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Obtaining a U.S. Passport

All persons traveling by air, land, and sea outside of the United States are required to present a passport book/card or other travel document approved by the Department of Homeland Security. This includes travel to Canada, Bermuda, Mexico, and the Caribbean region.

Before traveling, always check the U.S. State Department website for country specific information. This important information includes the location of the U.S. embassy or consulate in your destination country, the visa requirements of your destination country, as well as any travel warnings for your final destination.

You can apply for a new passport, renew your old one, or replace a lost, stolen or damaged passport through your local passport acceptance agent, usually either a post office or county courthouse. For the nearest post office, click here https://tools.usps.com/go/POLocatorAction!input.action.

Passports are issued by the U.S. Department of State. For general questions about passports, visit this site: State Department's Frequently Requested Information Web page.

For help in expediting your passport application in an emergency, call Congresswoman Kaptur’s office toll free at (800) 964-4699.

First-time applicants must apply in person at a local passport acceptance agent. This also applies if your U.S. passport has been lost or stolen, if your previous U.S. passport that expired was issued more than 15 years ago, if your previous U.S. passport was issued when you were under 16, or if you do not have your expired U.S. passport in your possession.

You can renew your passport by mail if your most recent U.S. passport:

  • Is undamaged and can be submitted with your application
  • Was issued in the past 15 years
  • Was issued when you were 16 or older
  • Was issued in your current name or you can legally document your name change

You can check the most current processing times for passports, as well as the status of your passport application on the U.S. State Department website. You may also call the National Passport Information Center for information about your application at 1-877-497-2778.

Again, if you need a passport urgently, generally within less than two weeks, please contact my office in Ohio or Washington, D.C. at 202-225-4146.