Because the question seems to be asked frequently, I thought I'd share my recent experience getting my wife's passport renewed using the expedited service. We aren't leaving until after Memorial Day but I read that normal service can take up to 6 weeks. I went with expedited service just to be sure that we had it back in a timely manner and to put the process behind us. Plus, if there was an issue, we'd have plenty of lead time to take care of it. Expedited service says it takes 2-3 weeks to process.

Results: I mailed it off on March 28 and got it back on April 9...less than two weeks door to door. Not too bad.

Passport office is a well-oiled machine, wish other parts of our government could work as well as they do.

I did the same, 11 days to get it renewed. I did not pay extra for over night postage.

jammer262 said:

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I did the same, 11 days to get it renewed. I did not pay extra for over night postage.

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Same here. No overnight postage. I work with a guy who did overnight shipping both ways. He sent it last Monday and got it one week later on Monday. He had actually missed his cruise because of passport expiration requirements of other countries and pushed the trip back a month.

Renewed mine via mail and it took less than 3 weeks standard processing.

Had to use an expediting service once due to a last minute business trip and passport that expired too close to travel dates. Handed in all materials and a fat check (Think close to $500 (included fees to US Government and expediter fee)) on a Tuesday morning and had passport in hand by Thursday at noon for a 6 p.m. flight.

One morning last Spring, my wife informed me my passport was expired, we had a flight that afternoon to France.

I got to the passport office in Downtown Houston that morning around 8:30. Somehow I walked out of there with a passport by around noon. Paid something like $70 for a rush.

I guess I'm the exception (or at least my son is). His passport got stuck in an infinite loop for a couple months. Called multiple times, but they have no way to put you through to anyone who knows anything. They just kept telling us it is on its way. Luckily, a postmaster who we know personally started making phone calls and determined that it was stuck. We received the passport three days before we were supposed to leave.

Just got my son's passport and it took five days (including sat/sun) from the day submitted to the day received. No expedited service. Plus, when I went in it took about ten minutes for the entire process including getting his photo taken. Best federal government process?

To be clear, I was talking about just the mail in service. Going into the passport office is magical and will get you a passport in time for when you need it. If you need it that day, you get it that day. If you need it in a week, you get it in time for your trip. I went into the Houston agency office for my own passport about two years ago and posted my experience here on that. I don't have stars so I can't pull that up. Indeed it is one of the better operated government services.

This may be a dumb question, but when you say "passport office" and getting them back in few weeks with regular service, are you talking about the ones in post office or county clerks office or is this a 3rd part expediter?
I'm booked with the wife and kids with an appointment in a few weeks at the Fort Bend County clerks passport office for renewals. We were considering doing expedited for my wife as I've read online it could be 6-8 weeks and she may have some travel pushing up against that so figuring out what we should do.

AgCPA95 said:

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This may be a dumb question, but when you say "passport office" and getting them back in few weeks with regular service, are you talking about the ones in post office or county clerks office or is this a 3rd part expediter?
I'm booked with the wife and kids with an appointment in a few weeks at the Fort Bend County clerks passport office for renewals. We were considering doing expedited for my wife as I've read online it could be 6-8 weeks and she may have some travel pushing up against that so figuring out what we should do.

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My original post as about mailing it in via Expedited service. That took 13 days. When I talk about going to the Agency office, I'm talking about going to the place downtown Houston, not the library or post office. That took a day or two because I was leaving so soon.

AgCPA95 said:

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This may be a dumb question, but when you say "passport office" and getting them back in few weeks with regular service, are you talking about the ones in post office or county clerks office or is this a 3rd part expediter?
I'm booked with the wife and kids with an appointment in a few weeks at the Fort Bend County clerks passport office for renewals. We were considering doing expedited for my wife as I've read online it could be 6-8 weeks and she may have some travel pushing up against that so figuring out what we should do.

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We went to that office the Friday before Hurricane Harvey hit. I. And our in about 5-10 min. Be sure copies are on white paper (like the application). Ours was on a light creme and they would not take it, but the nice lady copies onto white for us). It arrived in the mail 2 weeks later I believe (not expedited.

Tabasco said:

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AgCPA95 said:

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This may be a dumb question, but when you say "passport office" and getting them back in few weeks with regular service, are you talking about the ones in post office or county clerks office or is this a 3rd part expediter?
I'm booked with the wife and kids with an appointment in a few weeks at the Fort Bend County clerks passport office for renewals. We were considering doing expedited for my wife as I've read online it could be 6-8 weeks and she may have some travel pushing up against that so figuring out what we should do.

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We went to that office the Friday before Hurricane Harvey hit. I. And our in about 5-10 min. Be sure copies are on white paper (like the application). Ours was on a light creme and they would not take it, but the nice lady copies onto white for us). It arrived in the mail 2 weeks later I believe (not expedited.

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Excellent - thanks.

When I got my passport renewed last time, about 2014, I made an appointment for Monday, and passport arrived in mail by Thursday. I was traveling the next week. It said I had to show proof of travel, though the clerk never asked for it.

Edit, after reading the rest of the replies on here; this was at a US passport agency.. Like there is only one in Colorado, and it happens to be near my house. It was appointment only, and I showed up a few minutes before my appt time and was out of there in 5 minutes. Very efficient.

U.S. passport agencies and the process in general is one of the standout parts of federal government. It's a pretty well-oiled machine. Not to say that there will not be errors when you are dealing with millions of documents produced, but it's pretty good and the failure rate is no more than what you'd find with a good private service provider.

Most complaints arise when expectations meet legal realities, which is generally not something that the person on the other end of the window can do anything about. Most frequent example might be parents who are angry that the U.S. government won't budge on the "two parent signature" rule.

A link to a story about U.S. passport agencies.

http://www.slate.com/articles/business/the_dismal_science/2013/07/renewing_your_passport_visit_the_incredibly_efficient_new_york_city_passport.html