Passport demands are ‘unprecedented.’ How long it takes to get one in Fort Worth.

Gabriel Trevino, Megan Cardona
·3 min read
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As the summer travel season gets underway with many travelers eyeing trips abroad, plans are being thwarted due to long waits to getting and renewing passports in Tarrant County.

Passport processing times were extended again earlier this year as U.S. travelers prepared for summer trips. The State Department first reported an increase in passport application processing times ahead of spring break.

In March, the U.S. State Department said passport applications are up between 30-40% from 2022. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the 500,000 applications per week were an “unprecedented demand.”

Congressional members took note, as U.S. representatives Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, and Keith Self, R-Dallas, joined almost 200 members of Congress in signing a letter to the Department of State in May asking for information about the passport delays.

In the first three months of 2023, more than 235 million tourists across the world traveled, an 80% increase from 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the World Tourism Organization.

Expect delays in passport processing in Tarrant County

In the five offices in Tarrant County that permit passports, the next available appointment is not until mid-July. After booking and seeing an appointment, it may take 10-13 weeks for the application to be processed and another two weeks to receive the passport in the mail.

The Department of State advises expediting passports, but fees range from more than $300 for up to nine weeks, to more than $2,000 for two days. Offices have also stopped allowing walk-ins past 1 p.m.

If you are traveling within seven weeks, travelers can apply for an urgent travel processing appointment at an agency or center. The appointment must be scheduled within 14 calendar days of the international travel date.

Processing for emergency — life or death — travel can be made on a limited basis at passport agencies and requires international travel within 72 hours.

Where can I renew my U.S. passport in Tarrant County?

There are five passport acceptance locations at subcourthouses in Tarrant County. The subcourthouses are located in Fort Worth, Hurst, Arlington, Lake Worth and Southlake. Wait times for these locations are listed on the website.

Other acceptance facilities include post offices, clerks of court, public libraries and other local government offices.

Search passport acceptance facilities near you through the State Department’s “Passport Acceptance Facility Search” page.

How can I renew my U.S. passport?

Passports can only be renewed through mail or, if ineligible for mail, in person.

To renew by mail, all five of the following requirements must be met:

  • Passport must be in your possession to submit with application

  • Undamaged outside of normal wear and tear

  • Passport was issued when you were 16 years or older

  • Passport was issued in the last 15 years

  • Was issued in your current name or you can document your name change

If renewal applicants don’t meet all five requirements to renew by mail, they must go in-person to a passport processing facility.

In August 2022, the State Department launched a trial run of its online passport renewal service but temporarily closed it to new customers on Feb. 7.

The department plans to periodically reopen the service to new customers in a limited release before a full release later this year.

Since August, over 500,000 customers successfully submitted an application online, according to the State Department. Survey feedback is under review to improve the online renewal experience before it is reopened.

How much does a U.S. passport cost?

If you’re applying for a passport for the first time, the application fee is $130 for a passport book along with a $35 acceptance fee. Expedited processing is an additional $60.

If you’re renewing a passport, the application fee is $130 for a passport book.

Passport books are the only acceptable passports for international air travel.

Travelers can apply for a passport card if they are traveling by land or sea to Canada, Mexico, Caribbean countries and Bermuda. Application fees for a passport card are $30. For first-time passport card applicants, an additional $35 fee is required.