Passport Acceptance Offices in Massachusetts
Massachusetts runs on close quarters and long reaches at once.
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📖 About Massachusetts
Massachusetts runs on close quarters and long reaches at once. From the dense Boston metro and the university belt that stretches through Cambridge, Worcester, and the college towns around Amherst, its 420 acceptance offices sit within easy driving range of most residents. Post offices, city and town clerks, and public libraries handle the in-person step for a first passport, a renewal for a child under 16, or any application that has to be witnessed and sworn.
The map spreads wide from there. Offices reach out to the Cape Cod coast in the southeast and climb west into the Berkshire hills, where Pittsfield sits roughly two and a half hours from downtown Boston. The heaviest concentrations track the population: Boston anchors the network with ten offices, followed by busy clusters in Worcester, Springfield, Chicopee, Westfield, Cambridge, Lowell, Framingham, Quincy, and Bridgewater. Coverage reaches all fourteen counties, though seven of those county governments were dissolved between 1997 and 2000 and now survive mainly as geographic and judicial regions.
What sets Massachusetts apart is that the federal government keeps a full passport agency here. The Boston Passport Agency operates out of the Tip O'Neill Federal Building on Causeway Street, one of a small number of in-person agencies in the country and the only one in New England, which is why travelers from across the region turn to it when a trip cannot wait.
🗺️ 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
Most acceptance offices ask you to come in during set passport hours, and many take appointments only, so it is worth confirming the schedule before you drive over. Bring your completed application unsigned, your proof of citizenship and a photocopy, a valid photo ID, and payment; acceptance fees and passport fees are usually paid separately. Many post offices and some libraries can take your passport photo on site, but not all do, so check ahead if you need one.
For any applicant under 16, both parents or legal guardians generally need to appear together and show the child's relationship to them, or provide the required consent paperwork if one parent cannot attend. Processing times are set nationally by the State Department rather than by any individual office, so the wait is the same whether you apply in Boston or the Berkshires; the acceptance office only handles the intake step.