How to Get a Passport in Charlotte North Carolina : visasupply.com

Editor's Note: U.S. passports are currently taking up to seven weeks to process using the government's expedited service. It is possible to get a passport in less time by scheduling an appointment with the Passport Agency by calling 877-487-2778 and appearing in person at their office.

An increasing number of Charlotte residents are obtaining U.S. passports as demand for international travel grows, especially among employees of large companies with a strong presence in the area. The eighth fastest-growing city in the United States, Charlotte has evolved into a major banking, manufacturing, transportation, healthcare, and technology hub.

The “Queen City” is the second largest banking center in the country, trailing only New York City. Bank of America, the second-largest U.S. bank by assets, and Truist Financial both have their main headquarters in Charlotte, and Wells Fargo’s East Coast operations are based here. The financial sector employs an estimated 82,000 workers. The top five employers in Charlotte are Atrium Health, Wells Fargo, Walmart, Bank of America, and Novant Health. The city also boasts seven Fortune 500 company headquarters: Bank of America, Honeywell, Nucor, Lowe’s, Duke Energy, Sonic Automotive, and Brighthouse Financial.

The metro area’s manufacturing sector has also seen massive investments in recent years. In 2021, Red Bull and Rauch announced they would build a $473 million beverage manufacturing, filling and distribution center in nearby Cabarrus County. There are more than 3,000 manufacturers in the region that create pulp and paper products, specialty chemicals, residential windows, Bubble Wrap, textiles, heavy equipment, and other products for the defense, energy, industrial, and commercial markets. Tourism has also grown in recent years, with popular destinations ranging from NASCAR’s home track and Hall of Fame to the U.S. National Whitewater Center, along with a vibrant historic arts and entertainment district.

The state of North Carolina’s strong economy and growing population are also contributing factors to the increased demand for new passports. Of North Carolina’s 10.7 million residents, some 913,000 live in the city of Charlotte and more than 2.3 million reside in the Charlotte metropolitan area. (The metro area is also known as the Metrolina, as it encompasses portions of North and South Carolina). More than 2.7 million people live in the 15-county Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which also covers parts of North and South Carolina. In 2022, the U.S. Passport Agency issued 464,057 passports to North Carolina residents—a significant rebound beyond the pre-COVID level of 441,965 in fiscal 2020.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport is one of the world’s busiest airports, ranking seventh in 2022. The airport is served by eight major carriers, 15 regional airlines, and three foreign flag carriers. It averages 1,400 arrivals/departures and 118,000 travelers each day. Charlotte handles almost 48 million passengers annually and provides nonstop service to 178 destinations (including 36 international locations and three U.S. territories).

The area’s numerous educational and religious institutions also fuel global travel. More than 15 public and private colleges and universities offer degrees in the area. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Office of Education Abroad provides opportunities for American students to study abroad. There are more than 2,800 churches and religious organizations in the greater metro area, including headquarters for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Presbyterian Church (USA), Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, and Advent Christian Church. The region’s strong economy and population growth also means that more North Carolina residents have the means to travel internationally for business and/or pleasure.

To travel abroad, adults (ages 16 and up) need a U.S. passport. The passport is good for 10 years, after which it must be renewed. To obtain a new passport or renew an existing one, you will have to appear in person at an authorized passport acceptance facility. Employees at these government facilities will verify your identity and your documentation. You will also have to appear in person if:

You previously held a child’s passport (only good for five years);
Your passport expired more than five years ago; or
Your passport has been lost or damaged.

In Charlotte, there are three options to obtain a new passport: visit a local passport acceptance facility; drive to the Passport Agency in Atlanta (by appointment only); or, in certain circumstances, use a private passport service such as Visa Supply to expedite delivery.

(NOTE: If you already have an adult passport in your possession that is in good condition, and it expired less than five years ago (or has yet to expire and you wish to renew), click here to learn how to renew a passport: https://www.visasupply.com/passports-and-visas-101/post/passport-renewal-in-atlanta.

Option 1: Appear at an Acceptance Facility

The most common way to obtain or renew a passport is by visiting a passport acceptance facility. This link allows you to find the closest facility to your ZIP code: https://iafdb.travel.state.gov. Charlotte area residents can also visit one of the local county courthouses that serve as a passport acceptance facility. One such facility is the York County Clerk of Court, just across the state line in Rock Hill, S.C. (https://www.yorkcountygov.com/556/Passport-Information). You can also use this link to schedule an appointment with a USPS facility that offers passport services: https://tools.usps.com/rcas.htm.

