Passport renewal question

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Oilcan

Recycles dryer sheets
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I am completing the form to renew my passport for the first time. Question ten asks for the most recent passport book number and the most recent passport card number. I know where to find the passport card number but I don't know where the passport book number is located in my passport.

Of all the questions on travel forums regarding passports I have never seen this question asked before.

Anyone know the answer:confused:?
 
Passport cards and passport books are two different things.

What we think of as a passport - with a blue cover, lots of empty pages, and a photo page - is a passport book.

A passport card looks like a driver's license apparently.

Since they both have numbers and it's possible to have one or the other or both, I'd just put down the applicable number in the applicable spot.

It sounds like you have a regular passport, so I'd put the number on the upper right of the photo page down as the passport book number. If you don't have a passport card, and it sounds like you don't, I'd leave that number blank.
 
Oilcan said:
I am completing the form to renew my passport for the first time. Question ten asks for the most recent passport book number and the most recent passport card number. I know where to find the passport card number but I don't know where the passport book number is located in my passport.

Of all the questions on travel forums regarding passports I have never seen this question asked before.

Anyone know the answer:confused:?
Click to expand...

It’s just asking for your passport number. That’s on the page with your photo and other personal information like DOB, and passport expiration date. Should be obvious.
 
SecondCor521 said:
Passport cards and passport books are two different things.

What we think of as a passport - with a blue cover, lots of empty pages, and a photo page - is a passport book.

A passport card looks like a driver's license apparently.

Since they both have numbers and it's possible to have one or the other or both, I'd just put down the applicable number in the applicable spot.

It sounds like you have a regular passport, so I'd put the number on the upper right of the photo page down as the passport book number. If you don't have a passport card, and it sounds like you don't, I'd leave that number blank.
Click to expand...


^^^ This is spot on correct.
 
PaunchyPirate said:
^^^ This is spot on correct.
Click to expand...

SecondCor521 said:
Passport cards and passport books are two different things.

What we think of as a passport - with a blue cover, lots of empty pages, and a photo page - is a passport book.

A passport card looks like a driver's license apparently.

Since they both have numbers and it's possible to have one or the other or both, I'd just put down the applicable number in the applicable spot.

It sounds like you have a regular passport, so I'd put the number on the upper right of the photo page down as the passport book number. If you don't have a passport card, and it sounds like you don't, I'd leave that number blank.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the replies! That's exactly what I will do and was going to do in the first place but then I Googled the question and the answer I got was that the Passport Book Number was in my passport somewhere; I would just have to look for it as sometimes they are almost hidden.:facepalm:

Thanks again.
 
number.png
 
When working, we always used CIBT. Quick, efficient and predictable. Last time I renewed (4 years ago, post retirement) I did it the standard way, with no problems. BUT, in this environment, I would gladly pay the fee ($60-$100) to assure I get it quickly.
 
My family member sent her renewal July 2, paying for both expedited processing and expedited shipping / return shipping. Online status updated to In Process on July 7. Updated to approved July 27 and shipped July 28 with a delivery date of July 30. So 4 weeks total. Apparently the extra fees go a long way right now.
 
Do the expedited and hope for the best. Personally know one family who cancelled trip because they have one members passport renewal in limbo for like three months and they did expedited it.

Have also read numerous other horror stories on a travel blog I belong to; people calling congressional offices, Dept of State, anything trying to find out where their renewal is and how long it will take.
 
SecretlyFI said:
My family member sent her renewal July 2, paying for both expedited processing and expedited shipping / return shipping. Online status updated to In Process on July 7. Updated to approved July 27 and shipped July 28 with a delivery date of July 30. So 4 weeks total. Apparently the extra fees go a long way right now.
Click to expand...


Did mine in June, expedited. Took 4 weeks.
 
I thought I'd update this thread with some details about the passport renewal for DW and me. We mailed our unexpedited applications separately on July 19 and were issued new passports on August 13 and August 17. Last one received in the mail on Saturday (8/21).
The passport office has clearly removed most of the backlog!
 
fosterscik said:
I thought I'd update this thread with some details about the passport renewal for DW and me. We mailed our unexpedited applications separately on July 19 and were issued new passports on August 13 and August 17. Last one received in the mail on Saturday (8/21).
The passport office has clearly removed most of the backlog!
Click to expand...
Yeah. well, the crush was leading up to the summer and maybe they finally hired more people to cut down the processing time. Also, there are two different processing centers, depending on where you live. When people were reporting long delays, it seemed like one center was taking long than the other. Maybe you live in a state that goes to the less busy center.

Personally, I do not understand why this happens every year. It should not be a surprise to the Passport agency that they are going to get a crush of applications in the spring and summer, and they should staff for it. For what people have to pay for a passport, they're entitled to have prompt service, even without paying the expediting fee.
 
Last edited:
MisterBill said:
there are two different processing centers, depending on where you live. When people were reporting long delays, it seemed like one center was taking long than the other.
Click to expand...
Our applications went to the PA application center, but the actual passports were mailed from AR! I assume (without any evidence :blush:) that the photos must be scanned at the application center and the document printing occurs, in our case, in Arkansas.
 
fosterscik said:
I assume (without any evidence :blush:) that the photos must be scanned at the application center and the document printing occurs, in our case, in Arkansas.
Click to expand...

Yes, printing them is an entirely different thing. If you had ordered a passport card in addition to the book (I always do) you would have seen that the card also comes from a different place than the book, usually several days apart.
 
fosterscik said:
I thought I'd update this thread with some details about the passport renewal for DW and me. We mailed our unexpedited applications separately on July 19 and were issued new passports on August 13 and August 17. Last one received in the mail on Saturday (8/21).
The passport office has clearly removed most of the backlog!
Click to expand...
Wow, thanks for the update! I wasn't going to check for a few (4-5?) weeks after the application was submitted, but sure enough, < 2 weeks after submission the status is already showing as "In Process"! :dance:
Luckily, this is not for a particular trip, so we were prepared to wait 12+ weeks.
 
Last edited:
The Cosmic Avenger said:
Wow, thanks for the update! I wasn't going to check for a few (4-5?) weeks after the application was submitted, but sure enough, < 2 weeks after submission the status is already showing as "In Process"! :dance:
Luckily, this is not for a particular trip, so we were prepared to wait 12+ weeks.
Click to expand...
Just got notification that the spawn's passport is arriving TOMORROW, almost exactly one month after we submitted the (unexpedited) application at the post office! :eek: (8/11-9/13) I wouldn't rely on that if you're traveling soon, but figured I'd give an update, FWIW.
 
The Cosmic Avenger said:
Just got notification that the spawn's passport is arriving TOMORROW, almost exactly one month after we submitted the (unexpedited) application at the post office! :eek: (8/11-9/13) I wouldn't rely on that if you're traveling soon, but figured I'd give an update, FWIW.
Click to expand...



We just got our passports two weeks ago after a five month wait.
 
Yeah, now I'm starting to wonder if they are sending the passport CARD separately, and that is what is arriving today; I can't remember if they're sent together or separately.
 
The Cosmic Avenger said:
Yeah, now I'm starting to wonder if they are sending the passport CARD separately, and that is what is arriving today; I can't remember if they're sent together or separately.
Click to expand...


Ours came separately, but within a couple of days.
 
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