Passport Offices and Expedited Passports in California
California has three State Department passport agencies, in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, and acceptance facilities in every part of the state. Most Californians apply for a first passport at a post office, county clerk's office or library. If you travel soon, you can book an agency appointment or use a registered courier such as Allstate Passports & Visas. This page lists acceptance facilities in 128 California cities, explains each option, and covers the one detail that trips up many California applicants: which kind of birth certificate you need.
Choose your city
Los Angeles County: Agoura Hills, Burbank, Calabasas, Cerritos, Downey, Inglewood, Lakewood, Lancaster, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach, Palmdale, Pasadena, Pomona, San Fernando, Santa Clarita, Signal Hill, Torrance
Orange County: Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Orange
Inland Empire and the desert: Apple Valley, Barstow, Chino Hills, Corona, Eastvale, Fontana, Hemet, Hesperia, Indio, Jurupa Valley, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Palm Springs, Perris, Rancho Cucamonga, Rialto, Riverside, San Bernardino, Temecula, Victorville
San Diego County and Imperial Valley: Carlsbad, El Centro, Encinitas, Escondido, National City, Oceanside, Poway, San Diego, San Marcos, Vista
Ventura County: Camarillo, Moorpark, Oxnard, Santa Paula, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks
Central Coast: Salinas, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara
San Francisco Bay Area and North Bay: Alameda, Albany, Antioch, Benicia, Brentwood, Daly City, Fairfield, Fremont, Hayward, Milpitas, Newark, Oakland, Pleasanton, Redwood City, San Francisco, San Jose, San Leandro, San Mateo, San Pablo, Santa Rosa, South San Francisco, Sunnyvale, Vacaville, Walnut Creek
Sacramento Valley and the Sierra: Sacramento, Elk Grove, Folsom, Rancho Cordova, Roseville, Woodland, Dixon, Yuba City, Oroville, Grass Valley, Truckee, South Lake Tahoe
Central Valley: Bakersfield, Ceres, Clovis, Dinuba, Fresno, Hanford, Lathrop, Lemoore, Lodi, Madera, Manteca, Merced, Modesto, Mountain House, Oakdale, Porterville, Stockton, Tehachapi, Tracy, Tulare, Visalia
Far Northern California: Chico, Red Bluff, Redding
Your options in California
Passport acceptance facilities
Acceptance facilities process first passports, children's passports and replacements for lost or stolen passports. Most work by appointment, so book as soon as you know your travel dates. Your city page above lists the facilities nearby.
Bring Form DS-11 unsigned (you sign in front of the agent), proof of U.S. citizenship such as a certified birth certificate, a photo ID with a photocopy, and one passport photo. The application fee is paid to the U.S. Department of State and a separate execution fee to the facility.
The Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego passport agencies
Los Angeles is usually closest for Southern California and the Inland Empire, San Francisco for the Bay Area, Sacramento and most of Northern California, and San Diego for San Diego and Imperial counties. Each agency sees applicants by appointment only, and only if they travel internationally within 14 days or need a foreign visa within 28 days. Bring proof of travel. How to book an agency appointment.
Allstate Passports & Visas
We are a private courier registered with the U.S. Department of State, not a government office. We review your documents and hand-carry your application to a passport agency, which helps if you live in the Central Valley or far north and the nearest agency is hours away. Call (800) 672-1015, text (206) 522-5995, or read about our passport services.
Birth certificates in California
California issues two kinds of certified birth certificate. An authorized copy can be used to prove identity and is the one you need for a passport. An informational copy is marked as not valid to establish identity, so it will not work for a passport application. Only the person named, a parent or legal guardian, and certain other relatives and representatives listed in state law can get an authorized copy, and you must sign a sworn statement. Mail and online orders need that statement notarized.
You can order from the California Department of Public Health, Vital Records, which has records for the whole state, or from the county recorder in the county where you were born, which is often faster. Fees depend on the office, roughly $31 to $34 per copy, after the state fee rose on January 1, 2026. The state lists every county office on its county registrars and recorders page.
California passport questions
Is there a passport office in California?
Yes, three: the Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego passport agencies. They see people by appointment only, for travel within 14 days or a visa needed within 28 days. Everyone else applies at an acceptance facility or renews by mail or online.
What is the difference between an authorized and an informational birth certificate?
An authorized copy can prove your identity and works for a passport. An informational copy cannot be used to establish identity, so the passport agency will not accept it. Order the authorized copy and sign the sworn statement.
Can I renew my passport online in California?
Online renewal is a national State Department service, so California residents follow the same rules as everyone else. It is meant for adults renewing a regular passport who are not traveling soon. If your trip is close, book an agency appointment or use a registered courier.
Should I order my birth certificate from the state or the county?
If you know your county of birth, the county recorder there is usually the faster choice. The California Department of Public Health can search the whole state if you are not sure of the county.
Information checked October 2026. Related pages: passport renewal, new passport, passport for a child, lost or stolen passport.
