Passport Acceptance Offices in Gaithersburg, Maryland

Gaithersburg, one of Montgomery County's largest cities, gives travelers an unusually rich set of passport choices for a place its size — three acceptance counters sit within a couple of miles of one another, so most residents can book a slot without much of a drive.

If you live or work near the Olde Towne core, the USPS Gaithersburg Post Office on South Summit Avenue is the natural first stop, and the City of Gaithersburg's own passport desk at City Hall stands directly across the street with steady weekday hours. Families in the northern neighborhoods often find the Montgomery Village post office on Stedwick Road quicker to reach. All three accept first-time and child applications; the City Hall desk is handy when postal appointments are scarce.

The nearest federal facility is the Washington Passport Agency in downtown D.C., roughly 20 miles south and a 40- to 50-minute drive depending on Beltway traffic — but that office is reserved for urgent, soon-to-travel cases and requires its own appointment. For a standard application with weeks of lead time, one of Gaithersburg's local counters is the simpler route.

Whichever you choose, book early: Montgomery County's international community and its proximity to the region's airports keep demand for new passports steady across Maryland and especially here.

Two of Gaithersburg's counters sit on the same block of South Summit Avenue — the post office at number 21 and City Hall at number 31 — so if one is booked you can often check the other the same day. All acceptance sites here work by appointment; none take walk-ins for passports. Compare availability across the state on our Maryland passport page before you settle on a time.