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 Travel & Outdoors | March 2007 
How to Apply for a U.S. Passport
 Jane Engle - LATimes
To learn how to apply for a passport, log on to www.travel.state.gov and click on "Passports for U.S. Citizens." You'll need to apply in person at a post office or government office if it's your first passport or, in some circumstances, if you are renewing.
You'll also want to follow procedures based on how soon you plan to travel after you apply:
• 12 weeks or later: Use the standard application, paying $97 for a new passport for a person age 16 or older and $67 for a renewal. But you may want to allow more time because the State Department says it's taking as long as 10 weeks to process these. And if there are problems with your paperwork, you may have to start all over.
• Five to 12 weeks: Consider paying $60 for expedited service, plus overnight delivery fees. On its website, the department says expedited applications may take four weeks or more to process instead of the usual two weeks.
• Four weeks or sooner: This can pose a problem.
If you're traveling within 14 days, the department says you can make an appointment to visit one of the regional passport offices by calling its toll-free number, (877) 487-2778.
But what if you're traveling in three or four weeks and worry that expedited service may not be fast enough?
You could try making an appointment anyway. John Solberg, customer service manager for the Los Angeles Passport Agency, said his agency might show some flexibility here, providing you present an e-ticket, an airline-generated itinerary or a letter from your employer to show you have imminent travel plans.
Or you could pay one of the dozens of private expediting companies that are allotted rush-application slots at regional passport offices. Expect to pay $100 or more. Many of the biggest private expediters belong to the National Assn. of Passport & Visa Services, www.napvs.org. |
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