PASSPORT APPLICATIONS ARE PROCESSED BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. DUE TO VOLUME, WE DO NOT ACCEPT WALK-INS. PLEASE CALL OUR OFFICE AT (608) 266-4311 TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT.
To ensure timely processing of your passport application, please bring your DS-11 typed or completed in BLACK INK ONLY. If you are going to obtain and fill out the application at our office on the morning of your appointment, please plan to arrive 10-15 minutes in advance of your scheduled appointment to complete the application so we then can process your application on time at the time of your scheduled appointment.
PLEASE NOTE: You will be required to pay two (2) separate fees at our office. You must have a checkbook with a pre-printed address on the same (a money order is also acceptable) for the first fee that will accompany your application (Made payable to the US Department of State). The second fee, our application processing fee, can be paid by check, money order, cash, or by credit card for a small additional processing fee. Starter checks without a pre-printed address contained thereon cannot be accepted!
This page contains some information regarding applying for a passport through the Dane County Clerk of Courts. This is not the official passport site, however. For specifics on passport applications and requirements, please visit travel.state.gov.
If you are applying for a first-time passport or are unable to locate a prior passport, you will need to complete a current DS-11 form. We provide this form at no charge to individuals (large group or organizations, with the exception of schools, must purchase the forms directly from the Passport Agency). If you download a form from the internet at travel.state.gov, it must be a good quality copy in order for us to accept it. Applications not typed must be completed in BLACK INK ONLY. You can come to the door labeled "Court Records" (Room 1002 of the Dane County Courthouse), 215 South Hamilton Street, Madison, WI 53703.
You may fill out the application at the Clerk of Courts Office or take it with you.
Second parent's/guardian's notarized written statement consenting to passport issuance for the child as well as a copy of their drivers license or state ID (front and back) for identification purposes, primary evidence of sole authority to apply, OR A written statement, form DS-3053 (made under penalty of perjury) explaining the second parent's unavailability.
If you have all the necessary information and your application is completed correctly, the time necessary for us to process it should be 15 minutes or less.
A check or money order payable to U.S. Department of State
Cash, credit card, check or money order payable to Clerk of Courts
Passport Cards are now available for issuance. A card is good for land or sea travel only. This new travel document can be used to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry.
The normal processing time is 4-6 weeks. If you will be departing in less than 4 to 6 weeks, you should expedite your application. It is not recommended to expedite unless necessary. There is an additional fee to expedite regardless of the age of the applicant. If you will be leaving in less than a month, you will want to overnight the application as well. If there is more than one applicant for expedited passports, the applications can be over-nighted together to the Passport Agency. You must have a separate return overnight envelope for each application. You can expect to receive an expedited passport back in approximately 2 weeks, depending how it is sent. The Passport Agency does require 3 business days for processing of expedited applications.
If you had a previous passport, you can renew it, if you meet all of the following criteria:
Renewal forms and instructions are available on the internet at travel.state.gov. You can mail a renewal form (DS-82) to the nearest Passport Agency listed on the instructions with the proper fee, one new photo, and your expired passport. You can also expedite renewal forms for an additional $60 fee. Children cannot have their passports renewed unless they were over 16 when their previous passport was issued and they meet the criteria.
If you have an overseas emergency or extremely urgent travel scheduled, you may be required to apply in person for a will-call service. The Chicago Agency is one of a number of Passport Agencies that has installed an appointment system to improve customer service. The Chicago Agency is open to the public from 9 AM to 4 PM. Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays, but customers can call the National Passport Information Center at (877) 487-2778 to schedule an appointment with the Chicago Agency.
Effective January 9, 2017, all customers applying for a passport using form DS-11 must submit a clear copy of their citizenship evidence in addition to their original or certified copy of U.S. citizenship. If there is writing on both sides of the citizenship evidence, then copies must be made of the front and back of the document.
The photocopy is required of primary U.S. citizenship evidence such as a certified birth certificate, naturalization certificate, consular report of birth abroad, and certificate of citizenship. Customers who submit an expired U.S. passport book or passport card as citizenship evidence do not need to submit a photocopy.
Photocopies
Customers can also submit a second certified copy of their citizenship evidence in place of a photocopy. The second certified copy will be retained by the Department of State.
Customers who do not submit a photocopy or second certified copy of their citizenship evidence may experience a delay in the processing of their passport application.
If you have any questions relating to immigration matters, please refer to the INS Service Center at (800) 375-5283. INS operators are available from 8 AM to 6 PM, Monday through Friday. Automated information is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You may also visit the INS website.
Misspelled names and wrong dates or places of birth can occur due to the large volume of passports that are processed. If you do not have urgent travel plans, you can simply mail the passport back to:
New Orleans Passport Agency
Attn: Rewrite
One Canal Place
365 Canal Street, Suite 1300
New Orleans, LA 70130-6508
Include a note explaining the error, and the Passport Agency will re-issue the passport at no charge to you. If you have imminent travel planned, please return to the acceptance agency and advise them to call the Passport Agency to discuss options that will best meet your needs.
The Passport Agency will only accept a certified copy of your birth certificate that is registered with the Register of Deed/Bureau of Vital Statistics in the County in which you were born, or with the State in which you were born. You can order a copy by phone with a credit card from most states. For information, call (800) 255-2414. To order online, visit the Vital Records Website.
To view the status of your passport application and other travel information visit the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs, which includes Passport Services, on the Internet at travel.state.gov.
If you need to inquire about the issuance of your passport, the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) can assist you. You may speak with a Customer Service Representative by calling:
(877) 487-2778
TTY/TDD Users: (888) 874-7793
E-mail: NPIC@state.gov
Customer Service Representatives are available Monday-Friday (excluding Federal holidays). All services are available in English and Spanish.
