Passports

City of Charlotte Passport Acceptance Facility

The City Clerk's Office is excited to announce that we are now an authorized United States Passport Acceptance Facility!

The City of Charlotte does not discriminate on the basis of disability. We will provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to persons with disabilities upon request. To make a request, please reply to this email.

passportfacility@charlottenc.gov

704.432.5729

600 E. Fourth St. Charlotte, NC 28202

Passport Services are by appointment only.

Call 704.432.5729 or go online to request your appointment now.

Passport photos can be taken at the City Clerk's Office for $15 each.

ONLY CHECKS AND MONEY ORDERS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Passport Acceptance Facilities cannot process renewals.

You will need to renew your passport by mail using form DS-82 if you answer 'YES' to ALL 5 of the following:

You have your passport in your possession to submit with your application.
It is undamaged other than normal wear and tear.
It was issued when you were age 16 or older.
It was issued within the last 15 years.
It was issued in your current name or you can document your name change.

If you answer 'NO' to any of the statements, you must apply in person.

The facility does not provide public use of a copier. You will need to bring a color copy of your proof of citizenship and a back and front, color copy of your identification.

City of Charlotte Passport Acceptance Facility

We look forward to serving you!

Hours of Operation

Monday: Closed

Tuesday: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Friday: Closed

Saturday: Closed

Sunday: Closed

The Passport Acceptance Facility will be closed on all city and federal holidays.

2023 Federal Holiday Schedule

Date

Day of Week

Holiday Name

January 2

Monday

New Year’s Day

January 16

Monday

Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.

February 20

Monday

Washington’s Birthday (aka Presidents Day)

May 29

Monday

Memorial Day

June 19

Monday

Juneteenth National Independence Day

July 4

Tuesday

Independence Day

September 4

Monday

Labor Day

October 9

Monday

Columbus Day

November 10

Friday

Veterans Day

November 23

Thursday

Thanksgiving Day

December 25

Monday

Christmas Day

Passport Requirements

Passport Application

The U.S. State Department has an online form that you can print. Ink must be black.

If you do not want to print the online form, you can obtain the form from the City of Charlotte Passport Acceptance Facility when you come in to apply for the passport. Should you decide to complete the form in our office, you must arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment. Should you have more than one applicant in your party, this will apply for them as well.

Should you make an error, carefully mark through the error one time in black ink then legibly write the correction on top or below the error.

NOTE: Do not sign your passport application! You will be required to sign the application after the Passport Acceptance Agent reads your oath.

Citizenship Evidence

All applicants are required to submit evidence of U.S. citizenship, with color copy of evidence, in order to be issued a U.S. passport.

The most common documents used as evidence of citizenship for persons born in the U.S. are:

U.S. birth certificate
Full-validity U.S. passport book or card

The full-validity U.S. passport book or card may be expired but should not have more than routine wear-and-tear damage.

Copies alone are not acceptable and must be accompanied with the certified document.

If you are in need of a certified copy of your birth certificate and you were born in Mecklenburg County, the Register of Deeds, located at 720 E 4th Street, Charlotte, NC 28202, will be able to assist you.
If you are in need of a certified copy of your birth certificate and you were born in a North Carolina county outside of Mecklenburg County, the Office of Vital Records, located at 618 N College Street, Charlotte, NC 28202, will be able to assist you.
If you are in need of a certified copy of your birth certificate and you were born in a state outside of North Carolina, you will need to contact the Vital Records location of your birthplace for more information.

Persons born outside the United States will need to bring one of the following:

Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Currently Form FS-240, previously Form FS-545)
Certification of a Report of Birth Abroad (Form DS-1350, no longer issued but still acceptable)
Certificate of Citizenship
Certificate of Naturalization
Previous full-validity U.S. Passport without extensive damage

Should you be unable to obtain one of the items listed above, there is a list of secondary evidence for U.S. Citizenship that may be provided. View the list on the website of the U.S. State Department.

Identity Verification

Please bring one of the following forms of identifications, with color copy of front and back, when you come in to apply:

Current and valid:

Driver's license (not temporary nor learner’s permit)
Government Employee ID: city, county, state, or federal, OR
Official U.S. Military ID: military and dependents

Previous U.S. passport
Foreign passport
Naturalization Certificate with identifiable photo attached
Certificate of Citizenship with identifiable photo attached

Minors under the age of 16 will use the parent's identification.

Should you be unable to obtain a one of the items listed above, there is a list of secondary evidence of identity that may be provided. View the list on the website of the U.S State Department's webpage.

Passport Photograph

Save time by having your passport photo taken at the City of Charlotte Passport Acceptance Facility when you present your application!

The fee for a passport photo is $15.00. Payment for the photo is accepted in check or money order only.

Should you choose to have your passport photo taken elsewhere, a single, color photo, meeting the passport photo requirements bellow is required:

Attire

While uniforms, such as military or police, may not be worn, religious clothing worn daily may be so long as it is not obscuring the face. Except for religious purposes, no hats or head coverings are permitted. A signed statement regarding religious headgear will be requested.