The basic form for a new passport (DS-11) is available online at https://pptform.state.gov/. You can complete the form online and then print it out, and take with you to the acceptance facility. (Do NOT sign the passport form in advance, as the government agent must witness your signature.) You may also fill out the DS-11 form by hand at the passport acceptance facility.

You will submit supporting documentation along with form DS-11. The required documents include:

Your long-form birth certificate or a government-certified copy of that certificate. {If you need to order a new copy of your birth certificate, we recommend using VitalChek (https://www.vitalchek.com), a private company with an easy-to-use process and less expensive rates.}
For naturalized citizens, their original certificate of naturalization.
State-issued driver’s license.
One photo that meets all passport image criteria, and properly attached to the application. (See https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/photos.html.)
A check or money payable to the U.S. Department of State. The basic passport fee is $130. Additional charges apply for expedited service and other options. For a full list of fees, please visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/fees.html.
Another $35 payable via check, money order, cash or debit card to be paid to the passport acceptance facility for the identity verification process. (Check with the specific facility for the exact forms of payment they accept.)

Passport acceptance facilities are government offices but they do not actually issue passports. These facilities will verify your documents and forward them to the State Department’s Passport Agency. The normal turnaround time for renewals by mail is eight to eleven weeks. Expedited service within seven weeks is available for an added fee. You can also pay extra for return delivery in two days (rather than the typical first-class mailing).

Option 2: Apply in Person at a U.S. Passport Agency

If you are traveling within the next month, you will need to apply in person at a federal passport office. There is no federal passport office in North Carolina, so the closest location is the U.S. Passport Agency in Atlanta. The downtown Atlanta office at 230 Peachtree Street is roughly a four-hour drive from Charlotte. You can ONLY apply in person here if you can prove the need to travel within the next two weeks – or four weeks if you are traveling to a country that requires a visa. You will need to fill out Form DS-11 and make an appointment directly with the Atlanta office by calling 877-487-2778. Note that the agencies are busy during the summer travel season and around the holidays, so give yourself plenty of lead time.

For your appointment, bring the identification listed above, as well as:

Your appointment confirmation number
Proof of travel plans, such as your flight itinerary, hotel reservation or cruise tickets
One passport photo
Methods of payment. The agency takes major credit cards, debit cards, cash, checks and money orders. In addition to normal costs, there is an additional $60 expediting fee.

Contact information, directions and other details about the Atlanta Passport Agency are available at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast/passport-agencies/atlanta.html.

Visiting the Passport Agency is more expensive and less convenient than using a local acceptance facility when you factor in the added costs for transportation and your time. However, if you need a passport quickly, it is worth the extra effort. Unlike a passport acceptance facility, the Passport Agency can issue your new passport – often on the same day or the following day.

Option 3: Use a Private Passport Service

The third option is to use a private passport expediter such as Visa Supply to speed up the turnaround time. For this option, you still need to visit a passport acceptance facility so a government official can verify your identity and documents. Normally the facility can only forward your documents to the State Department for processing. However, if you are using a courier service such as Visa Supply, the acceptance facility will seal your documents in an envelope and return them to you. You will then take that envelope back to our office so we can ship it to one of our couriers in San Francisco, Seattle, Houston, or Washington, D.C., so we can expedite your passport application.

Our office is located in the Atlanta suburb of Sandy Springs, also about a four-hour drive from Charlotte. If you want Visa Supply to help you, it is usually better to visit our office in-person so we can take your passport photo; help you prepare your DS-11 application; plus review your documentation. You can take these documents to the DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court in Decatur (about a 30-minute drive from our office), and then return the sealed envelope to Visa Supply so we can expedite your application with the Passport Agency.

Since Visa Supply is a private company, we charge a fee for our services (in addition to the government’s $190 expedite fee for a passport book). Beyond the convenience of using our office, we make sure your application form is filled out correctly. We also take your passport photo and will ensure that it meets the government’s specifications. Our basic service starts at $100. Customers receive their new passport (along with the old one) within seven weeks; for additional fees we can also get passports renewed in as fast as one week. Please call us for the latest details.

Residents of Charlotte with questions about obtaining a new U.S. passport can schedule a telephone call through our website by clicking on the "Schedule Appointment" icon on top of this page. Our free consultation will guide you through your options and each step in the process.