Passport Acceptance Offices in Tennessee
Tennessee runs some 440 miles from the Blue Ridge to the Mississippi, and its passport network stretches right along with it.
🔎 Find an office near you
130 cities
📖 About Tennessee
Tennessee runs some 440 miles from the Blue Ridge to the Mississippi, and its passport network stretches right along with it. The state's own map splits into three Grand Divisions, and each has its own hubs: East Tennessee gathers around Knoxville and Chattanooga in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains, Middle Tennessee centers on Music City itself, and West Tennessee reaches the river delta at Memphis. Across all 95 Tennessee counties, roughly 130 cities and towns together hold about 210 acceptance offices.
Most of these counters sit inside U.S. Post Offices, with county clerk windows and a handful of city halls filling in the rest. The heaviest concentrations track the population: Nashville leads with sixteen offices, Memphis follows with fifteen, and there is a Navy-base counter at Millington just north of the city. Knoxville, Chattanooga, Clarksville, Murfreesboro, Johnson City, Jackson and Franklin each anchor their own corner of the state.
A steady flow of international visitors keeps demand up year-round, drawn by the honky-tonks of Nashville, the mountains and whitewater of the east, and Graceland out west. Below you can open the office nearest you, confirm its hours, and see whether it takes walk-ins or books by appointment before you drive over.
🗺️ 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
Photos and hours vary by counter. Many Tennessee post offices take passport photos on-site, but not all do, and clerk windows in county courthouses often don't — it's worth asking when you call. Because so many offices book by appointment, especially in the Nashville and Memphis metros, showing up cold can mean a wasted trip.
Applying for a child under 16? Both parents or legal guardians generally need to be there in person, together, to give consent. If one can't come, plan ahead for a signed, notarized consent form so the visit isn't turned away.
Turnaround is set nationally, not locally. Whatever office you pick, the printing timeline is the same across the country; the acceptance counter only forwards your paperwork. Build in a comfortable cushion before any departure date.