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Check Your Application Status

Review your passport application status. Learn how we return your documents and find out where we are processing your application. 

How to get your status

We will send updates about your passport application status if you gave us your email. You can change your email address for status updates anytime. To unsubscribe, just select the "Unsubscribe" link in our emails.

Checking your application status manually

If you did not include an email address on your application or have opted out of updates, here’s what you will need to check your application status manually:

  • Last name

    • Include suffixes (for example, Jones III, Patton Jr., etc.)
    • If your name has a hyphen or apostrophe, try entering it in different ways. For example, type it with and without symbols: Jackson-Smith, Jackson Smith, JacksonSmith, O'Brien, OBrien, or O Brien. This helps if you can’t find the status update on the first try.

  • Date of birth (MM/DD/YYYY)

  • Last 4 digits of Social Security number

Graphic of a woman waiting and looking at a clock.

Passport status check tool

Use our online tool to check the status of your U.S. passport application.

Check your status
Graphic of a woman waiting and looking at a clock.

What each status means

If your status says something other than these options, we may need more information before we can process your application.

  1. Your application is being reviewed at 1 of our agencies or centers. The length of time your application stays “In Process” depends on the service you chose and our current processing times.

  2. We have finished reviewing your application and will begin printing your passport.

    • If your status changes back to “In Process” after it was already “Approved," we found a problem during our final passport review that needs fixing.  
    • We are fixing the issue and preparing to print a new passport for you. 

  3. We are sending your passport to the address you provided on your application. 

    • If you ordered a passport book, it will arrive via a trackable delivery service. If you ordered a passport card, it will arrive via First Class Mail.
    • This is the only update that will include the tracking information for your passport book.
    • Your status might be "Mailed" if you got a new passport in the last 180 days and are re-applying for another one. For example, you may need to use Form DS-5504 if you need to Change or Correct Your Passport. It may take 2 weeks after the date you apply on Form DS-5504 for your status to change to "In Process."  

  4. We send your supporting documents by First Class Mail to the mailing address you listed in your application. 

    • These documents include a previous passport, birth certificate, or naturalization certificate.
    • You can expect to receive these documents up to four weeks after your passport book or card.

Status updates when more information is needed

We sent you a letter or email asking you for more information to complete your application. 

  • Your application is on hold, and your processing times may be delayed.  
  • Follow the instructions in our letter or email. You must respond within 90 days of the date on the letter or email. 
  • Use the tips and reminders on Respond to a Letter or Email.

We received the information we asked you to provide. 

  • Your application is being reviewed again at one of our agencies or centers.  
  • Your processing times may be delayed. This is because your application was on hold while you sent us the information. 

If your application status is not available

Technical issues

  • We may be doing routine maintenance or fixing a brief technical issue. Please try again in several hours.
  • If you get the error message “This site cannot be reached” when trying to access our Online Passport Status System, change how you are connecting to the internet. Try WiFi, mobile data, or an Ethernet cable.
  • If you continue to experience issues, try a different browser, phone, or computer.  

Name issues

  • If you cannot find a status update, make sure the name you enter is spelled the same as the name you provided on your passport application. If you have a hyphen in your name, try entering your name with and without the hyphen. Enter all suffixes in your name. 
  • If you still cannot resolve the problem, there may be a data error on your application preventing it from showing. Dial 877-487-2778 to resolve. 

Application still in transit

It may take up to 2 weeks from the day you apply until your application status is "In Process" at one of our passport agencies and centers.

  • After you apply, your application is:
    • Delivered to a mail sorting facility. Your tracking number will show “delivered” although we don’t have your application yet. 
    • Sent from the mail sorting facility to our intake facility. We process your payment (check is cashed) and enter your application details in our system. 
    • Sent by our intake facility to a passport agency or center. A passport specialist will review it.
  • If it has been over 2 weeks and your payment has not been processed, it’s likely we have not received your application yet. If you mailed your renewal application, check your tracking number and contact USPS to help locate your package. If you applied at an acceptance facility, contact the facility to help locate your application. 
  • If it has been over 2 weeks and we processed your payment, but you have not received an email update or you cannot find your status, there may be an error on your application. Dial 877-487-2778  for NPIC to resolve the issue.  

