Get a passport fast at these special application events coming to NC soon

If you need a passport, there’s a chance to apply for one in North Carolina without an appointment.

The Department of State regularly organizes special passport acceptance fairs across the country at post offices, clerks of court, libraries and other acceptance facilities for travelers on evenings and weekends.

The fairs are only for those who have never had a passport before, while renewals can be done for travelers online or by mail. So far, three events are scheduled for November in North Carolina, including the Triangle.

According to the department’s website, North Carolina Central University will be hosting passport acceptance fairs at the NCCU Passport Office (511 Nelson St, Durham, NC 27707) Monday, Nov. 17 and Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Do I need to make an appointment?

Appointments are typically required for all passport applications and renewals at the university’s passport office, its website states. But for the special passport fair, you do not need an appointment to stop by.

What is needed to apply for a passport?

First-time passport holders can use the same application to get a passport book and passport card.

These materials are needed:

• A passport application form.
• Evidence of U.S. citizenship (with the original, official seal or stamp of the government office which issued it) and a photocopy.
• Physical photo ID with a photocopy showing the front and back on white, 8.5 inch x 11 inch standard paper, in black and white, and on a single side of the paper.
• Passport photo (color photo taken in the last 6 months against a white or off-white background without shadows, texture, or lines).
• $130 application fee for passport books, $30 for passport cards and a $35 acceptance fee. Application fees for children 16 and under are $100 for passport books and $15 for passport cards. 

You can find the full breakdown of acceptable documents and additional materials online at travel.state.gov.

How fast can I get a passport?

Passports are not issued at the special acceptance fair, but just for applications to be mailed off to the U.S. Department of State.

According to the department’s website, the processing time routine service can take four to six weeks and between two and three for expedited service — excluding mailing times for sending off applications and receiving a passport.

Other special passport acceptance fairs

Aside from the upcoming fairs at NCCU, there will also be one held in Western North Carolina at UNC Asheville’s Ramsey Library (One University Heights, Asheville, NC 28804), on Monday, Nov. 17, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

If you plan to go, know that appointments are required and can be booked online at travel.state.gov.

This story was originally published November 3, 2025 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Get a passport fast at these special application events coming to NC soon."