You need a passport, but you never seem to be able to make it to the post office to apply. Sound familiar? This spring, check out one of the many upcoming passport fairs around the country, and you will no longer be constrained by traditional office hours. Is there a passport fair near you?
Whatever you do, don’t wait to apply for a passport if you’ll need one this year. Summer is peak passport season! During the summer months, longer wait times are the norm for passport applications. It’s not unusual for it take to up to 10 weeks to receive your passport in the mail. That’s in a good year. This year is not a good year. The State Department is expecting a flood of applications, which could create additional delays. That means more waiting.
Nobody likes waiting, especially when your summer vacation plans hang in the balance. The solution? Apply early! A passport fair makes it more convenient to get your application in. Passport offices stay open longer, or open on weekends. Passport photos are often available on-site, and staff members can answer any questions you might have about the process.
Here’s the scoop on the passport fairs and passport days scheduled for the next two months. View them on the map below, or scroll down to the list to see if there’s one near you!
Find a Passport Fair in the Northeast
Pennslyvania
Monroeville PO
Address: 2630 Monroeville Blvd, Monroeville, PA 15146
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/23/16 from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m
Appointments Required: No
Pittsburgh: Pleasant Hills P.O.
Address: 500 Regis Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15236
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/30/16 from 11:00 am – 5:30 pm
Appointments Required: No
Penn Hills P.O.
Address: 11650 Penn Hills Dr, Penn Hills, PA 15235
Date and Time: 5/7/2016 from 11:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Appointments Required: No
New Wilmington Post Office
Address: 143 W Neshannock Ave New Wilmington, PA 16142
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/23/16 from 8am to 1 pm
Appointments Required: No
Slippery Rock Post Office
Address: 400 S Main St Slippery Rock, PA 16057
Date and Time: Saturday 4/23/16 from 9 to 11:30 a.m.
Appointments Required: No
Vermont
Pawlet Post Office
Address: 5707 Vt Route 30, Pawlet, VT 05761
Date and Time: 4/20/2016 during one of the following time slots: 8 a.m. and 11 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. or 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Appointments Required: No
Find a Passport Fair in the Midwest
Ohio
Hilliard
Address: 4000 Leap Rd. Hilliard, OH 43026
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/23/16 from 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Appointments Required: No
Reynoldsburg P.O.
Address: 7185 E. Main St. Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/23/16 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Appointments Required: No
Bellfontaine P.O.
Address: 132 S. Detroit St. Bellfontaine, OH 43311
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/23/16 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Appointments Required: No
Mason P.O.
Address: 6338 Snider Rd. Mason, OH 45040
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/23/16 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m
Appointments Required: No
Dayton, OH: Washington Twp P.O.
Address: 7527 Paragon Rd. Dayton, OH 45459
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/23/16 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Appointments Required: No
Lancaster P.O.
Address: 204 S. Broad St. Lancaster, OH 43130
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/30/16 from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Appointments Required: No
Lewis Center P.O.
Address: 393 E. Orange Rd. Lewis Center, OH
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/30/16 from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m
Appointments Required: No
Marion P.O.
Address: 230 Barks Rd. W. Marion, OH 43302
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/30/16 from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Appointments Required: No
Portsmouth P.O.
Address: 610 Gay St. Portsmouth, OH 45662
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/30/16 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Appointments Required: No
Athens P.O.
Address: 5 W. Stimson Ave. Athens, OH 45701
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/30/16 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Appointments Required: No
Coshocton P.O.
Address: 516 Chestnut Coshocton, OH 43812
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/30/16 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Appointments Required: No
Columbus, OH: Gahanna P.O.
Address: 247 Lincoln Circle Columbus, OH 43230
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/30/16 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Appointments Required: No
Lucasville P.O.
Address: 867 Robert Lucas Rd. Lucasville, OH 45648
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/30/16 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Appointments Required: No
North Dakota
Prairiewood Station Post Office
Address: 455 32nd St. S Fargo, ND 58103
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/23/16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Appointments Required: No, but those with appointments will be served first. Call (701) 241-6115 to schedule.
Find a Passport Fair in the South
Alabama
Huntsville, AL
Address: Wynn Drive Station, 645 Wynn Dr NW, Huntsville, AL 35816
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/23/16 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m
Appointments Required: No
Florida
Land O Lakes Post Office
Address: 5230 Land O Lakes Blvd, Land O Lakes, FL 34639
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/23/16, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m
Appointments Required: No
Lakeland Main Post Office
Address: 2800 Lakeland Hills Blvd, Lakeland FL 33805
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/23/16 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Appointments Required: N
Clearwater Main Post Office
Address: 100 S. Belcher, Clearwater FL 33765
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/23/16 from 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Appointments Required: No
Orlando Sand Lake Post Office
Address: 10450 Turkey Lake Rd, Orlando FL 32819
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/23/16 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m
Appointments Required: No
Georgia
Dacula Post Office
Address: 470 Dacula Rd, Dacula, GA 30019
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/23/16 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Appointments Required: No
Newnan Post Office
Address: 60 Postal Pkwy, Newnan, GA 30263
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/23/16 12:00pm to 3:00 pm
Appointments Required: No
North Carolina
Durham, NC
Address: 323 E Chapel Hill St, Durham, NC 27701
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/30/16 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m
Appointments Required: No
Texas
Marfa P.O.
Address: 100 N Highland Ave Marfa TX 79843
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/23/16 from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Appointments Required: No
Wichita Falls Main Post Office
Address: 1000 Lamar Street Wichita Falls TX 76301
Date and Time: Saturday, 4/23/16 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Appointments Required: No
Virginia
Blue Ridge Post Office
Address: 3521 Blue Ridge Blvd, Blue Ridge, VA 24064
Date and Time: Thursday, 4/28/2016 from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m
Appointments Required: No, but you can schedule one by calling 540-977-1964.
Chatham Post Office
Address: 31 S Main St, Chatham, VA 24531
Date and Time: Wednesday, 4/27/16 from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
Appointments Required: Appointments are accepted but not required. To schedule one, call 434-432-4321.
What to Bring to a Passport Fair
There’s no point in showing up without the right documents. Read the following guides to see what you need:
How to Apply for a New Passport
How to Renew Your Passport
How to Get a Passport for a Child
Passport Replacement Services for Lost or Stolen Passports
Did You Miss Your Local Passport Fair?
What if you don’t see any passport fairs near you? Find your nearest acceptance office here to inquire about office hours and policies.
In a hurry? If you need your passport in less than 3 weeks, you don’t have time to expedite at the post office.
Instead, call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 for an appointment at your nearest passport agency, or use a third-party expediter like RushMyPassport. An expediter can hand-carry your documents to the Department of State for processing in as little as one business day.
So go ahead and get that passport. The world awaits!
Missed your local passport fair? Need a passport in a hurry? RushMyPassport can help!
Photo credits: By Grayshi, Roke, Maher-shalal-hashbaz – Own work, File:BlankMap-USA-states.PNG, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9732272, By This version: uploaderBase versions this one is derived from: originally created by en:User:Wapcaplet – own work by uploader, based on Image:Map of USA without state names.svg, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4857036, By User:Gator87 – File:Southern United States Civil War map.pngInformation taken from File:Census Regions and Divisions.PNG, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15055407