How long does it take to get an appointment for passport acceptance at local post office? (Houston: live in, shop)

[Whyrallnamestaken]

I went to the post office close to my office. On the door was a phone number to call to schedule an appointment. I called the number and it rings and rings. Recorded message says please hold for next available agent. Then more ringing. Another recorded message says connecting you to an agent. Then more ringing and ringing. This repeats itself forever

Finally, a recorded message tells me to leave my name and number and they will return my call.

Anybody go through this? I wonder how long before they return my call?

[dickelfan]

I just went to the post office and did it. Didn't have to make an appointment.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by dickelfan

I just went to the post office and did it. Didn't have to make an appointment.

Downtown takes an appointment, but you also have to tell them when you are leaving the country. Various post offices have various waits. I went to Pasadena two or three times and didn't have any major waits. Westbury, however, was packed the one time I went.

[Oildog]

There is a passport shop on West Gray that will take your picture and file the paperwork. You will have a passport within a week.

[Whyrallnamestaken]

The website for the post office closest to me gave the hours they are open for passport acceptance. They put out a signup sheet and accept the first ten people. I went to the post office and there was no sign up sheet only a phone number to call to make an appointment.

West Gray is no where near my office so probably can't do that on my lunch "hour".

I also have to file a lost/stolen passport form. I wanted to make sure there were no problems getting a passport before I make my airline reservations.

I don't trust the post office websites; been burned too many times! So I have to go to the post office and see what the hours, etc. are for the passport office.

[asonnier]

Most if not all post offices now only take you with an appointment. We all had to do our passports this winter. When I called to make appts. the next open appointment was about 3 weeks from when I called. So we called at beginning of January and had appts. at end of January. Hope that helps!

[cla]

I went through the same headache trying to get a passport for my daughter last year. Every post office had a sign up process (I went to two post offices at least 30 minutes before opening and still missed the cut off). After calling around to several post offices and libraries, my daughter got online with the Houston passport agency on Smith and was able to get an appt right away. You can get a passport photo taken in the deli downstairs as well (we had already gotten a passport photo from Walgreen's, but it didn't meet their criteria, so she had to take another).

[Whyrallnamestaken]

I was trying to get it done close by my office instead of having to go downtown. It's hard to find any information. The PO I'm trying to go to says they can take photo (this is on their website), but I wanted to verify this. If the first available appointment is weeks away, I will have time to get photo elsewhere if they don't do it.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by Whyrallnamestaken

The website for the post office closest to me gave the hours they are open for passport acceptance. They put out a signup sheet and accept the first ten people. I went to the post office and there was no sign up sheet only a phone number to call to make an appointment.

West Gray is no where near my office so probably can't do that on my lunch "hour".

I also have to file a lost/stolen passport form. I wanted to make sure there were no problems getting a passport before I make my airline reservations.

I don't trust the post office websites; been burned too many times! So I have to go to the post office and see what the hours, etc. are for the passport office.

Look at the website for the downtown passport office. They will give you an appointment and get you a passport in X days if you have a definite date when you are traveling.

[Chum731]

I live in Katy and work in the Galleria area

We went last year to Niagara Falls and we wanted to go across the border with the kids - so we had to get them passports

I called all over the place and the post office steered me further out

I found that going out further to Rosenberg or Sealy made it a lot easier and they answer the phone to make an appointment

Just my .02