I’ve put off and applying for my first Passport for so long. I remembered seeing the droves of people standing in line to apply a few years ago and didn’t look forward to that at all. I'm sure that many of you out there feel the same way…BUT....let me suggest that you go NOW to apply for your Passport. I couldn’t believe how fast the process was and it went very smooth.  If you already have a Passport, look to see when it expires.  If it expires in 6 months, you should renew it now.  Many countries will not allow you entry if you Passport is set to expire in 6 months.

Here is a list of what you will need if you apply through the US Post Office:
-2 recent pictures of yourself in a ‘Passport’ format.
-The application filled out in it’s entirety.
-Other proof of citizenship. A birth certificate works great.
-$25.00 that will be paid to the US Postal Service.
-$75.00 payable to the Department of State.
-Time to wait in line. But, not as much as you would think! (At least for now.)
 
I went to the main Ft. Lauderdale Post office on West Oakland Park Blvd on Saturday April 12. I planned to get there right when they opened. That’s probably the BEST tip I could give you. When I arrived, there was only one family in line ahead of me.

You need to verify that you have the most current application. If you grabbed one and filled it out at home…you should double check that it is still the current application. I picked one up in December and they already had a new one out in February. I grabbed the new one and filled it out at the Post Office. Oh…you’ll want to bring you own pen. All of the pens available were out of ink and when I asked one of the clerks for one they were rude and snapped “I just changed those” like I was lying to her. (Actually the worse part of the whole process? The rude Postal Workers. ) The nice woman in front of me gave me a pen to use. Actually everyone in line was very nice. I think we all bonded in the few minutes we waited over how rude the Postal Workers were.

Ok…on with the process. I stepped up to the counter and was glad to see I got one of the nice clerks. She looked over my application and asked for my Driver’s License. They took a copy and I got it back. She then asked for my other ‘proof’ of citizenship document. I gave her my birth certificate. (NOTE! They actually keep your other ‘proof’ item and mail it back when your Passport is processed.) She also took my 2 pictures that I got taken at Kinko’s on US1. (The pictures were about $7.00 I think.)

I then paid my $25.00 fee to the USPS via debit card and the remaining $75.00 via check to the US Department of State. The clerk stamped a receipt and told me I could check on-line in about 2-3 weeks to see the status. Now all I had to do was wait.

Now this is the part I was shocked at. I received my Passport book on April 21! That is only 8 days! I was prepared to be waiting for at least a month…maybe 2. The envelope is sent US Priority so that you can track the shipment online as well. Also, you might want to take note that they probably will send your secondary ‘proof’ of citizenship in a separate mailing. Mine came in yesterday’s mail.

I'm sure there will be a longer processing time if you are a new US Citizen or have had some recent life event changes (major moves, many moves over a short period of time, married, etc.).  You also should be sure that the application is filled out 100% correctly and you should also not 'scribble' out any errors.  Complete a new application if you make a mistake.

So, my suggestion if you need to apply for a Passport is to get it done NOW.  I'm hearing that there might be some changes to our Florida Driver's Licenses soon...and if you don't have one, you will need a Passport to fly anywhere in the US.

If you've applied recently, leave a comment and let everyone know how the process was for you.