Passport renewal question

[Oilcan]

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?

[SecondCor521]

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.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oilcan 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?

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.

[PaunchyPirate]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SecondCor521 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.

^^^ This is spot on correct.

[Oilcan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaunchyPirate ^^^ This is spot on correct.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SecondCor521 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.

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.

Thanks again.

[braumeister]

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[braumeister]

Found this good article and thought I'd update this thread.

Need to Renew Your Passport? Here’s Everything You Need to Know

Particularly interesting about how you can get it very much expedited. Lots of good information in this piece.

[CardsFan]

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.

[Sunset]

The Government it says the times are EXTREMELY long , so plan far in advance:

https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...ing-times.html

"Door-to-Door Times

• Routine 18 weeks (includes up to 12 weeks processing and 6 weeks mailing)
• Expedited 12 weeks (includes up to 6 weeks processing and 6 weeks mailing)
• Expedited at Agency Must have international travel within 72 hours (3 business days)"

[SecretlyFI]

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.

[rt-texas]

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.

[lordjust]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SecretlyFI 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.

Did mine in June, expedited. Took 4 weeks.

[audreyh1]

I’m just so glad that I’m done!

[sengsational]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordjust Did mine in June, expedited. Took 4 weeks.

Did mine end of June, expedited. Took just under 5 weeks.

[fosterscik]

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!

[MisterBill]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fosterscik 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!

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.

[fosterscik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MisterBill 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.

Our applications went to the PA application center, but the actual passports were mailed from AR! I assume (without any evidence ) that the photos must be scanned at the application center and the document printing occurs, in our case, in Arkansas.

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fosterscik I assume (without any evidence ) that the photos must be scanned at the application center and the document printing occurs, in our case, in Arkansas.

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.

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fosterscik 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!

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"!
Luckily, this is not for a particular trip, so we were prepared to wait 12+ weeks.

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Cosmic Avenger 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"! Luckily, this is not for a particular trip, so we were prepared to wait 12+ weeks.

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! (8/11-9/13) I wouldn't rely on that if you're traveling soon, but figured I'd give an update, FWIW.