I'm in BIG trouble... My son kept telling me to check his passport (he's at school in another state) to make sure it wasn't expired.. I thought for sure it was ok. well.. it expires may 23.. and we are leaving may 21. I'm now scrambling.. and will pay a hefty amount.. to get him a new one when he comes back from school on May 16. Word to the wise.... check it!

Calla - wow, that's too bad. Good luck. Is there any possibility you mis-read the date? Someone was looking at my passport the other day and was sure mine had expired.

I wouldn't wait until May 16. I would FedEx it to him and let him get the process going - new photos, d/l the forms/etc. You will still have to pay the extra $$$, but at least it won't be such a time crunch.

Ditto kybourbon's advice. Don't wait and rely on bureaucratic (in)efficiency.

That's true, because I had to make an appointment for a last minute passport, and it took 2 weeks just to get the appointment!! NY had no slots, so I had to go to Philadelphia. Good luck!

Ditto to everything kybourbon, Jean and amp322 say. Express his passport to him first thing in the a.m. You need to get the ball rolling ASAP.

Thanks All !! I will do that. I just feel so bad, because I should have checked months ago. Now he will be in the middle of finals and moving out of his apartment. Oh well.. you are definitely right. He's got to get it going -- now! Thanks again for the 'push' in the right direction.

OK, OK, so I know I kvetch about DFF (Dear Fellow Fodorites) respondng in ways that skirt the OP's message and hijack the thread into tangential territory, but....
If he he's old enough to be away at school in another state why does he need Mommy to look after his passport?

callalilli,
If you are departing within 14 days, you (or your son) can make an appt. at a passport office - and I think it's a better bet than the vaguaries of "expedited" service. My friend just did that yesterday (called last Friday and got an appt. for Tuesday at the NYC office). A couple of things she found out once there:
- Her 11:30 appt. took 2 1/2 hrs of waiting and five minutes of handing over her papers. This is because NYC is a very busy office, and there is no distinction between people going in for new passports (lots of paperwork) and those with renewals.
- There is no additional charge other than the standard expedite fee.
- She could pick up her new passport as early as today (24 hours later); you have to go back into the same office to get it.
- She said she met someone who was at the appt. for her boss - so it may be that as long as your son gets passport photos taken and fills out the renewal form (you can get it from the State Dept website) and gets that to you, you can do the rest... (sometime after this weekend, since it has to be 14 days or less).

Personally, I'd hesitate before sending a passport through the mail, even if it is FedEx.

Also, search for a thread in the Europe forum called "Passport Expiration Question"; in the thread I posted some info about making an appt.

GOOD LUCK!

Thanks ggreen.. I'm re-thinking that one myself. He's going to take care of it next week.
Oh - and seamus -- LOL. I was waiting for someone to be antagonistic about this.. and unfortunately, true to this forum, there is always someone. (seriously, I cringe when writing anything here b/c of some of the mean-spirited responses I've seen... but I'm not completely intimidated, or I would never write.. and thereby never benefit from the experiences of other travelers.. whom I am very thankful for, btw).
So, not because I think you need or deserve an answer.. but just cuz I'm in the mood.. (oh.. please don't jump on me for using the word 'cuz'... cuz I use it cuz I like it!)
Anyway, the passport was left behind at our family home since he had no need to take it with him to college. "Mommy" has no need to look after his posessions.. but feel blessed to have the opportunity to do so.
Have a great evening.. and don't worry yourself over such details of someone else's life.

What I didn't know UNTIL I READ IT HERE is that a passport has to be good for a certain amount of time (never know if it's 90 days or 6 months) AFTER you depart to be "good." I read someone's painful trip report on the Latin America board that wised me up to this. Because of that, I was able to avert disaster with my kids' passports before we left for CR.

Some people are not aware that there are countries that require your passport to be valid beyond your stay as well...sometimes as much as 6 months beyond your departure date.

callalilli - You didn't mention your location or your sons. I don't think there is anywhere in KY to get a passport in 24 hours like the post about NYC. Our passports are processed in New Orleans or were before the hurricane. Also, your son is not getting a new passport, but renewing his old one. I believe he can download the renewal form online to fill out or pick it up at the post office. He must sign it in the presence of the person at the PO. He will need new pictures and some, but not all, PO's offer photo service.

Here is the link for renewal,the form, and expediting.
http://travel.state.gov/passport/get...renew_833.html

On the hopeful side, I recently had my passport renewal expedited. I sent it overnight mail with the additional fee and I had the new passport back within a week. I was very surprised. But maybe that is unusual.

Don't know your son's destination, but in most cases, a US citizen can walk into US consulate and get a new passport or at the very least, an extension on the old passport within a day or 2.

Most European countries do not require the 6 months validity. That is very much true every time a US citizen needs a visa, but since most European countries don't have that requirement for US citizens then it's not a big issue, although the passport control officer may ask him few "extra" questions, such as, return ticket proof, proof of financial responsibility, etc.........

The rule GENERALLY is that you can't stay in a country after your passport expires.

However in some cases (US in UK & vice versa) as long as the passport is valid on the day of arrival then you'll get the full visa allowance

callalilli -
;-)

Thanks All... actually, the reason it is a little more tricky is that he cannot just renew, since he was 15 when the original passport was issued. Basically, he is applying for a new Passport. He's in Texas (Ft. Worth) and the office is in Houston.. not so terrible -about a 3.5-4hour drive, which he is willing to do in between finals and studying for finals.. but in order for them to expedite it, it needs to be within 14 days of travel -- and you have to show proof of that. Well, that would work with regular tickets.. but we are traveling standby (I work for an airline) and there are no dates on the itinerary. They said they may, or may not, accept that. Not worth trying at that late date.

So.. I overnighted his passport to him this morning.. he will take it to the P.O. tomorrow (they do not care why you want it within 2weeks and dont ask for proof of travel plans) and will expedite it (add'l $60) and then we'll wait to see if it really arrives in the 2 weeks they advised.

I'm thinking it will all work out just fine...

callalilli- I'm from Dallas and have never had to go down to Houston to get the passport. I go to the passport issuing office on St. Francis St. (near where I live) and do it all there.

Here is a website to check: http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/

You have no reason to go down to Houston, and yes, they mail it to you and you can expedite it. In fact, I don't even think that he has to go to the office, as once my mother did this for me while I was out of the country (I still had a valid passport, but she was going anyways and they said OK. . . this was pre 9/11, though).

Good luck!

callalilli,
the fact that he was on you about making sure it was ok well in advance is a good sign, you raised him right