Passport Application Acceptance Operations

Since 1975, the Postal Service has leveraged its expansive retail network to accept passport applications on behalf of the U.S. Department of State (State Department). The State Department is primarily responsible for nationwide passport services. This includes designating entities to accept passport applications, providing passport information to the public, issuing U.S. passports, and ensuring program integrity. The Postal Service’s role is to accept passport applications at designated facilities, ensure all application documents are correct, and submit documents to the State Department. The Postal Service and State Department have an interagency agreement that governs passport acceptance. Our objective was to assess the Postal Service’s passport application acceptance operations and identify opportunities for improvement.