How badly did I screw this up?

January 31, 2022 1:10 PM

We thought my wife's passport was good for several more years. By some miracle I looked at it last week, found it was expired, and was able to get an appointment for non-critical urgent travel at a passport agency. But I screwed up one thing...

In order to stop third party bookers from selling appointments, now they have an identification-based confirmation code. In our case, it was last name/city of birth. So let's say I said Jane Doe from Anytown, CA, her confirmation code is DOEANY.

Well, talking to my wife after the fact, it ends up the hospital she was born in wasn't in the town she spent her entire life in, but rather two towns over. So when she fills out her application, she's going to put Miltown, CA, which won't match the confirmation code. I tried suggesting she just put the town I said on the form, but she's afraid they'll cross-reference her last passport application.

I already tried calling the appointment line to fix my error. He says it can't be changed, and it's up to the discretion of the agency. Does anyone have any experience with whether she's going to be turned away? It's the Chicago passport office, if it makes a difference.

I've already booked a cancellable domestic backup vacation, just in case.

posted by hwyengr to Travel & Transportation (9 answers total)

I'm sure the clerks will be lenient and others have done the same as you. You have the confirmation code so that's proof you didn't get the appointment thru a third party, that's what they are concerned about.
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 1:21 PM on January 31, 2022

I can't speak in any systematic way, but I can tell you that I have a very similar hospital/hometown situation and list one or the other as "place of birth" basically randomly and have never had an issue. I feel like every gov database I've seen mostly just localizes place of birth to the state (in order to cross-reference birth records).
posted by supercres at 1:24 PM on January 31, 2022

I seriously doubt anyone "rural" born in a hospital will be born in the county they actually live in, unless they happen to live near the county capital. As long as your data "mostly" matches you should be fine, i.e. you didn't try to spam book bajillion appointments.
posted by kschang at 1:45 PM on January 31, 2022

Response by poster: Side question after the fact: will they issue the passport (if the good lord's willing and the creek don't rise) on the spot, or will it be overnighted to our house? We're thinking of just staying in Chicago until our flight leaves due to imminent winter storms.
posted by hwyengr at 1:49 PM on January 31, 2022

Just to be clear, this error was in the confirmation code for the appointment? So the incorrect city doesn't appear anywhere on the actual DS-82 form? It would not even occur to me to worry about this particular mixup. I definitely would not knowingly put an incorrect place of birth on a form that requires you to declare under penalty of perjury that you haven't knowingly made false statements. There are mistakes, they happen, but now you know the correct information. I can certainly see State checking the previous applications, peoples' places of birth are not supposed to change. But for just the appointment code I would be surprised if anyone notices.
posted by wnissen at 2:11 PM on January 31, 2022 [3 favorites]

We had to get an emergency replacement passport for my husband in the fall - it took a couple hours so we left for lunch and came back to have it handed to us.
posted by leslies at 4:23 PM on January 31, 2022

I agree the code will probably not be cross referenced with the application, but if it is that the explanation is fine. I went the Chicago office back in 2007 with a morning appointment. After talking to the clerk at the window and doing all the steps, I went to lunch and picked up my passport around 4pm.
posted by soelo at 4:35 PM on January 31, 2022

If you're going to the actual Passport Agency office with your proof of having a booked flight within 2 weeks, they'll get the new passport back to you based on the timing of your flight, most often on the same day. When I've been closer to 2 weeks out, they've had me return a few days later to get it, but when I've been close to my departure date, I get it that same afternoon. Also make sure you have a check as they used to not take credit cards and check was the needed payment form.

I don't think that having an inaccurate code will prevent you from getting the passport. You have a reasonable explanation and the Passport Agency workers I've encountered have been quite nice and calming, they deal with panicked people all the time and tend to be reasonable, especially if you're polite.
posted by quince at 4:49 PM on January 31, 2022 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: All the worry was for naught. Despite the stern warning from the phone appointment guy, the appointment was honored and the passport issued. Backup vacation cancelled.
posted by hwyengr at 1:20 PM on February 1, 2022 [3 favorites]