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Call the Greensboro number they gave you. Follow instructions. They will help you find the next, best appt. Be open to going where you need to go. The system works! Don't forget to suggest RTP if they don't bring it up.
Call 919-420-5343 and leave a message telling them which PO you want to go to and they will call you back with an appointment time. Appointments at any of the area post offices (except Pittsboro) go through that number.
I actually did this search on Sunday since my husband had Monday off and we need to get the kids passports. I thought about trying to go to Wendell or Angier as posted in other threads but everything does SAY you need an appointment. And everything is now funneled through that centralized number. Have heard that it takes a while to get a call back. So we packed the kids up and made a trip up to Roxboro where you can walk in to the Clerk's office at the Person County courthouse to process (this was the only site listed within 50 miles that did not require an appointment). I did call them before to make sure they were open. They accept applications between 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. Here are my tips in general for the process, but some specific to Person County (as opposed to post office). (Sorry OP, I know you said you didn't have time to drive far away but this might be helpful to others)
1) Have everything as ready as you can. The clerk at the courthouse did warn me that they did not have the ability to make any copies or take any pictures like at the post office so we needed to come prepared. More details below. If you have everything, it only takes about 15 min. We then stopped in Durham on the way home to have lunch at Dashi. If it hadn't been raining, we might have gone to the Museum of Life and Science instead.
2) Passport pictures - some post office sites will do this for you. We opted to go to Costco where you get a set of 4 for $4.99. Snap, snap, snap, snap for each of us (hubby and I need to renew, kids getting first passorts). 20 min later, we had the pictures cut to the right size and in a handy little folder. Only needed 1 picture but nice to have 4. Note: we did not get a chance to see the pictures before but we also did not ask to see them.
3) Adult passport renewals - you actually cannot submit them unless you need them expedited for some reason. You have to do this by mail and it is recommended to use a tracking service since your passports are there. The clerk actually stapled our pictures and passports to the application but told us we had to send it ourselves. I wrote a separate check for each application. I put both applications in a priority mail envelope and bought postage online (70 cent savings) and mailed it from home today.
4) Minor passports - Multiple points
- Both parents are supposed to be present but you can actually do it with one parent. To do this, there is another form to download and complete with kid's information. Then you take it to be notarized and this form has to be current within 3 months of application.
- Need proof of birth/citizenship. I have multiple certified copies of my kids' birth certificates, so I gave them one to be included with the application (it will be returned). If your kids were born in Wake County, you can get multiple copies downtown at the Vital Records office.
- Need to make copies of parents' drivers licenses, front and back. Each license should be on its own page. So I had 4 sheets total: 1 of mine (front and back) and 1 of my husband's (front and back). Made these right before I left since she told me I needed them and wouldn't be able to do it in the courthouse.
- You can submit 1 check for both kid passports (and/or passport card). We got both so it was $190. Check made out to US Department of State.
- There is an "execution fee" for processing the applications and doing the affirmation. $25 per passport. At the courthouse, they would not accept a personal check. You can pay by cash. You can use credit card but will have to pay a processing fee as well. Not sure if this is true with the post office (likely not) but that money is paid directly to the post office/courthouse.
- Parents do need to affirm or swear all the information is accurate. You can swear on a bible or simply affirm without. Threw me for a loop when asked but no big deal.
I renewed my son's passport right before Christmas break. I had to use the centralized number and state what PO I wanted to go to. Knowing that Apex/Raleigh/Cary were usually booked solid for a couple months out, I asked for either Sanford or Roxboro PO. I live in Cary, but was prepared to make the drive for a timely appointment. The lady I spoke to on the centralized line however told me that the Apex PO had a cancellation and could see us in a couple of weeks. So that was a bit of luck.
In general (so I was told) if you are flexible and prepared to drive then you can get in more quickly at a PO outside of the main Triangle area. Sanford is only 30 or so minutes away from Cary/Apex - a straight shot down US 1. I don't regard Sanford as a long drive at all. (Granted that Roxboro is one hour 15 minutes away from Cary/Apex and the route is more complicated.) Or you might get lucky and get a cancellation at the Apex PO like I did when I called.
Thanks everyone!
I left a message yesterday afternoon at the central # and they called me this morning.
Both Cary and Apex had appt's. starting the 2nd week in January.
She did tell me to renew by mail even though we will be there with the kids. She walked me through the list with everything I needed to mail in and the instructions with how to do it. She was very helpful.
She listed everything needed for the kids (I knew that both parents need to be there) and the fees for everything and what is acceptable forms of payment.
I called Elon Post Office for a passport appointment (336-584-5943) on a Monday and they were able to set me up an appointment the following Thursday, just 3 days from the day of the call. Very easy and the place is not crowded.
I called Elon Post Office for a passport appointment (336-584-5943) on a Monday and they were able to set me up an appointment the following Thursday, just 3 days from the day of the call. Very easy and the place is not crowded.
Elon's in the Triad.
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