

The Department first launched the passport fair program during July 2023, after the agency was impacted by significant, and record demand for passports. The agency says they were receiving over 500,000 passport applications a week during peak times. The cost for a new passport is currently $165 which includes the Application Fee and Execution or Acceptance Fee. 

Here’s a full list of the events:

• May 4, 2024 – Plant City, FL – Hillsborough Clerk of the Court – Plant City Office
• May 4, 2024 – Tampa, FL – Hillsborough Clerk of the Court – Tampa Office
• May 4, 2024 – West Caldwell, NJ – West Caldwell Town Library
• May 4, 2024 – Dallas, TX – University of Texas at Dallas
• May 7, 2024 – Verona, NJ – Verona Town Hall
• May 7, 2024 – Woodcliff Lake, NJ – Woodcliff Lake Senior Center
• May 9, 2024 – Little Falls, NJ – Little Falls Municipal Building
• May 11, 2024 – Fairfield, NJ – Fairfield Recreation Center
• May 11, 2024 – Haskell, NJ – Passaic County Clerk’s Satellite Office
• May 11, 2024 – Paterson, NJ – Passaic County Clerk’s Office – Admin Bldg
• May 14, 2024 – Paterson, NJ – Passaic County Clerk’s Office – Admin Bldg
• May 14, 2024 – Haskell, NJ – Passaic County Clerk’s Satellite Office
• May 15, 2024 – Haledon, NJ – Haledon Municipal Building
• May 15, 2024 – West Caldwell, NJ – West Caldwell Town Library
• May 16, 2024 – Oradell, NJ – Borough Hall – Council Chambers
• May 17, 2024 – Nutley, NJ – Nutley Parks and Recreation Center
• May 18, 2024 – West Orange, NJ – West Orange Park and Ride
• May 21, 2024 – Verona, NJ – Verona Town Hall
• May 22, 2024 – Elmwood Park, NJ – Borough Hall
• May 23, 2024 – Clifton, NJ – Clifton Municipal Building
• May 23, 2024 – Woodland Park, NJ – Berekley College – Woodland Park Campus
• May 29, 2024 – Wayne, NJ – Wayne Township Municipal Building
• May 29, 2024 – Wyckoff, NJ – Wyckoff Town Hall
• June 5, 2024 – Somerville, NJ – Somerville Branch Library
• June 12, 2024 – Bridgewater, NJ – Bridgewater Branch Library
• June 26, 2024 – Bridgewater, NJ – Bridgewater Branch Library