Ron Swanson
Footballguy
Anyone renewed a US Passport recently? I just had to renew mine and I can't believe this process exists in 2023. It seems so archaic. It seems like everything I've renewed in recent years is online just about 100%. Global Entry, CHL's, DL, etc. Passport? Nope.
1) Fill out renewal form online.
2) Print and sign form.
3) Take new picture
4) Print & crop picture
5) Write paper check. ($130 for passport, 11 week turnaround, and $60 for "expedited" time of 5 weeks).
6) Mail whole shebang along with old (not expired, still valid) passport.
7) Wait
Why can't this be done electronically? Printed forms and paper checks in 2023 are just absurd. And why do I have to mail a perfectly good passport that I won't have returned for at least a month? What if I need it? I know that they return it with a hole punched in it with my new passport but why bother with that step at all? Does the hole really make a difference? Isn't the fact that it expires good enough?
And $190 for this pleasure? Good grief, Department of State, get your act together and modernize this process. Please.
1) Fill out renewal form online.
2) Print and sign form.
3) Take new picture
4) Print & crop picture
5) Write paper check. ($130 for passport, 11 week turnaround, and $60 for "expedited" time of 5 weeks).
6) Mail whole shebang along with old (not expired, still valid) passport.
7) Wait
Why can't this be done electronically? Printed forms and paper checks in 2023 are just absurd. And why do I have to mail a perfectly good passport that I won't have returned for at least a month? What if I need it? I know that they return it with a hole punched in it with my new passport but why bother with that step at all? Does the hole really make a difference? Isn't the fact that it expires good enough?
And $190 for this pleasure? Good grief, Department of State, get your act together and modernize this process. Please.