super quick passport renewal?

June 25, 2013 6:25 AM

Is it humanly possible to renew a passport in a day?

overlooked the passport, which expired on June 3. Plane leaves tomorrow for London.

posted by hollyanderbody to Travel & Transportation (16 answers total)

Yes, there are services that will do this for an exorbitant fee.

If you're in Chicago, it's this place.

Try googling "same day passport" [your city].
posted by phunniemee at 6:26 AM on June 25, 2013 [1 favorite]

A service may be best but also if you're in a city with a passport agency I'd go immediately down to the office. Take the ticket or a printout of the ticket itinerary!
posted by sammyo at 6:29 AM on June 25, 2013 [2 favorites]

If you have access to a passport office, then yes. You have to have proof that you're travelling within 14 days (i.e., plane ticket or the like). You make an appointment at the passport office in the morning and pick up the passport in the afternoon. How to make the appointment.
posted by Runes at 6:30 AM on June 25, 2013 [4 favorites]

Don't go to a service. (Assuming you're a US citizen in the US...) You need to go to a Passport Agency, having booked an appointment by phoning (1-877-487-2778) with your tickets in hand* (and all the relevant papers/pictures to get a passport). A same-day passport takes most of the day, but it can be done. (I think you just pay the regular expedite fee, but it's been a long time since I had to do this.)

*Unless you go to the Minneapolis or a few other agencies, for some reason. But bring them anyway.
posted by hoyland at 6:31 AM on June 25, 2013 [2 favorites]

Humanly possible, but be ready to pay a lot and be willing to sit in the lobby of whereever you go if necessary.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:41 AM on June 25, 2013

The point of using a service is that it allows you to not have to sit in the lobby of the passport agency all day, and someone else will be doing all of the work on your behalf. You pay money, other people take on the stress.
posted by phunniemee at 6:45 AM on June 25, 2013

Don't go to a service, one I read about in Forbes that was 'credible' did not deliver.

Go to the office and they will push it through.
posted by ibakecake at 6:46 AM on June 25, 2013

It is humanly possible, I did it once. It is not easy however. Here is how I did it. I don't have any experience with services, this is all pedal to the medal.

• I was close to an agency that did this: in my case Boston. If you're not within driving range of a major city, I'm not sure even a service can help you.
• I made an appointment using the helpful info linked above. I was able to make it the night before. I honestly don't know if "same day" is possible.
• Once I got an appointment I hightailed it to the agency. If your appointment is at 11am, get there at 9. There are lots of lines at government agencies and it behooves you to be first in every single one of them.
• You will have to make your case to at least one person, possibly two. The first person will want to see your tickets etc. However I got the sense that this will work for a 48 hour passport, but for a same day passport, it needs to be more urgent. Saying "you forgot" is unlikely to get you the same day, although you may luck out. From my understanding, they only have limited "same day" slots and once they are gone, you are out of luck. In my case a supporting document from the hospital I was trying to reach came in very handy.
• Assuming you get the OK, you should be prepared to wait all day at the agency. If they say your passport will be ready at 4, get in line at 2. Bring cash. Not a check, not a credit card. They may accept those, but the red tape is easier if you avoid it. I think I paid $140 or something similar, this was 3 or 4 years ago.

posted by jeremias at 6:48 AM on June 25, 2013

One time I had to renew a passport in just under two weeks. The passport agency in my city did it in two days no problem, and they definitely did also provide same day service, but I did not look into that.

However, getting to get serviced on that day is tricky. If this is non-hypothetical, and you are not on the west coast, it is probably already too late for today. The line is long, and the number of people they service on any given day is limited (and time limited). I went to investigate around 1 or 2pm, and they were shut down. I asked the guard if I could go up anyways just to ask a question, and he let me. The one guy left at a counter (who was only handing out passports) was nice enough to give me a ticket for tomorrow so that I would be let in. After that it was easy. Without that ticket, it is possible I would not have made it in / been allowed in, even getting in line before they open.

- get in line before they open
- have your old, expired passport
- have other ID just in case
- have your itinerary printed out to prove that you have travel plans

And at this point, I would also recommend that you call your airline and reschedule for a day later.
posted by Phredward at 7:01 AM on June 25, 2013

One other thing I should mention. Bring a good book. If you do end up waiting around in line, certain rooms within government agencies allow absolutely no electronic equipment: no laptop, no smartphone, no nothing. And they are *not* kidding around.
posted by jeremias at 7:07 AM on June 25, 2013 [2 favorites]

I was able to do same-day new (not renewal) passport in Boston (although I did have the luxury of coming back the next morning to pick it up, but if I had to I could have just hung around all day). In my case I had my airline ticket and a letter from the company that wanted to fly me out for a conference. Hopefully you are already driving to an agency while on the phone making an appointment/pleading your case.
posted by mikepop at 7:30 AM on June 25, 2013

I got a new passport within 24 hours. I made an appointment in the morning, got in to the passport office first thing in the morning and spent the better part of a day there, and picked up my passport the following morning. If you can get an appointment today, and are taking an evening flight tomorrow, you might be able to do it.

Another thing to keep in mind, if you do go to a service, from the link Rune posted:
There is no charge for an appointment at a passport agency. Customers should not pay anyone or any business making such a charge.

I did not use a service, I don't know anyone who has used one. However, I remember that when I picked up my passport (from the NYC) office being told that no one other than myself could pick up my passport for me. While I think that the person in the passport office who told me that seems to be completely wrong, she was also the person who handed me my passport. I would be worried about a service running into issues with the passport office deciding the service wasn't properly authorized or something.

However, here's an askmefi thread with some expediting service recommendations should you go that route.
posted by inertia at 7:44 AM on June 25, 2013

I have had same-day service at the Los Angeles passport agency at the Federal Building on the Westside after making an appointment over the phone a day beforehand. The phone number to make appointments is 1-877-487-2778.

Try calling NOW for the passport agency nearest you - there are a lot: http://travel.state.gov/passport/npic/agencies/agencies_913.html

Your flight to London could leave rather late in the evening and there's a chance you could get your passport and high-tail it to the airport in time. Good luck! Let us know if you made it...
posted by mdonley at 8:13 AM on June 25, 2013

The State Department also says the number above is for "Life or Death Emergencies" as well - if this applies to you they don't seem to say they can't get you a passport right away - they use that exact phrasing on the "How to Get a Passport in a Hurry" page here.
posted by mdonley at 8:16 AM on June 25, 2013

The line is long, and the number of people they service on any given day is limited (and time limited). I went to investigate around 1 or 2pm, and they were shut down.

You now book an appointment, so you have to turn up first thing anymore. (I've done the passport agency thing twice, actually (long story), pre- and post- the appointment system. I think I had a 10.15 appointment, which would have been too late under the old system.)
posted by hoyland at 8:57 AM on June 25, 2013

I have done this in NYC. Make 100% sure you can duplicate your signature EXACTLY the same way as on your existing passport.

Took me an hour. Then again, my handwriting is awful.
posted by digitalprimate at 7:04 AM on June 26, 2013