How to Get a Passport in Gainesville Florida : 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.

More residents of Gainesville are obtaining U.S. passports as international travel grows, especially for students and faculty at the University of Florida, whose International Center offers a variety of study abroad opportunities and various academic programs around the globe. Gainesville is also home to over 40,000 retirees, many with active lifestyles who travel internationally for leisure purposes.

The North Central Florida region’s strong economy and growing population are also contributing factors to the increased demand for new passports in recent years. Thanks to a business-friendly government that promotes economic freedom, Florida is now the fastest-growing state in the union. Of Florida’s 22.2 million residents in 2022, over 140,000 people live in the city of Gainesville and nearly 340,000 reside in the metropolitan area that includes Alachua, Levy, and Gilchrist counties. In 2022, the U.S. Department of State issued 1,315,125 passports for residents of the Sunshine State, making Florida the 4^th largest state for passport issuance (after California, Texas, and New York).

Gainesville’s local economy is anchored by the University of Florida, which employs over 30,000 residents. Gainesville is also home to North Florida Regional Medical Center, the Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and the medical network of the University of Florida Health, which employs several thousand healthcare professionals. Employers in the business sector include Motech Power Systems, Bear Archery, Exactech, Infotech, and SharpSpring, among other companies offering services in the insurance, construction, and insurance industries.

The stronger economy and population surge mean more residents of Gainesville are traveling for business and leisure. 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, 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 Gainesville, there are three options to obtain a new passport: visit a local passport acceptance facility; drive to the Passport Agency in Miami or Atlanta (all 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 a passport is visiting a passport acceptance facility. This link allows you to find the closest facility to your home or office: https://iafdb.travel.state.gov. For those located in the Gainesville area, we recommend using the Bradford County Clerk of Court (in the nearby town of Starke) because no appointment is required. Their office is located at 945 N Temple Ave, Starke, Florida 32091. Please review their website for more information: https://www.bradfordcountyfl.gov/index.asp?SEC=B8CAC899-E66E-4778-BA83-BCAD9A2F5E44&DE=80442A77-88C6-4654-B13D-7AFA6B781F28. Those living near the UF campus may also want to check the following website to see if appointments are avaible through the university's Business Services department: https://businessservices.ufl.edu/services/passport-services/.

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 (also listed at https://www.bradfordcountyfl.gov/index.asp?SEC=B8CAC899-E66E-4778-BA83-BCAD9A2F5E44&DE=80442A77-88C6-4654-B13D-7AFA6B781F28) 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 the passport. 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 the U.S. Passport Agency

If you need to travel within the next month, you can apply in person at the U.S. Passport Agency in Miami on 1501 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 400, Miami, FL 33132, which is a 5-hour drive from Gainesville. There is a Passport Agency office in Atlanta, located at 230 Peachtree Street NW #1000, Atlanta, GA 30303. Atlanta is also about a 5-hour drive from Gainesville. 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 Passport Agency. Note that the agency is 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 Miami Passport Agency are available at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast/passport-agencies/miami.html

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 a Passport Agency is more expensive and may be less convenient than using an acceptance facility when factoring in the cost of travel. 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 ship that envelope back 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 Atlanta, however, we can help you remotely through telephone and email to ensure your application documents are accurate before they are submitted to the government. If you want Visa Supply to help, please schedule a telephone call with us by phone so we can discuss your travel plans and gather details about your specific situation. We will help you prepare your DS-11 application; plus review it for accuracy. You will take your application documents to one of the passport acceptance facilities in the Gainesville area, and then you will ship the sealed envelope to one of our couriers using FedEx (as mentioned above) so we can expedite your application with the Passport Agency. We provide you with a prepaid FedEx airbill, which is included in the cost of our service fee.

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 talking to an expert that will properly guide you to navigate this process, we make sure your application form is filled out correctly and that you have all the necessary supporting documents. 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 Gainesville 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.