How to apply for the State Department’s commemorative Patriot Passport
The State Department has opened a nationwide path for Americans to apply for a limited-edition commemorative passport celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States. The first listed application events begin August 8, 2026, and additional opportunities are scheduled through September 26.
The department’s guidance, updated August 3, 2026, says it is offering 250,000 special passports called the “Patriot Passport.” The custom artwork includes a portrait of President Donald Trump, Declaration of Independence imagery and the Freedom 250 logo. The document retains the standard security features and ordinary travel function of a U.S. passport.
How to apply
Applicants must apply in person by appointment. The State Department lists two routes: an appointment at the Washington Passport Agency in Washington, D.C., or an appointment at a commemorative application event at a passport agency or center.
To check availability and schedule an appointment, call 1-877-487-2778 and select menu option 9. Appointments cannot be made online. The department says applicants will receive an appointment confirmation email after booking.
A routine visit to a passport agency does not by itself guarantee the commemorative design. Applicants must obtain an appointment through the designated commemorative process, and availability should be confirmed before making travel or lodging arrangements.
Where and when events are scheduled
The first listed events are scheduled for August 8 in Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Stamford, Connecticut, and Centennial, Colorado.
The State Department’s schedule also lists events on August 10 in Simi Valley, California; August 11 in Boston; August 18 in Buffalo, New York, and Tucson; August 20 in San Francisco; August 22 in Tucson, Miami, North Charleston, El Paso, San Juan and San Diego; August 29 in St. Albans, Vermont, Atlanta, Hot Springs, Arkansas, Washington, D.C., and Tucson; September 2 in Honolulu; September 12 in Seattle and Houston; and September 26 in Washington, D.C., and Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
The department may add or change opportunities, so applicants should check the official schedule and confirm appointment availability by phone. The stated supply is limited to 250,000 documents, but the department does not say that inventory will be divided equally among events.
Forms, fees and what to bring
The commemorative passport uses the State Department’s established DS-11 or DS-82 form, depending on the applicant’s eligibility. The regular passport fee schedule and generally applicable processing rules apply.
Applicants should bring the documents normally required for the applicable form, including citizenship evidence, identification, a passport photo and any other materials required by the department. Current requirements should be checked before the appointment.
The commemorative passport has 26 pages. A 52-page large passport book is available under the regular passport process, but it uses the existing passport design rather than the commemorative artwork.
What will not produce the commemorative design
The State Department says applicants will not receive a Patriot Passport if they apply online, mail an application to the department, apply at a routine passport acceptance facility or apply through a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. Those routes continue under the regular passport process.
After the appointment
The commemorative passport will generally be mailed to the applicant. The department has not promised a special delivery schedule, so travelers should account for generally applicable processing rules and should not rely on the commemorative application for imminent travel unless the agency confirms the appropriate service.
After applying, readers can use the State Department’s post-application guidance to check status and respond to follow-up requests. The commemorative-passport page remains the source for the current event schedule and appointment instructions.
Sources
- State Department commemorative-passport guidance
- Associated Press report on the Patriot Passport rollout
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