Hours:
8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Monday through Friday
By appointment only
Closed federal holidays
Mailing Address:
U.S. Department of State
San Diego Passport Agency
CA/PPT/SD
44132 Mercure Cir.
PO Box 1136
Sterling, VA 20166-1136
Application Number Starts With:
76
How to Apply at a Passport Agency
To apply at this passport agency, you must:
- Have international travel within 14 calendar days.
- If you need a foreign visa, your appointment must be within 28 calendar days of your travel.
- Show printed proof of international travel. See examples in the 'Collect all your application materials' section below on this page.
- Pay the $60 expedite fee with your application fees.
If you have a life-or-death emergency, please see Life-or-Death Emergencies. If you don't meet the requirements for an appointment, request expedited service.
We do not charge a fee to make appointments. If you asked to pay for an appointment, you should consider the request to be fraudulent. We are not affiliated with any third-party appointment booking services. We may not be able to honor appointments booked via third parties. Do not attempt to book duplicate appointments.
- Printed confirmation of your appointment
- Printed proof of international travel
- Flying: show a flight receipt or an itinerary
- Driving or taking a boat to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean: show a hotel reservation, cruise or bus tickets, or international car insurance
- Fill out your form(s) online and print it
- All required supporting documents for the form(s)
- One passport photo
- Application fee and expedite fee. We prefer:
- Major credit cards
- Debit cards (not ATM cards)
- Contactless payments such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay
We also accept checks, money orders, and cash. Make checks and money orders payable to the U.S. Department of State. You must provide the exact amount if you are paying with cash since we cannot provide change.
Other information
- If you are applying for a child under 16, both parents or guardians and your child must come to the appointment.
- You may bring someone else with you to assist you with applying. Examples include an attorney, an interpreter, or a family member.
- We accept all forms for first-time and renewal customers. Not sure what forms or supporting documents you need? Start at the Passport Application Wizard.
- Print our Social Story to prepare for your appointment. A social story shows social situations and may help customers who are on the autism spectrum.
Follow these steps:
I have not yet applied
- Go to our Online Passport Appointment System.
- Enter information about your travel plans to see if you qualify for an appointment. You may make an appointment for up to 7 members of your household.
- Enter your email address. We will email you a code which you must enter to continue making an appointment. Check your junk or spam folder if you do not see the code in your inbox.
- Enter your mobile phone number. We will send you an SMS text message with another code you must enter to continue making an appointment.
- Finish scheduling your appointment. Check your email for a message confirming the details of your appointment. The system will hold your appointment for 15 minutes. If you do not confirm your appointment within 15 minutes, start over.
- If you need to cancel or change the appointment, click the link in the confirmation email to get information about your appointment. If you made an appointment over the phone, forward the email you got to NPIC@state.gov with “Cancel my Appointment” in the subject line.
I have already applied
Call 1-877-487-2778 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Mondays through Fridays, or on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. We close on federal holidays.
Se habla español. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call 1-888-874-7793 for TDD/TTY teletype services.
Follow these steps:
- Arrive 15 minutes early to go through security screening.
- You cannot bring weapons, food, and drinks (except water in a sealable bottle).
- Take the elevator to the 10th floor.
- Check in at the information window #1. Give them your appointment confirmation number.
- Be seated in the lobby and wait until we call your number. We may not see you exactly at your appointment time.
- When we call your number, go to your assigned window.
- At the window, we will review your application and supporting materials. We will discuss options for picking up or delivering your passport.
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Getting Here
You can park in metered spaces, and parking lots near the agency. The fees to park may change without notice.
Our building has accessible parking spaces on the bottom floors. The parking spaces are close to elevators but the doors from the parking spaces to the elevators are not automatic.
The America Plaza and Courthouse light rail stations are both several blocks from the agency.
We work to provide equal access to services at our agency. Learn more on our Applying for a Passport with a Disability page.
When you visit our agency, ask security officers or agency employees if you need help. We have an accessible entrance, restroom, and lobby:
- Entrance: We have a ramp located to the right of the main entrance at Columbia Street and B Street. The ramp leads to automatic doors which can be opened by pushing a button.
- Restrooms: We have accessible restrooms in the building lobby and the tenth floor where the agency is located.
- Public Lobby: Use one of the elevators to go to our agency on the tenth floor. The lobby has a separate entry for customers who are using a wheelchair. In our agency, window #5 is accessible for customers who cannot stand while submitting an application.
We have devices and tools to help customers with disabilities complete passport applications. When you check in, let an employee know that you want to use one of these tools. These tools may include assistive tablets, pens, magnifiers, or communication devices.
If you have questions or want to confirm an agency has a device for your needs, call us at 1-877-487-2778. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call 1-888-874-7793 for TDD/TTY teletype services.
Last Updated: September 18, 2024
