When you are applying for a new adult passport, a new child’s passport, or replacing a lost, stolen or damaged passport, one of the most important things you will have to do before sending in your documents for processing is to bring your DS-11 or New U.S. Passport Application to an acceptance agent near you.

In order to get your documents and passport application processed, you must sign your application in front of an agent of the Federal Government called an acceptance agent (if you’re applying for a passport for your child 15 years or younger, both parents must sign the application on behalf of the child in front of an agent. See more details on how to obtain a new child’s passport here). In the past, acceptance agents were most commonly found in U.S. Post Offices around the country.

The Post Office often requires an appointment to sign and adjudicate your application, and may not have available appointments at a time that is convenient for you. Because of this common problem, there are now a few other places that employ acceptance agents. Acceptance agents can sometimes be found at your local library, or your local County Clerk’s Office in addition to the local U.S. Post Office.

If you are applying for a new adult or new child’s passport, or replacing a lost, stolen, or damaged passport, you can find your nearest acceptance agents with the Acceptance Agent Finder.