Passports

Passports  are obtained through the Passport Services Division of the Department of State. Through your local passport acceptance agent, usually at the Post Office, you can apply for a new passport, renew your old one, or do any of a number of things, including replacing a lost, stolen, or damaged passport, or adding new pages to your existing book. My Houston office can assist you in these matters.

Traveling Overseas

You have your passport and you're ready to go on your trip, right? Not quite. You still have to check with the country or countries you'll be visiting to determine whether or not you'll need a visa. A visa is permission from a country to cross their borders and comes in the form of a stamp in your U.S. Passport. You usually have to mail your passport to the Embassy or Consulate of the country you'll be visiting, so allow plenty of time to accomplish this. Also, check the State Department web site for travel warnings and consular information sheets that provide very helpful information about the country you plan on visiting. The State Department's Travel and Living Abroad section contains very comprehensive information on the services it provides abroad. This includes crisis assistance for U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad, and various travel publications available online.

American Embassies and Consulates General

Find the closest American embassy or consulate online.

Passports in a hurry

Passports usually take from 30 to 40 days to issue. For a $60.00 fee (in addition to the original passport fee)—plus the cost of 2-way overnight mail—you can "expedite" this process and receive your passport in about two weeks. Find out more under How to Get Your Passport in a Hurry.