Passport Q...

[o_mom]

If I am getting passports for the kids at the PO, do we need to make an appointment or just show up with all the stuff during the hours listed?

DH and I will both be there and I'll have the photos done ahead of time. I just remember having to make an appointment for mine, but that was 10+ years ago when I got my first one.

[JBaxter]

we made an appt at the post office. well actually they told us to be there between 12 and 1 :)

[lfp2n]

No appts at our one- you just show up and wait if someones ahead of you. For this reason we got there when it opened.

[luvmypeanut]

If you go the website, the list with locations near you should have that info. I just renewed ours and went to the main post office which has a dedicated line for passports. The other post offices were appointment only. And DH just had to put in an emergency application for extra pages and had to make an appt with the passport agency and not post office. I showed up with all my documents, pictures taken at Costco, and a notorized form which DH signed giving me authorization to renew their passports because he was out of town.

[DebbieJ]

Some post offices have specific times and lines for passports. I would try to call your local PO and see what they suggest.

[sste]

My local urban post office is AWFUL. I showed up during the hours and they decided they didn't have enough staff that day to do passports and sent me to another post office. You may as well call and make an appt or call the day off to doublecheck.

[JdrKuhnert]

FYI - when I applied for a passport for DS2 last spring I had to pay the passport fee and a fee to the post office for doing the paperwork at the post office. That was a bit of a shock. It's not like I had the option of applying by mail.

We didn't need to make an appointment at our post office, but you should check online.

[Tondi G]

make sure you have enough checks with you! You need to write out separate ones and somehow ended up at the end of the checkbook and had to run home! So frustrating! We didn't have to make an appointment but I don't think it could hurt to call ahead and see what your local post office does!

[o_mom]

Thanks everyone! The local one doesn't say on the online page, so I'll have to call and check.

[rlu]

FYI - when I applied for a passport for DS2 last spring I had to pay the passport fee and a fee to the post office for doing the paperwork at the post office. That was a bit of a shock. It's not like I had the option of applying by mail.

We didn't need to make an appointment at our post office, but you should check online.

There are two charges for the passport - the fee that goes to the gov't and the processing fee. When we had one done for DH and DS earlier this year, we had the choice of doing it at the City registrar or the PO. Both charge the same processing fee (I think that is gov't mandated). Be sure to take checks or cash, I don't think any of it could be paid by cc.

We didn't need an appointment at either place, but both had limited hours for processing passports. We missed the time frame at the City Registrar (had to go there anyway to get copy of DH birth cert) so headed to the PO.

FYI - we had to have DS picture retaken as his first picture was rejected (had it taken at Walgreens). When DS smiles he crinkles his eyes and the PO rejected the picture saying they couldn't see his eyes well enough. We went back to Walgreens and had it retaken this time telling him to open his eyes real wide and then smile. End result was a solemn looking boy but acceptable picture.