Passport Acceptance Offices in Arizona
Arizona is unusual among the states: it hosts one of the U.S.
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72 cities
📖 About Arizona
Arizona is unusual among the states: it hosts one of the U.S. Department of State's own passport facilities, the Western Passport Center in Tucson, which handles urgent cases by appointment. For routine renewals and first-time applications, though, most Arizonans still turn to one of the 173 acceptance offices spread across 73 cities and towns, most of them counter windows inside U.S. post offices, city clerk offices, and public libraries.
The map is lopsided toward the Sun Corridor. Phoenix carries 25 offices and Tucson 17, and the surrounding Maricopa County cities of Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, and Tempe fill in dense clusters of their own. Beyond the metro belt, offices thin out but still reach the places travelers actually leave from: Flagstaff on the way to the Grand Canyon, Yuma near the Colorado River, Prescott in the central highlands, and Lake Havasu City out west.
Passports carry extra weight in a border state. Crossings at Nogales, San Luis, and Douglas make a travel document part of ordinary life for families and workers who move between Arizona and Sonora, and the Grand Canyon pulls visitors from around the world every year. A passport card, cheaper and pocket-sized, covers land and sea crossings into Mexico but will not get you onto an international flight, so it pays to know which document your trip needs 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
Acceptance offices serve everyone who needs to apply in person: first-time applicants, children, and anyone who cannot renew by mail. Bring your completed application unsigned, proof of citizenship with a photocopy, a photo ID, and a passport photo. Many post office counters take the photo on site for an added fee, but it is worth calling ahead to confirm.
For a child under 16, both parents or legal guardians need to take part in the application, and the child must be there in person. If one parent cannot come, ask the office which consent form to bring. Processing speed is set nationally rather than locally, so the same wait applies whether you apply in downtown Phoenix or a small-town post office.