Philadelphia Office of Judicial Records

Tucked inside Philadelphia City Hall at Room 284, the Office of Judicial Records is one of the more distinctive passport acceptance venues in Pennsylvania. City Hall itself is a National Historic Landmark — a massive Second Empire building that anchors the intersection of Broad and Market Streets and serves as the seat of Philadelphia's municipal government. Submitting a passport application here means completing paperwork inside one of America's great civic monuments.

The acceptance agents at the Office of Judicial Records are court clerks rather than postal workers, which means the office keeps government business hours and handles applications for new passports, child passports, and replacements for lost or stolen documents. Appointments are strongly recommended; walk-ins are accommodated only when an agent is available. The $35 acceptance fee is paid directly to this office, separate from the State Department application fee.

Because this office sits in the center of Philadelphia and is surrounded by SEPTA bus and subway connections, it draws applicants from across the city. If your schedule is flexible, arriving early in the morning tends to mean shorter waits. First-time applicants and families applying for child passports will find the clerks well-practiced at walking through each step of the DS-11 process.

Room 284 is on the second floor of City Hall; follow interior signage from the main entrance on Broad Street. Allow time to clear building security before your appointment. The $35 acceptance fee payable here is distinct from the State Department's $130 application fee. Because Philadelphia has its own full-service Philadelphia Passport Agency nearby at the Nix Federal Building, applicants with travel within 14 days should contact that federal office directly. For more acceptance locations across the state, see the Pennsylvania passport guide.