To help speed things up on the paperwork side, the State Department is holding a roving series of what it’s dubbed passport-acceptance fairs, starting in California this weekend. The first passport fairs are clustered around Southern California, but if you can wait a few weeks, one is coming to Dublin on Aug. 5. These passport fairs take place at passport-acceptance facilities like post offices, libraries and local government offices, axing the postage portion of the process.

The hitch to these passport fairs is that most are strictly for anyone using Form DS-11 to apply, which is for first-time passport applicants, kids under 16 years old, people whose most recent passport was either issued more than 15 years ago or when they were under 16, and people whose passports were stolen, lost or damaged. If you don’t fit any of those criteria, you are likely eligible to renew your passport by mail and should do so, according to the State Department.

First-time passports using standard processing cost $165 ($130 for processing and a $35 acceptance fee). You’ll also need to bring proof of US citizenship, a current form of identification and a photo that meets passport requirements. Check the State Department’s website for everything you’ll need to bring along to the passport fair.

Where and when are passport fairs in California?

Below is a full list of passport fairs currently scheduled across California. No appointment is necessary unless stated.

• July 15: Rancho Del Rey Station Post Office, 340 Oxford St., Chula Vista, CA 91911 (8:30 am to 4 pm)

• July 15: Encinitas Main Post Office, 1150 Garden View Rd, Encinitas, CA 92024 (8:30 am to 4 pm)

• July 15: El Cajon Main Post Office, 401 W. Lexington Ave., El Cajon, CA 92020 (8:30 am to 4 pm)

• July 15: Jamul Post Office, 13961 Campo Road, Jamul, CA 91935 (8:30 am to 4 pm)

• July 15: Tecate Post Office, 441 Tecate Road, Tecate, CA 91980 (8:30 am to 4 pm)

• July 15: La Quinta Post Office, 79125 Corporate Center Drive, La Quinta, CA 92253 (10 am to 2 pm)

• July 15: La Mesa Post Office, 8064 Allison Ave., La Mesa, CA 91942 (8 am to 2 pm)

• July 15: Los Angeles Main Post Office, 7101 S. Central Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90001 (9 am to 1 pm)

• July 15: Thermal Post Office, 87200 Airport Blvd., Thermal, CA 92274 (11:30 am to 4:30 pm)

• July 15: Riverfront Carrier Annex, 2600 Camino Del Rio N., San Diego, CA 92108 (8:30 am to 4 pm)

• July 15: College Grove Center, 3426 College Ave., San Diego, CA, 92115 (9:30 am to 4:15 pm)

• July 15: Carmel Mountain Postal Store, 11251 Rancho Carmel Drive, San Diego, CA 92199 (8:30 am to 4 pm)

• July 15: Otay Mesa Annex Post Office, 2960 Fern Ave., San Diego, CA 92154 (9:30 am to 4 pm)

• July 15: University City Finance Post Office, 3298 Governor Drive, San Diego, CA 92122 (8:30 am to 4 pm)

• July 15: Fallbrook Post Office, 747 S. Mission Road, Fallbrook, CA 92028 (10 am to 1 pm)

• July 16: Palos Verdes Library District—Peninsula Center Library, 650 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hills Estate, CA 90274 (8 am to 4 pm)

• July 21: Ventura County Law Library, 800 S. Victoria Ave, Ventura, CA 93009 (8 am to noon; appointment needed)

• Aug. 5: City of Dublin Civic Center, 100 Civic Plaza, Dublin, CA 94568 (8 am to 1 pm; appointment needed)

• Aug. 5: Palm Springs Public Library, 300 S. Sunrise Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262(10 am to 4 pm)

To stay up to date on passport fair events, check out the State Department’s schedule, which includes those in other states.

Why do passports take so long to be processed?

The State Department has claimed more Americans are trying to get passports now than ever before.

“As more Americans are traveling internationally again, we are directing resources to meet the unprecedented demand seen so far in 2023,” the State Department said in a March update on passport processing. “We are on track to set the record for the highest-demand year ever, far surpassing the volumes seen during previous surges in demand in 2007 and 2017.”

During several weeks this winter, the department was bogged down with more than 500,000 applications, which it says exceeded projections and was the highest number ever for that time of year. Wait times for passport processing have jumped twice since February alone, points out Katy Nastro, a travel expert with Going, formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights.

“The State Department is inundated with passports each week, trying to process 30-40% more than last year, which, at the time, processed more passports than even pre-pandemic,” she said.

In 2022, the State Department issued nearly 22 million passports books and cards, the most ever. That marked the fourth time since 2017 that the total has topped 20 million (the only two years it didn’t were the peak-pandemic times of 2020 and 2021).

How quickly can you get a passport?

If you’re looking to take an international trip in the next six months to a year, Nastro says to do yourself a favor and apply now. Even though the agency has stated it is processing about 97% of the passports submitted within the estimated time frame, it’s better to have it in hand on the earlier side. If you’re traveling later this summer, having expedited processing and the 1-2 day shipping option is a must, which can be retroactively applied to anyone who has already sent in their applications with standard processing, Nastro says.

“However, even with expedited processing, the earliest you would see the passport is seven weeks, and that’s if everything goes according to it,” he says. “If you are traveling sooner or still haven’t received your passport after applying, your only option is to try and book an urgent travel appointment.”

With only 26 regional passport centers across the United States and Puerto Rico, getting one of those appointments is limited, not guaranteed, and may require traveling outside of your home state, Nastro says. California has three of them, the most of any state, located in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. San Francisco’s is at the Phillip Burton Federal Building on Golden Gate Avenue.

Plus, for those traveling internationally this summer with a passport, dust it off as soon as you can and make sure the expiration date is at least six months past your trip date.

“Many countries require passports to be valid for three to six months beyond your intended stay,” Nastro says. “You don’t want to be unable to enter the country or even board the flight due to your passport not having enough time left.”

This story was edited by Hearst Newspapers Managing Editor Kristina Moy; you can contact her at [email protected].