If you're heading out of the country this year and need a new or renewed passport, the U.S. Department of State is urging you to apply soon to avoid delays. "We anticipate longer than average wait times for passport processing over the coming months," says Beth Finan, press officer of the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs: about 6 weeks for standard processing, up from about four weeks in 2015.
There are two main reasons for the delay. First, 2017 will mark the 10th anniversary of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which mandated that all Americans have a passport when traveling to Canada or Mexico – previously a driver's license would have sufficed for most travelers. Since passports are valid for 10 years, "the Bureau of Consular Affairs is preparing for an anticipated surge as those applicants renew their passports," Finan says.
This makes sense when you look at the stats from a decade ago. The number of passport applications began to rise in 2006, to an all-time high for of nearly 18.4 million in 2007.
Passports issued year-to-year. Image: U.S. Department of State.
Second is the REAL ID Act, passed by Congress under the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. Starting in 2018, states must issue ID cards, such as driver's licenses which "for example, incorporate anti-counterfeit technology into the card [and] verify the applicant's identity," says the Department of Homeland Security.
DHS also notes that "Starting January 22, 2018, passengers with a driver's license issued by a state that is still not compliant with the REAL ID Act (and has not been granted an extension) will need to show an alternative form of acceptable identification for domestic air travel to board their flight."
Passports are compliant with REAL ID.
Currently 23 states meet REAL ID requirements. Most other states and territories have received extensions, while five states (Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico and Washington) plus American Samoa have not. To see how your state complies, click here.
Given all that, Finan says, "We expect increased passport applications to continue through 2018."
On the positive side, the number of Passport Service employees is up, from about 1,600 in 2007 to 2,150 this month, with plans to hire additional staff over the next two years. So is the number of passport agencies: 11 new locations since 2007, for a total of 29 nationwide, and some 8,000 passport application acceptance facilities such as post offices and libraries.
Currently, Finan says, about 39 percent of Americans hold a passport. In 2015, Passport Services processed nearly 15.6 million applications.
One final note: if your passport is set to expire this year, keep in mind that many countries won't admit you without a minimum amount of time remaining on your passport. Here is a list of embassies to contact for further information.