Passport Acceptance Offices in Hawaii
Hawaii is the one state where leaving the country and leaving your island start the same way: at an airport gate.
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74 cities
📖 About Hawaii
Hawaii is the one state where leaving the country and leaving your island start the same way: at an airport gate. There is no land border to drive across and no neighboring state to slip into, so a valid U.S. passport is the document that turns the middle of the Pacific into a jumping-off point for the rest of the world. The 148 acceptance offices scattered across 74 towns exist to get that book into local hands without anyone having to fly first just to file the paperwork.
Geography does most of the organizing. Oahu carries the heavy load, with clusters in Honolulu, Waipahu, Wahiawa, and the military communities around Pearl Harbor, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Camp H.M. Smith, and Schofield Barracks. Hawaii Island splits its offices between Hilo on the windward side and Kailua-Kona on the Kona coast. On Maui the action centers on Kahului, while Kauai routes most residents through Lihue. Because these counties have no city halls of their own, the neighborhood post office often doubles as the place you sort out federal travel documents.
Hawaii is unusual in another way: the state does have a passport agency, the Honolulu Passport Agency on Ala Moana Boulevard, which takes appointment-only cases for travelers in a genuine hurry. For routine applications, though, the everyday acceptance office near you is the right door, and the mainland agencies in San Francisco and Los Angeles sit a long ocean crossing away, roughly 2,400 to 2,550 miles by air. Plan ahead and you will rarely need to think about that distance at all.
🗺️ 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
An island passport is an interisland afterthought. You never need a passport to hop between the islands — those flights are domestic — but you do need a REAL ID-compliant license or another accepted ID at the TSA checkpoint, so keep it handy and don't leave it in the hotel safe.
Photos and forms. Many acceptance offices can take your passport photo on-site, but not all do, so it's worth confirming when you book your visit. First-time applicants and children file the DS-11 form in person; it should be printed and left unsigned until an official asks you to sign.
Military families on Oahu. With acceptance offices on several bases, service members and their dependents around Pearl Harbor, JBPHH, Schofield Barracks, and Camp H.M. Smith often find the closest option is right on post.