As important as it is to have a passport, many people either don’t own one, wait until the last minute to get one, or inadvertently allow an existing one to expire. Admittedly, I’ve been guilty of the last two offenses in the past. Most of the time you don’t realize how much you really need the passport until, well, you need it (i.e. you have an overseas trip in less than 4 weeks).

When I arrived, the lobby was almost empty, a stark contrast from when I came for a passport last year in mid-July. But don’t be fooled by the picture. The Washington Passport Agency is one busy shop. Not only do they take care of the face-to-face appointments but they also handle all the passport applications sent in from post offices in Maryland and D.C. Last year they processed 155,947 passports!

Winding down from what was a very busy day, Community Relations Staff Chief Madelynn Lane, Assistant Director Tracey DiGiaccomo, and Customer Service Manager Paula Baccus Williams sat with me to talk about the agency. By 2pm, over 400 people had been processed for Passport Day. Everyone who stopped by was a walk-in, and was processed in less than 40 minutes.  It was a very successful day, in terms of outreach. Ms. Lane and Ms. Williams noted that efforts this year were more successful than before due to timing and the outlets they used to get the word out. They reached out through social media channels, AAA, AARP, Customs and Border Protection, naturalization ceremonies, and airports. They also disseminated a national media note and gave out flyers to individuals and businesses located right outside the doors of the agency.

Here were some other useful tips from our conversation, including answers to a few of my readers’ questions:

• The best time to apply for a passport is October – February when overseas travel isn’t as high.
• The agency charges an expediting fee when you apply in person because there’s “extra labor associated with that expedited service.”
• The fastest service that they offer for a new passport is 3 days. Anything faster than that is offered on a case-by-case basis.
• “If you have family overseas, you need to have a passport.” Even if you have children traveling abroad you should have one because you never know what could happen to them.
• 4-6 weeks is the standard amount of time to get a passport (without expediting).
• Naturalized citizens should consider getting and using a passport card as another form of identification so that they don’t have to walk around with their naturalization papers. “The passport card is not just for traveling.”

The passport process needn’t be a painful one. As Ms. DiGiaccomo pointed out, “the whole key to traveling is preparation.” Isn’t that what I always say? Do you own a passport? Are you in the market for one or need one renewed? Now’s a good time to apply before the processing rush begins.