Quick answer

The Atlanta Passport Agency is a State Department office at 230 Peachtree Street NW, Suite 1000, in downtown Atlanta's Peachtree Center area, between the Hotel Indigo and Chase Bank, a short walk from the Peachtree Center MARTA station. It sees applicants by appointment only, with international travel within 14 days (or a foreign visa needed within 28 days). It's one of the best-reviewed passport agencies: visitors praise how organized it is, and many leave with a passport the same day. If you can't get an appointment, a registered courier can get your passport back in as little as 4 business days.

Who can get an appointment

  • International travel within 14 calendar days, or a foreign visa needed within 28 days.
  • Printed proof of travel, such as an airline ticket or itinerary.
  • Domestic trips don't qualify.
  • Life-or-death emergencies follow the State Department's separate emergency process.

How to get an appointment

  1. Go to the State Department's Online Passport Appointment System, and enter your travel details. You can book for up to 7 people in your household.
  2. Confirm within 15 minutes, and watch for the confirmation email.
  3. Already applied? Call 1-877-487-2778 instead.

Appointments are free. Any fee to book one is a sign of fraud.

If Atlanta is full, the system may offer another agency in the region. Be prepared to travel to wherever an appointment is available, or consider a courier.

What to bring

  • Printed appointment confirmation, and printed proof of travel;
  • Your completed application form, unsigned if it's a DS-11;
  • Proof of U.S. citizenship and ID, plus photocopies (visitors say complete copies make the visit much faster);
  • One passport photo;
  • Your old passport, if you're renewing;
  • Payment: a credit card, debit card or contactless payment.
  • Replacing a lost or stolen passport? Also bring Form DS-64.
  • Applying for a child under 16? Both parents attend, or the parent who can't come signs a notarized Form DS-3053. See our guide: Statement of consent (DS-3053) →

The three mistakes our staff see most often: a form that isn't signed where it should be; the government fee paid in the wrong amount; and a missing letter of authorization when someone else is handling part of the process.

What the day is like

From recurring themes in visitor reviews (Yelp 4.4 from about 231 reviews):

  • Find the entrance between the Hotel Indigo and Chase Bank on Peachtree Street.
  • Start in the line outside. Security staff organize the line and direct visitors; reviewers often single them out as friendly and well informed.
  • Inside, it's organized. Visitors describe a smooth, well-run process.
  • Timing varies widely: some visitors are done in under an hour, others take around 3 to 4 hours from joining the line to leaving with a passport. Complete documents and copies make the biggest difference.
  • You may get a text message when your passport is ready for pickup.
  • Same-day passports are common, but not guaranteed.

Getting there

  • MARTA: Peachtree Center station is a short walk away. The official photo of the building shows a MARTA sign beside it.
  • From Hartsfield-Jackson Airport: MARTA's Red and Gold lines run from the airport to Peachtree Center. Handy if you're flying in.
  • Driving: paid garages and lots nearby. Allow extra time for downtown traffic.

When the agency isn't the right choice

  • You live outside metro Atlanta. From Savannah, Augusta, or neighboring states, the round trip can take most of a day.
  • You can't get an appointment, or the only one offered is in another state.
  • You can't take a weekday off.
  • Your trip is more than 14 days away. Use the State Department's expedited service, or a courier.
  • Your documents aren't complete, for example a missing birth certificate. Sort it out first.
  • A parent can't attend a child's appointment. You'll need their notarized DS-3053, or proof of sole custody.

If you can't get an appointment: using a registered courier

As a registered passport courier since 1998, we submit applications at passport agencies every business day:

  • Couriers hand-deliver applications on weekday mornings.
  • Your passport comes back in as little as 4 business days from when your documents reach us, and occasionally faster. No appointment and no trip downtown.
  • Customers anywhere ship their documents by FedEx with our prepaid label.

Tell us when you travel. We show you which service gets your passport back in time.Tell us when you travel. We show which service gets your passport back in time.

Allstate Passports & Visas is a private company and a registered passport courier, not a government agency. You can also apply directly with the U.S. Department of State.Private company and registered passport courier, not a government agency. You can also apply directly with the U.S. Department of State.

When you don't need us: if your trip is 8 weeks or more away, the State Department's routine or expedited service is enough.

Two real situations (no names):

  • Denied boarding: a traveler flying to Europe was turned away because their passport expired in less than 6 months. They moved their trip by 4 days, and we renewed the passport in 4 business days.
  • Expired children's passports: a family didn't realize their children's passports had expired. Children's passports last 5 years, not 10. We renewed them in 4 business days and sent them by same-day airline cargo.

Passport options near you, including acceptance facilities and where to get a birth certificate, are on our Georgia and Atlanta pages.

Questions

Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM, by appointment only. Closed on weekends and federal holidays.