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Tracking your Passport Application

Once you submit your application, you can keep track of its progress as it's processed by the Department of State.

USPS Tracking

If you used Priority Mail to send your passport application, you can track it by entering the tracking number on your receipt on the USPS Package Tracker. It will likely say something like "Label Created, Not Yet in System" for a while after you submit it, until your package is scanned by an employee or machine.

Application Status

Once your application arrives at the passport processing center, you can track it using the Department of State's Passport Application Status tool. Agree to the terms and enter your details to see your application status.

It's recommended to enroll in email updates so that you don't miss any status updates and don't have to keep entering your details into the status checker.

Here are the possible statuses and their meanings:

  • Not Available: Your application has not yet been entered into the system or you entered your details incorrectly. It can take up to two weeks after your application arrives at the passport processing center for it to be entered into the system.
  • In Process: Your application has been entered into the Department of State's system and assigned to a processing facility. This status update will include a locator number. The first two digits of this number tells you which facility is processing your application. You can use this chart to figure out which facility those digits code for.
  • Additional Information Needed: Your application was missing some information and has been placed on hold. The Department of State has sent you an email and/or letter with instructions on what to do next. You must respond within 90 days.
  • Information Received, In Process Again: The Department of State has received the information they asked for and your application is no longer on hold.
  • Approved: Your application has been approved and your passport will be printed and shipped soon.
  • Passport Mailed: Your passport has been printed and mailed to the mailing address on your application. Make sure to save your tracking number as you will not be able to see it again once the next status update is issued. You can use the tracking number in the USPS Package Tracker to see where your new passport is and when it'll be delivered.
  • Supporting Documents Mailed: All of the supporting documents you submitted, such as your previous passport, proof of citizenship, or name change court order have been mailed to the mailing address on your application. These are sent using standard first-class mail, so there is no tracking.

What if I never receive my passport

If you've waited over two weeks after your passport was mailed and you still haven't received it, it may have been lost in the mail. First, try contacting the USPS to see if they know any information about what might've happened to it. If they don't, you need to submit form DS-86 within 90 days of the mailing date, stating that you never received your passport.

Once you've filled out the form, you need to mail it to the passport agency that processed your application along with a photocopy of a government-issued photo ID such as a Driver's License or state ID Card. Use this chart along with the first two digits of the locator number in your passport status updates to figure out which agency was processing your application.

Once the passport agency receives your form DS-86, they'll send you a new passport free of charge and cancel the one you never received. If you ever receive the lost passport, DO NOT USE IT, as it's been placed in a database of lost passports and you may be detained if you attempt to use it. Instead, contact the National Passport Information Center and they'll tell you what to do with it.

What if I never receive my supporting documents

If you've waited over four weeks since your supporting documents were mailed, contact the National Passport Information Center to report that your documents were lost. If you'd like to be reimbursed for the cost of replacing the lost documents, you must contact the National Passport Information Center within 90 days of the mailing date and provide a receipt to show the cost of replacing the documents.

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