Quick answer

If you applied by mail or at an acceptance facility, check your application on the State Department's online passport status tool, using your last name, date of birth and the last four digits of your Social Security number. It can take a couple of weeks after you send it to show up. If you ordered through us, use our Order Status page and the emails we send at each step.

If you applied yourself

  • Online: the State Department's passport status tool: check your application status.
  • By phone: the National Passport Information Center (number on the official page).
  • When it appears: usually within about two weeks of your application reaching the State Department, longer in busy periods or if it's still in the mail.

What the stages mean

The exact wording can vary, but applications move through these stages:

  • Not available: the application isn't in the system yet, often because it's still in the mail or being entered. Check again in a few days.
  • In process: the application is being reviewed. Expedited applications show as expedited.
  • Approved: your passport has been approved and is being printed.
  • Mailed: your passport has been sent, sometimes with a tracking number. When we handle your application, your supporting documents, such as your birth certificate, come back with your new passport, in the same package. If you applied by mail directly with the State Department, they're usually returned separately.

If the State Department needs more information, it contacts you by letter or email, so watch your mail and respond quickly.

If you ordered through us

  • Order Status page: enter your order number to see where your application is.
  • Emails at each step: when your documents arrive, when your application is submitted, and when your passport ships, with its FedEx tracking number.
  • Questions? Call or text (800) 672-1015, 8 AM to 7 PM Pacific Time.

Orders placed on our previous website, with a 10-digit order number, can still be checked on the order status page.

When to worry

  • Routine or expedited processing is past its published time (4 to 6 weeks or 2 to 3 weeks) and your status hasn't changed: contact the State Department.
  • Your trip is close and your passport hasn't arrived: book an urgent agency appointment if you travel within 14 days, or call us.

Questions

Usually because your application hasn't reached the State Department's system yet. Allow about two weeks after mailing before checking again.