Tips On How To Get An Expedited U.S. Passport

Sometimes life has a way of throwing some interesting curve balls our way. We think everything is going great and then all of a sudden something happens and we have to jump on a plane to Europe on short notice. If you don't have a passport or it is expired, expedited US passport services can make this problem go away in a snap.

While the government may try and make the process quicker and easier, their idea of quick may not mesh with what the average person thinks is quick. Granted, they are quicker than they have ever been, but expedited services can give the whole process a much needed boost to get the passport back even quicker. By paying an extra fee, rush service can be ordered and the passport should come back in about two to three weeks.

This rush service that is being paid for encompasses the time from when the application is received and accepted until the passport actually shows up in the mail box at home. If this is still not fast enough, there are other passport agencies that are outside the government that can put an even quicker rush on the documents. While there services are faster, they also charge even more money.

The whole system is powered by fees, fees and more fees. A regular passport will cost $75 and $25 added for the standard processing. If a passport card is added, tack on another $20 to the order. The government offers a small break in the pricing for minors, but all processing fees remain the same. Renewals services are slightly less expensive.

If expedited U.S. passport service is needed, there will be a $60 fee tacked on to all of the other standard charges. In addition to these fees, the forms should be shipped via overnight mail for security reasons. Sending documents like this via regular mail is simply not recommended. This can be ordered when filling out all of the forms at the passport office.

Overnight delivery is not part of the fee structure and will cost another $15 or so. We know, the fees really start to add up, but the overnight shipping is a must for security reasons. Allowing this kind of documentation to travel through regular mail is insane. It is just too important and too sensitive to risk losing.

If expedited service is requested, the form that has to be filled out is the DS-82. This is in addition to the regular forms and does not replace the standard application. When mailing in the forms and documents, be sure to write 'expedite' very large and clear on the outside of the envelope. The agents are trained to look for this and will make sure that the envelope is rushed through processing.

Using expedited services is a great way to get the United States passport in hand quick. For some people, the extra fees are worth it just to know that the turnaround time will not be so long. If these services are not used, the application just goes into the pile and has to work its way to the top. If you are lucky, the passport will arrive in about two months. Sometimes, that is just too long to wait.