Problem with your application 

  • If your renewal application doesn’t have your passport, signature, or payment, we may return it to you to fix the issue.
  • You should receive your application back in 1-2 weeks after it was delivered to our processing facility to correct and resubmit it.

Using a third-party service or courier company

  • Websites ending in .com, .org, .us, etc. may look official, but these are private companies. They are not part of the U.S. Department of State.
  • These sites may charge fees for free services like filling out a passport form. They could confuse you into thinking you submitted your application. If you qualify to renew online, you can only apply through our official page.
  • Review the fine print on each website and contact the company for help. The U.S. Department of State cannot intervene in disputes with private companies. 
  • If you use a registered courier company, you will not receive your passport any faster than applying at one of our passport agencies.

How to know which location is processing your application

The first 2 digits of your 9-digit passport application locator number tell you which agency or center is reviewing your application. If you already applied for a passport and your plans became more urgent, you can reference this location when you make an appointment at a passport agency. You can find your application locator number by checking your application status. 

First two digits of application locator Location
65 Arkansas Passport Center
74 Atlanta Passport Agency
10, 73 Boston Passport Agency
77 Buffalo Passport Agency
34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 Charleston Passport Center
18 Chicago Passport Agency
17 Colorado Passport Agency
14 Connecticut Passport Agency
55 Dallas Passport Agency
56 Detroit Passport Agency
78 El Paso Passport Agency
12 Honolulu Passport Agency 
79 Houston Passport Agency
50 Los Angeles Passport Agency
51 Miami Passport Agency
54 Minneapolis Passport Agency
45, 46, 71 National Passport Center
40, 41, 42, 43 New Orleans Passport Center
11 New York Passport Agency
96 Online Passport Renewal
58 Philadelphia Passport Agency
76 San Diego Passport Agency
57 San Francisco Passport Agency
67 San Juan Passport Agency
53 Seattle Passport Agency
80 Special Issuance Agency
75 Vermont Passport Agency
19 Washington Passport Agency
61, 62, 63, 64 Western Passport Center

We will send you an email or letter if we need more information to process your application. Send the information to the full mailing address in Sterling, VA listed on your letter. Do not send information to the passport agency’s physical address.

Help for common passport problems

  • If you have waited over 2 weeks since we mailed your new passport:
  • We will provide information about completing the DS-86 form. This is a signed statement that confirms you didn't receive your U.S. passport. 
  • You must complete the DS-86 form within 120 days of the date we issued your passport. After 120 days, you must reapply and pay all fees, by law.

  • To discuss options on how to get your new passport before your trip:
  • You’ll need either your application number or your last name and date of birth. 
    • Get expedited service for $60. 
    • Get 1 to 3-day delivery of your passport book for $22.05. This type of delivery is not available for passport cards. We only send cards via First Class Mail. 

  • If your mailing address changed while you are waiting for your new passport and supporting documents:
  • Do not contact us if your address changed after you already received your new passport and supporting documents.  
  • To receive your passport at different address, write the name of the person living there in the “In Care Of” section. This will help ensure delivery when the applicant's name does not match the name on the mailbox.

  • If you have been waiting more than 4 weeks for your documents:
  • If you want us to reimburse you for a lost supporting document, you must contact us within 90 days of the date when we mailed your passport.  
  • Provide a receipt to show the cost of replacing the document.

Key points

  • You will get email updates about your status if you listed your email address on your passport form.

  • You can also check your application status online using your last name, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. 

  • It can take up to 2 weeks to get a status after you apply.

  • We'll let you know if we need more information from you. 

  • Dial 877-487-2778 if you have problems or need to change your mailing address.

Related information

  • Get Your Processing Time
    Learn how long it takes us to review your passport application. You will receive your passport after we finish processing it and it arrives in the mail.
  • Respond to a Passport Letter or Email
    Learn why U.S. Passport Services contacted you about an error or missing information—like rejected passport photos or missing birth certificates—and how to fix your application.
  • After You Get Your New Passport
    When you get a new passport, you need to sign it. Learn other tips and next steps for your new passport.
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Last Updated: May 12, 2026

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