Getting a passport in Palo Alto

For a city full of frequent flyers, Palo Alto has surprisingly few places to apply for a passport. One post office in town accepts applications. Adults renewing an old passport can usually skip the trip entirely. When a trip is only days away, the answer is a drive or train ride to the passport agency in San Francisco.

This guide covers where to apply, the 2026 fees from the U.S. Department of State, how renewals work and how to handle urgent travel. The State Department sets the rules and fees. Check travel.state.gov before you go, since forms and fees change. For the post office itself, including parking and Saturday hours, see our post offices and shipping guide.

Who has to apply in person

You must apply in person at an acceptance facility, using form DS-11, if any of these apply:

• It is your first U.S. passport.
• You are under 16.
• Your previous passport was issued before you turned 16.
• Your previous passport was lost, stolen or damaged.
• Your most recent passport was issued more than 15 years ago.

Applicants under 16 generally need both parents or guardians present, or a notarized consent form from the absent parent. Everyone else with an undamaged recent passport can usually renew by mail or online, covered below.

Where to apply in Palo Alto

The main post office at 2085 East Bayshore Road is the acceptance facility in town. It sits on the frontage road on the bay side of Highway 101. USPS writes its mailing city as East Palo Alto with ZIP code 94303, but the building is on the Palo Alto side of the freeway. It has its own parking lot. In October 2026 USPS listed:

• Passport appointments from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.
• Walk-in passport service from 3 to 4 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
• Passport photo appointments on weekdays.

Book through USPS's online scheduler. The Hamilton and Cambridge post offices do not take passport applications. The small Stanford post office in White Plaza closed on October 31, 2026.

Other options nearby

Appointment slots in town can fill up weeks ahead, especially before summer. Other post offices on the Peninsula and in the South Bay also accept applications. Use the State Department's acceptance facility search on travel.state.gov to find current locations and confirm each one's hours. A few notes from official pages and local reporting:

• The San Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder's office says its passport services are temporarily inactive and it is not accepting applications until further notice.
• Los Altos Online reported that the Santa Clara County Library District's Los Altos Library at 13 S. San Antonio Road offers passport services by appointment, including some evenings and weekends. Confirm on the library district's site before you go.

2026 fees

You pay two separate fees when applying in person. The application fee goes to the U.S. Department of State, usually by check or money order. The acceptance fee goes to the facility, paid separately. These figures come from the State Department's fee chart marked "Updated June 2026."

Optional fees, also paid to the State Department:

• Expedited service: $60.
• One to three day delivery of the finished passport: $23.36, for U.S. mailing addresses only and not for passport cards.

The passport card is cheaper but works only for land and sea crossings to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean. It is not valid for international flights. Most Palo Alto travelers want the book.

What to bring to your appointment

1. Form DS-11, filled out but not signed. You sign in front of the acceptance agent.
2. Proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a certified birth certificate or a previous passport, plus a photocopy.
3. Photo ID, such as a driver's license, plus a photocopy of the front and back.
4. One passport photo taken within the last six months. Glasses are not allowed in passport photos.
5. Two payments: one for the State Department and one for the acceptance fee.

Need a certified birth certificate first? For anyone born in Santa Clara County, our vital records guide explains how to order one. If you only need photos, the UPS Store in Town & Country Village and both FedEx Office stores in town list passport photo service. FedEx says its stores are not acceptance facilities.

Renewing by mail or online

Most adults renew without an appointment. You can generally use form DS-82 or the State Department's online renewal if your most recent passport is undamaged, was issued when you were 16 or older and was issued within the last 15 years. Name changes are allowed with the right documents, such as a marriage certificate.

Renewing by mail means sending the form, your old passport, a new photo and the fee to the address on the form. The online option skips the envelope but has extra eligibility rules, such as no immediate travel. Check both on travel.state.gov. Either way, apply well ahead of any trip, since processing times change through the year and the State Department posts current estimates on its site.

Urgent travel: the San Francisco Passport Agency

If your trip is close, an acceptance facility cannot help much. The State Department's San Francisco Passport Agency issues passports in person for qualifying urgent travel.

• Address: 450 Golden Gate Avenue, 3rd floor, San Francisco, about three blocks from the Civic Center BART station.
• Hours: Monday through Wednesday and Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed weekends and federal holidays.
• Who qualifies: international travel within 14 calendar days, or a foreign visa needed within 28 calendar days. Life-or-death emergencies follow a separate process on the State Department site.
• Appointments: by appointment only, booked through the State Department's online appointment system. If you already applied, call 877-487-2778 with your application locator number.

The State Department says it does not charge for appointments and is not affiliated with third-party booking services. Bring printed proof of travel, your completed form, citizenship evidence with a photocopy, photo ID, a photo and payment by card. For children under 16, both parents and the child must attend.

Getting there

There is no public parking at the building. The agency lists nearby garages on McAllister and Larkin streets. From Palo Alto, Caltrain to San Francisco and then Muni or BART to Civic Center usually beats driving and parking downtown. Our Caltrain guide and our San Francisco day trip guide cover the ride. Arrive 15 minutes early for security screening.

Tips before you travel

• Many countries require six months of validity left on your passport. Check your expiration date when you book flights, not at the airport.
• A REAL ID is not needed if you fly domestically with a valid passport. Our DMV and ID guide explains the rules.
• Keep a photo of your passport's data page somewhere secure in case it is lost abroad.
• Consider travel medical insurance for long trips, since many U.S. health plans cover little overseas.
• Flying out of SFO? Our SFO guide covers getting there from Palo Alto.

Frequently asked questions