The U.S. Department of State says the record for U.S. passport processing has been broken.
The department said approximately 24.5 million passport books and cards were issued for the 2024 fiscal year. This number is half a million more than last year’s record-breaking total. It marks the third year in a row the record has been broken.
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More than one million Americans applied for passport renewal through the Online Passport Renewal System, which fully launched in September 2024.
In the coming years, the department will open six new passport facilities in Florida, Kansas, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and Utah. The city getting the facility in Texas, will be San Antonio.
According to the State Department, the six facilities will expand the agency’s footprint to 35.
The announcement comes as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, which asked the department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs to provide “improved in-person and emergency passport services to residents living in a significant population center more than a five-hour drive from a currently established passport agency,” a news release from U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro said.
The facilities will play a role in reducing travel time for those needing passport appointments or other essential services.
State Department announces San Antonio as future home of new passport agency