Quick answer

The Washington Passport Agency is a State Department office at 600 19th Street N.W., First Floor, Sidewalk Level, in downtown Washington, D.C. It sees applicants by appointment only, with international travel within 14 days (or a foreign visa needed within 28 days), and it also handles commemorative passports. Unlike most agencies, you can't book online: call 1-877-487-2778, Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time. 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. Call 1-877-487-2778, Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time. Online booking isn't available for the Washington agency at this time, according to its official page.
  2. Have your travel details ready, and proof of travel within 14 days (or a visa needed within 28 days).
  3. Already applied? Mention it when you call: if there's still time, they may prioritize your existing application instead.

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

Commemorative passports: this agency also handles them. See the State Department's commemorative passport page for who's eligible.

If Washington is full, you may be offered 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;
  • 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 the official page:

  1. Arrive a little early, and go through security.
  2. Check in at the information window with your appointment confirmation number.
  3. Wait in the lobby until your number is called. You might not be called exactly at your appointment time.
  4. Same-day passports are possible, but not guaranteed.

The agency is at sidewalk level, on the first floor, so there's no elevator wait to reach it.

Getting there

  • Metro: Foggy Bottom-GWU and Farragut West stations (Orange, Blue and Silver lines) are several blocks away, according to the official page.
  • Bus: several Metro bus routes stop in front of the agency.
  • Driving: garages and metered street parking nearby. Fees can change without notice, and downtown D.C. traffic is unpredictable, so allow extra time.
  • From the airports: Reagan National is on the Metro (Blue and Yellow lines); from Dulles, the Silver Line runs into downtown.

When the agency isn't the right choice

  • You live outside the D.C. area. From Richmond, Baltimore or western Maryland, the trip adds hours.
  • You can't get an appointment by phone, or the only one offered is elsewhere.
  • 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 District of Columbia page.

Questions

Not at this time. The official page says to call 1-877-487-2778, Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern Time.