Passport Acceptance Offices in Maine
Maine stretches from the rocky, harbor-dotted southern coast up through an enormous, thinly settled interior of forest, lake, and mountain — the North Woods that give the state its wild reputation.
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90 cities
📖 About Maine
Maine stretches from the rocky, harbor-dotted southern coast up through an enormous, thinly settled interior of forest, lake, and mountain — the North Woods that give the state its wild reputation. That geography shapes how residents get a passport. Along the populous coastal band, offices sit close together; head inland or far north and the drive to the nearest counter can grow considerably. All told, 135 acceptance offices serve roughly 90 cities and towns and touch every one of Maine's 16 counties.
Where people live and work is where the offices gather most thickly. Portland and South Portland anchor the southern coast, with Lewiston, Biddeford, and the capital, Augusta, filling out the lower half of the state. Bangor serves the central hub, Wiscasset and Rockland cover the midcoast, Windham handles the Sebago Lake region, and Bar Harbor greets Acadia's visitors. Far to the north, Presque Isle stands out as Aroostook County's main point of service across a county larger than some states.
Maine's long land border with Canada matters here too. Aroostook County and border towns sit beside Quebec and New Brunswick, and residents cross regularly for work, family, and errands. A passport book covers every kind of travel; a passport card, cheaper and wallet-sized, works for those land crossings into Canada by car but cannot be used to fly. Choosing between them is worth a moment's thought before you apply.
🗺️ Areas covered
📝 How applying works
Most passport acceptance offices are U.S. Post Offices, public libraries, and county or city clerk offices that act as official acceptance facilities. You apply in person using Form DS-11 if you are getting a passport for the first time, if your previous passport was lost, stolen, or damaged, if it was issued more than 15 years ago, or if you were under 16 when it was issued.
Fill out the form ahead of time but do not sign it — a passport agent must watch you sign. Some facilities accept walk-ins during set passport hours, while others require an appointment, so it is worth calling the office listed on your city’s page before you go.
🎒 What to bring
💳 Fees
| Service | To U.S. Dept. of State | To the facility |
|---|---|---|
| Adult passport book (age 16+) | $130 | $35 |
| Adult passport card (age 16+) | $30 | $35 |
| Adult book + card | $160 | $35 |
| Child passport book (under 16) | $100 | $35 |
| Child passport card (under 16) | $15 | $35 |
| Child book + card | $115 | $35 |
The application fee is paid to the U.S. Department of State; the $35 execution (acceptance) fee is paid to the facility where you apply. Expedited service adds $60, and faster return delivery is available for a small extra charge. Fees are set nationally and are the same at every acceptance office in the country.
⏱️ Processing times
As of 2026, routine passport applications take about 4–6 weeks to process, and expedited applications about 2–3 weeks, counted from the day the State Department receives your application. Add roughly 2 weeks for mailing on each end.
The busiest season runs from late winter through summer, so apply between October and December when you can. If you are traveling within 14 days, you will need an appointment at a regional passport agency rather than a local acceptance facility.
💡 Good to know
Nearly all of Maine's acceptance offices are U.S. Post Offices, and most take applications by appointment, so it pays to book ahead rather than walk in. Staff can typically take your passport photo on site, though hours are often narrow at smaller rural branches. Bring your completed application unsigned — you sign in front of the agent — along with proof of citizenship, a photo ID, and a photocopy of that ID.
Because Maine has no passport agency of its own, anyone facing urgent international travel usually turns to the Boston Passport Agency, about a two-hour drive from Portland and a good deal farther from the northern counties. For routine applications, the network of local offices from York County up to Aroostook keeps a counter within reach of most residents.