How to Reschedule Your Passport Appointment

How to reschedule your passport appointment online or by phone

You can reschedule most passport appointments through the same system where you booked them. If you made your appointment on the State Department's passport website (passports.state.gov), log back in with the same email and password, find your appointment in your account, and select the option to reschedule. The system will show you available dates and times at your location. If you booked through a passport acceptance facility — a post office, library, or courthouse — call that specific location directly to reschedule, because they manage their own calendars and do not use the State Department system.

Phone rescheduling is slower but works if the website is not responding or you cannot locate your appointment online. Call the State Department's passport information line at 1-877-487-2778. Have your confirmation number ready (it was in your booking email), and a representative can reschedule you over the phone. Wait times are typically 30 to 60 minutes, especially on weekday mornings.

Do not simply book a new appointment and skip the old one. The State Department tracks no-shows, and missing an appointment without cancelling can delay future bookings or trigger a fee. Always reschedule through the official channel rather than creating a duplicate.

Key Takeaways

• Log into passports.state.gov with your original email and password to reschedule a State Department appointment in seconds.
• Call the passport acceptance facility directly — post office, library, or courthouse — if you booked there, because they manage their own schedules.
• Have your confirmation number from your booking email ready before you call the State Department line.
• Never skip an appointment without rescheduling; no-shows can affect your ability to book future appointments.
• Rescheduling does not change your processing time or fees — you keep the same service level you originally chose.

What happens to your documents and fees when you reschedule

Rescheduling does not cost you anything extra and does not reset your processing timeline. If you paid for routine service (5 to 7 business days) or expedited service (2 to 3 business days), that service level stays the same. Your documents — birth certificate, ID, photos, or whatever you submitted with your original appointment — remain in the system and do not need to be resubmitted.

The State Department processes your application based on the date you originally submitted it, not the date of your rescheduled appointment. So if you booked an appointment for next week, rescheduled it to three weeks out, and your processing time is 5 business days, your passport could arrive before your new appointment date. You may receive it in the mail while your appointment is still pending. This is normal and means you can cancel the rescheduled appointment once your passport arrives.

Rescheduling at a post office, library, or courthouse

Acceptance facilities do not use the State Department's online system, so you cannot reschedule through passports.state.gov. Instead, call the specific location where you booked — the post office branch, library, or courthouse — and ask to reschedule your appointment. Have your confirmation number ready. Most facilities can reschedule you immediately over the phone and will send you a new confirmation email.

If you cannot reach the facility by phone, visit in person during business hours and ask to reschedule at the counter. Bring your confirmation number or the original appointment notice. Some facilities have walk-in rescheduling, though this depends on how busy they are that day.

If the facility is fully booked for weeks ahead, ask whether other nearby locations have earlier openings. You can transfer your appointment to a different post office or library in your area if the original one cannot accommodate your new date. The acceptance facility staff can tell you which other locations serve your area.

Rescheduling a passport card or book appointment

The rescheduling process is the same whether you are renewing a passport book, getting a passport card, or applying for both. Log into your account on passports.state.gov or call the facility where you booked, and reschedule as you normally would. Your service level (routine or expedited) and fees do not change.

If you originally booked an appointment to renew your passport book but now also want a passport card, do not reschedule. Instead, cancel the original appointment and book a new one that includes both items. You can add a card to an existing application, but the system is simpler if you book one appointment for everything you need at once. The State Department charges a separate fee for the card (currently $35), so budget for that if you are adding it to your order.

What to do if you cannot find your appointment online

If you log into passports.state.gov and do not see your appointment listed, check that you are using the same email address you used to book it. Appointments are tied to the email account, not to your name. If you used a different email or cannot remember which one, call 1-877-487-2778 and provide your confirmation number — the representative can look it up and reschedule you over the phone.

If you never received a confirmation email, your appointment may not have been completed when you booked it. The system sometimes times out before sending confirmation. Call the State Department line or the acceptance facility directly and provide your name, date of birth, and the date you tried to book. They can search their system and either confirm the appointment or help you book a new one.

Appointments made more than a year ago may no longer appear in the online system. If your original appointment was that old, it has likely been cancelled automatically. Book a new appointment through passports.state.gov or at an acceptance facility.

Rescheduling when you have a time conflict or emergency

Reschedule as soon as you know you cannot make your appointment. The sooner you move your slot, the more likely you are to find an opening close to your original date. If you wait until the day before your appointment, you may have to book weeks out.

If you have an emergency and need to reschedule with very short notice, call the State Department line at 1-877-487-2778 or the acceptance facility directly and explain the situation. They cannot may provide a sooner appointment, but they can tell you what is available and may be able to move you up if there are cancellations. Acceptance facilities sometimes have same-day or next-day openings if someone else cancels.

If you are rescheduling because you will not have your documents ready in time, consider whether you can gather them before your original appointment instead. Rescheduling delays your passport, so only reschedule if you truly cannot make the date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I reschedule my appointment multiple times?

Yes, you can reschedule as many times as you need through the online system or by calling. There is no limit on the number of times you can change your appointment date. However, each reschedule delays your passport, so try to book a date you can actually keep.

What if the only available times are much later than my original appointment?

Availability depends on how busy your location is and how far ahead you are booking. If all nearby dates are booked out, check whether other acceptance facilities in your area have sooner openings. You can transfer your appointment to a different post office or library. If you chose expedited service, your passport will still arrive within 2 to 3 business days of your appointment, regardless of when that appointment is scheduled.

Do I need to bring anything different to my rescheduled appointment?

No. Bring the same documents you would have brought to your original appointment — your birth certificate, ID, photos, and any other paperwork the confirmation email listed. Rescheduling does not change what you need.

Can I reschedule if I already cancelled my appointment?

If you cancelled your appointment, you will need to book a completely new one rather than reschedule. You cannot reschedule an appointment that no longer exists in the system. Book through passports.state.gov or at an acceptance facility as if you were booking for the first time.

What if my rescheduled appointment is after my passport is supposed to arrive?

This can happen if you reschedule far into the future and chose expedited service. Once your passport arrives in the mail, you can cancel the rescheduled appointment. You do not need to attend an appointment you no longer need. Call the facility or log into your account and cancel to free up the slot for someone else.