Today, more Americans can travel abroad than at any time in our history. In 1990, only five percent of Americans had a passport. Today, that number is 48 percent. In fiscal year 2023, the State Department will issue more than 24 million passport books and cards—more than ever before. To better serve the growing number of Americans seeking U.S. passports, the Department is taking steps to establish six new passport agencies. These offices—which will open in Salt Lake City, UT; Kansas City, MO; Orlando, FL; Charlotte, NC; San Antonio, TX; and Cincinnati, Ohio—reflect our commitment to providing more Americans with prompt customer service closer to where they live.
The six additional facilities will expand our passport network to 35 passport agencies and centers and more than 7,400 public passport acceptance facilities nationwide. As our existing network of agencies does every day, these new passport agencies will serve travelers with urgent travel needs. Travelers who do not need immediate passport services can apply at any one of our 7,400 passport acceptance facilities, including post offices and other local government facilities. More than 99 percent of Americans already live within 25 miles of an acceptance facility.
While we take steps to establish these new agencies, we are issuing more passports than ever while maintaining our passport processing times at pre-pandemic levels. We thank Congress for its partnership and support, and we look forward to working with our congressional partners and other stakeholders to open these new facilities.
The Department of State encourages U.S. citizens to apply for or renew their passports before booking travel. Visit travel.state.gov/passport to plan your trip with the latest passport and travel guidance.
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