4-22-2023 11:48am

Record High Demand for US Passports Results in Extended Wait Times and Backlog

Chris Connors Editor

Passport applicants face wait times of over three months as the State Department struggles to keep up with the surge in demand.

A massive backlog of passport applications could have you waiting three or more months for a US Passport.

The unprecedented demand for US passports has led to massive delays and a backlog of applications, with wait times stretching to three months or more.

New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez lamented the situation, saying, “It shouldn’t take a crisis, it shouldn’t get this bad, before we see action out of Washington.”

In 2022, the State Department issued around 22 million passports, a record high that the agency expects to break again this year. According to the U.S. State Department, some 500,000 passport applications have been submitted every week since the start of 2023.

Despite more funding and an increased staff, wait times for a U.S. Passport surged to 13 weeks, not including time for shipping – which, by the way, will take another 2 weeks to reach a passport agency or center where they print the passport, and another two weeks for your completed passport to finally reach you in the mail.

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken acknowledged the issue, stating that the State Department is "really digging in" by authorizing overtime and opening satellite offices. However, the lengthy wait times persist. (We’re still waiting four plus months for our passports.)

Now what if you have an international trip coming up this summer and you need a U.S. Passport and you can’t wait? There is an option to pay extra for “expedited renewal” for your U.S. Passport, but that still holds wait times of up to 9 weeks (again, not including shipping) and will cost you an extra
$60 on top of the normal cost of renewal.

The gist: if you’re planning a trip, check your passport for its expiration date, renew early, and plan ahead for your next international trip.

And a friendly tip, your passport may become more useful than ever soon – with the adoption of REAL ID, all people 18 years of age and older after May 7, 2025, will need a REAL ID to fly within the U.S. if they do not have a passport.

Appointments for REAL ID have been hard to snag in the past, but there is more availability than ever now, so get yourself a REAL ID and save yourself the headache. If you don’t grab a REAL ID and still want to fly, then make sure that passport is up to date!