How long does it take to get a US Passport?
 

I dont travel out of the country except to Mexico and my mom says I should get a passport since they are going to start being required. So how long goes it take to get a passport? I am a US born citizen. Is it something quick like going to get a state ID? (I hope:( )

Once you have all the paperwork filled out, fees paid, and photos taken, you should get it in 6 weeks or less

I used to administer the passport oath!
 

If you pay an additional $60 with the applicable processing fees, you can get it expedited and it'll arrive within 7 business days, otherwise regular processing takes about 25 business days (so 6 weeks).

However, if you go your main Passport Agency office in your city, you can get same day service, but you MUST make an appointment and show proof of why you need the passport ASAP. There are even more additional fees to this, but I'm unsure as to how much it is now (I think it may have gone up).

Here's the State Department's website:

How to apply for a U.S. Passport

Here's a news story related to the requirement of passports to travel into the US...

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U.S. to require passports from Canadians
Last Updated Tue, 05 Apr 2005 14:03:41 EDT
CBC News
WASHINGTON - By 2007, most Canadians will need a passport to enter the United States.

And by 2008, most Americans who visit Canada won't be able to re-enter their country without a passport.



The changes are part of border-security measures the United States will phase in over the next three years that are likely to have a major impact on U.S. tourism and even on the number of Americans who make short trips to Canada.

Canadians without a passport will be barred from entering the United States after Dec. 31, 2006, unless they have a special U.S. "laser visa" border crossing card that includes a fingerprint or other "biometric identifier" such as a retinal scan. Those cards are issued mostly to Mexicans who want to enter the U.S.

Currently, Canadians and Americans are able to enter the United States with little more identification than a driver's licence or a birth certificate, though a passport has sometimes made it simpler to satisfy immigration officers at the border.

The new rules will still allow Canadians to enter the United States without being fingerprinted. The U.S. demands a fingerprint from all other foreign visitors now.

The tighter security will be implemented first between the U.S. and Caribbean countries, then along the U.S.-Mexican border and finally between the U.S. and Canada.

It is likely to start at airports, then spread to land crossings.

The United States is also putting pressure on European countries to speed up introduction of new high-security passports containing a computer chip with a digital photograph.

If the new European Union passports are not in use by the end of October, the United States says it might remove the EU's visa-waiver status. Some analysts have said that could mean a loss of more than $10 billion US to the U.S. travel industry.
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It's not quick, but not difficult...

You can get the information from the Department of State. Basically you need to get the application and fill it out (can be printed from website or picked up at the Post Office). Then you need to get 2 identical photos (look on the internet or phone book for someone who does passport photos in your area) costs about $15.00. Then take the form and the photos to the Post Office and pay the fees. The fees for a US Passport are around $97.00 not including the passport photos.

Once you have done all that it could be 4-6 weeks before you receive your passport. Unless you pay to have it expedited, but there is no need if you don't have plans to go out of the country anytime soon.

If you're really in a hurry, your congressman can rush your passport.

You can pay an expediated passport fee and that will rush it. You also have to include postage paid express mail envelopes etc.

We did that when my daughter went to italy two summers ago, and her passport was back in our hands in less than 10 days.

It can be gotten FAST without a stress if you want to pay.

Regarding passport photo places, not all passport acceptance agencies offer photo services -- I know stores like Kinko's, Sears Photo Studio, and even Costco take official passport photos. $15 is average, so I'd stay away from anything costing more than that. The cheapest I've ever seen is $5. :)

Online there should be a list of different acceptance agencies -- you'd be surprised as to how abundant they are now, and that they're not just at the post office. For example, my old office at the University was not only the Info and ID office, but also a passport acceptance agency. We went through days of training.

If you haven't had a passport before, make sure you doublecheck and bring all the necessary documents to get one:

-a completed application (do not sign the bottom until the oath is administered)
-driver's license or state ID
-the ORIGINAL copy of your birth certificate: no photocopies are allowed, they send in your BC with your application and will return it with your new passport; if you weren't born in the US, bring your naturalization certificate; if you had a passport before, that should be sufficient for proof of citizenship, so bring that in even if it's already expired.
-money for the fees: some places only accept check/money order and/or cash only; not all places take credit card, so just be prepared

If you're a member of AAA, they offer passport photo services for a reduced fee (I'm thinking about $5).

I had to pay an extra fee to receive my passport in about 3 weeks. This was in 1999 so things might be different now. I brought my old expired passport, all of my documents, and my sister to sign something since I don't have a driver's license.

I called the passport place beforehand so I was prepared. I suggest that you do the same. The hours were ridiculous. I think it was 11 AM to 3 PM.

I think I remember correctly for same day service the fees came to about $180. I'd have had to gone to Houston, the nearest same day service center, and the only one in Texas.

If you are photo saavy, see if you can take the picture yourself. Then print the photos on a photo printer to the right dimensions. The only restrictions they had on photos was that it had to be a white/gray background and you couldn't wear anything that covered parts of your face.

Or just head to Walgreens... they ALWAYS have deals on getting passport photos in their Sunday ads.

I got my passport foto at AAA and it was actually free.
I look horrible in it tho...worst picture EVER.

Nobody looks good in their passport photo. :p