Photo must not show head phones or a wireless device, such us Bluetooth headset or earbuds, with the exception to hearing aids, should they be normally and consistently worn.

Glasses

Glasses must be removed for a passport photo even if glasses are routinely worn, unless submitting a signed medical statement stating that glasses cannot be removed due to medical reasons. In this case, frames must not cover the eye(s) nor there be glare, shadows, or refraction on eyeglasses that obscure the eye(s).

Pose and Expression

While a natural smile is accepted, a neutral facial expression is preferred. The subject must be facing the camera and looking straight ahead, with shoulders square to camera, and both eyes open and clearly visible.

Obscuring the Face

Full face must be visible and free of shadows and without hair or clothing obscuring the face. An accessory or facial decoration is acceptable if it is normally and consistently worn and does not obscure the face, such as: jewelry, piercings, wigs, and hearing aids.

Background

Must be a plain, white or off-white, shadow-free background with no other person appearing in the photo.

Size, Resolution, and Image Specifications

The passport photograph must be 2 x 2 inches in size with the image size, being measured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head (including hair), not be less than one inch or more than 1 3/8 inches.

The photo must be undamaged and have been taken within the past 6 months, without visible pixels, printer dots, or smudges, on matte or glossy quality paper. Photo must have the subject in focus and be sharp with fine detail, while representing a good likeness of the subject.

Lighting, Color, Contrast, and Brightness

Photos must not contain red eye, shadows on face or background or shine or hotspots.

Lighting must be sufficiently bright so that facial features are clearly visible, with illumination uniformly across the face. Pupils and irises must be clearly visible.

Digital Alteration and Retouching

Photo cannot be altered, adjusted, retouched, or manipulated, including but not limited to: digital or darkroom techniques such as airbrushing, image enhancing, photo retouching, adjustments to aspect ratio, or adjustments being made to facial features or to the image's background

Head Size and Position

Head must be centered, facing forward, with the camera not too close or too far away from the subject.

For more information on passport photo requirements, please visit the website of the U.S. Department of State.

Fees and Payment

Fees

Required Fee - Paid to: City of Charlotte

Payment to City of Charlotte - must be paid SEPARATELY by check or money order

Application Fee: $35

Optional Fee - Paid to: City of Charlotte

Optional Passport Photo: $15

Required Fee - Paid to: U.S. Department of State

Payment to U. S. Department of State - must be paid SEPARATELY by check or money order

Passport book: $130 for adults, $100 for minors (15 years of age and younger)
Limited-use passport card: $30 for adults, $15 for minors
Both passport book and limited-use card: $160 adults, $115 for minors

Optional Fees - Paid to: U.S. Department of State

Optional Expedited Service Fee*: $60 (per applicant)
Optional 1-2 Day Delivery Return Service Fee*: $19.53 (For passport book only, per application)
Optional File Search Fee*: $150

*Expedited Service expedites the processing time of the passport application, per applicant, providing door-to-door processing in roughly three weeks. Processing times are subject to change.

*1-2 Day Delivery Return Service expedites the return of the newly-issued passport book from the Passport Center to the applicant. Fee is to be paid for each applicant desiring the service.

*File Search Fee is necessary when an applicant is unable to present evidence of U.S. citizenship or verification of a previous issued U.S. Passport or Consular Report of Birth Abroad. Along with application, the applicant must submit a written request for a file search.

There is a $35.00 returned check fee.

All fees are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information regarding passport fees and payments, please visit the website of the U.S. Department of State.

Day of Appointment

Please review our Application Checklist to ensure you have all necessary documents for your scheduled appointment.

Bring all above original materials, with colored copies, to the City of Charlotte Passport Acceptance Facility in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, 600 East Fourth Street, Charlotte, NC 28202. We are located on the 1st floor in Room 159; left of the Council Chamber.

If completing the application at the facility, please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment, per applicant.

A Passport Acceptance Agent will:

Verify that the photograph is a true likeness of the applicant
Verify that the identification presented is a true likeness of the applicant
Screen evidence of U.S. citizenship
Record the identification documentation presented on the application
Review the application for completeness (all provided information must be legible and easy to read)
Collect the required passport fees and forward to the Department of State
Verbally administer the oath to the applicant and witness their signature
Print/sign their name, and affix the office’s authorized stamp on the application
Ensure all documents are handled and stored securely and that the applicant’s personally identifiable information (PII) is protected
Mail passport applications to the appropriate address at least daily using traceable mail

If your minor child also needs a passport, he or she will need to appear in person accompanied by both parents or legal guardians. Both parents' proof of identity will be required on behalf of the minor. If one parent or guardian is not available, the unavailable parent may provide the parent who will accompany the child with a notarized affidavit form and copy of proof of identity to be submitted with the application.