Bureaucracy, oh god

[branchandroot]

So, yesterday I went and submitted my paperwork for passport renewal, which I had to do from scratch because I changed my name since the last one. As a public service, here are tips for others who may be doing the same.

1) you will need your parents' birthdays and places of birth (state is okay if you don't know the city), and also for your spouse or ex, if you have one. Do not believe the online application if/when it says it's okay to leave those blank. You also need to fill in prospective travel destination, even if you fill it in with "none".

2) don't try to take/print your own passport photo, seriously, just go to Walgreens or similar, it will save you hours of frustration.

3) you will want to look up whether acceptance facilities take walk-ins or require an appointment. Most drop-off points will require an appointment. My county clerk's office did not, and thankfully had extended hours on Tuesdays, which made it worth taking the bus down, but all the post offices needed appointments.

4) almost everywhere will require you to pay the passport fee and execution fee separately. Because reasons. Take you checkbook, your credit card, and cash just in case. You don't want to go through this twice. You cannot use cash for the actual passport fee, so make sure you have a check or money order for that part.

5) if you have an old passport that is even slightly damaged, write up a brief statement that it was damaged in a flood/plumbing accident/the dog ate it/whatever, to sign and include if called for.

6) take every piece of identification you own, birth certificate, old passport, marriage license, court order of name change, social security card, DEFINITELY the driver's license. Just take everything, just in case, because once again, you don't want to haul through this twice.

7) if you are doing this for a child, either both parents must be present or else you need a signed release form from the parent who couldn't come. Consider bringing along custody paperwork if you were awarded sole custody.

8) they will take away the originals of your ID, except the driver's license. Don't panic, you will get them back, but they will come in separate mailings from your passport.

9) I would not consider it amiss to take along at least a good photo of the kitchen sink. If nothing else, you may make the acceptance staff laugh, which they are surely in need of.

10) on which note: bring along your patience. There are sure to be people ahead of you in line, quite possibly people who are upset and nervous. Soothing music, phone games, a hip flask, whatever gets you through.

Personally, I'd schedule a stop by the pub in the way home, to celebrate wending your way through all that bureaucracy. *lifts her glass* Good luck!

Comments

[zulu]

This reminds me that I need to renew L's passport. Maybe even both his passports--dual citizenship. Babies! Their travel documents just don't last.

Congrats on getting things in order.

[branchandroot]

Yeah, I think part of the passport regulations are "make parents crazy as often as possible".

[tanaqui]

Hi there. I'm a mod over at thisfinecrew, a low-key comm intended to be "a place to gather links to resources and step-by-step actions to take to be more involved in various efforts in the wake of Donald Trump's election to the Presidency".

I really like the practical advice you've provided in this post. (Bureacucracy, oh god, indeed!) Is it OK if I repost the opening paragraph and a link to the rest of the post over at thisfinecrew?

[branchandroot]

Please do! *wry* The whole point of posting this was to keep other people from having my moment of "omg, no", thinking I hadn't brought enough checks with me.

[annotated_em]

I'm willing Tibet the separate payments are because those services are administered by different departments or agencies. Keeps the revenue separate. Or it could just be Reasons.

[branchandroot]

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised. And, I mean, they had good reason for the "no cash for actual passport fee" which is "we send this through the mail" so. It was still a moment of "oh fuck" I could have done without.

[midorigirl]

I'm rather glad the process for renewing abroad (in Japan) is pretty much...fill out this form, have pictures ready (because the in house photo booth is expensive!!!), buy a special envelope at the 7/11 in the building across the street, and bring your old passport to the consulate. Credit cards are accepted. You'll get your new passport in the mail.
...just, make sure you have ALL of that before you enter because the blasted office is on the 3rd floor, the photo booth on the 2nd, and the elevator only goes up from the lobby...if you have to go to another floor, you gotta go down first and then back up to where you need to be.
And you DON'T wanna go through the security checks, at the front, twice.

[branchandroot]

*wistful* Oh wow, that sounds like /so/ much less trouble. Security hurdles aside!

Getting into the county clerk's office was also a song and dance of "hand over id, get a picture taken, get a temporary id badge, turn it in when you're done". At least there wasn't a metal detector!

[midorigirl]

Metal detectors were only if you were coming in from the outside, but I do recall having to be EXTRA careful I didn't leave the little designated spot in front of the elevators when I went down to the lobby, to get back up to the photo booth. I think I also needed some little key or dongle to show that I was okay'd to be moving around the building. DEFINITELY had to check my bag and clean out my pockets.

[zaluzianskya]

Thanks for this! My wife and I are starting to plan for ours so these tips are handy.

[branchandroot]

Glad I could help!