Online Passport Renewal

If your passport expired more than 15 years ago, you cannot renew it. You must apply for it like it was your first time. What a hassle! Maybe I will change my mind about the trip to Lesbos.
 
If you plan to travel internationally several times a year, select the passport extra pages passport option. Countries are slowly doing away with stamps and going to e-visas but getting the larger passbook doesn’t cost extra.
 
I applied for mine just before T'giving and it arrived 13 days later. I made my spouse keep taking pictures until I got one I liked. Unfortunately, I look a lot older than I did ten years ago.
 
I applied for mine just before T'giving and it arrived 13 days later. I made my spouse keep taking pictures until I got one I liked. Unfortunately, I look a lot older than I did ten years ago.
Yeah, that’s always very noticeable!
 
In order to "renew" my 20 year old passport, I have to actually physically go to a passport acceptance facility to submit my application. Sounds like going to the DMV. Outrageous.
 
DW and I submitted our online renewal applications Jan 6, and I received mine Jan 13. Hers is still in limbo somewhere and the online status tracker isn’t working. It’s still within the advertised timeframe so I can’t complain.
DW finally received her passport on Jan 23. So, two online applications at the same address filed on the same day, but ten days' difference in receiving the new passports. In other words, as they say, your mileage may vary.

Edit to add: For whatever reason, mine came from Arkansas and hers from South Carolina. I have no idea why, or if it is even relevant.
 
My passport expires in May, and with international travel likely for us in March and/or April, I submitted my online application on January 8th. I took the required picture at home, there are a lot of examples of what is needed/what is wrong on the website. Our finished basement walls are off white, and I have a projector screen, so we had suitable backgrounds. I chose the normal service, which stated a 4-6 week time frame after payment is verified. The progress alerts I have received:
1/8 - Renewal application received, payment pending
1/9 - Payment successful, renewal process beginning
1/10 - Renewal in process, documents being reviewed
1/15 - Renewal approved, new passport being printed, expect it around 1/21
1/16 - alert received that the passport was shipping. In the afternoon I received confirmation that USPS had it, with a tracking number and expected delivery date of 1/21. Since 1/20 is a Federal Holiday (MLK day), the delivery time makes sense.
1/23 - Passport finally received, Yay! Some delay occurred - possible weather related - as on 1/21 the delivery date status changed to "unknown" (but the location was within my state), then on 1/22 it changed to 1/23 delivery. Still, it is better turnaround than I expected from starting on 1/8.
 
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