U.S. Passport Application Locator Numbers

After you apply, the U.S. Department of State assigns a 9-digit passport application locator number to your file. It is an application identifier, not your passport number.

The first two digits tell you which agency or center is reviewing the application. The remaining digits identify the individual file. Passport Waiting Time never asks for those remaining digits.

The Department of State states that the first two digits of the 9-digit locator number identify the agency or center reviewing the application. Some locations use one prefix. Others use a short list or a consecutive range.

For example, prefix 53 is Seattle Passport Agency. Prefixes 34 through 39 are Charleston Passport Center. Prefixes 45, 46, and 71 are the National Passport Center.

If your travel became urgent after you applied, that location can be useful when you contact the Department of State or request a passport agency appointment (opens in a new tab).

When you share a timeline, we may ask for only the first two digits of the locator number. That prefix identifies the processing location. The full locator number is not required and should not be sent to us.

Those prefixes may later help compare processing experiences by agency or center. Agency-level results will be published only when sample sizes are sufficient. Lookups on this page stay in your browser and are not stored.