In April, the U.S. State Department announced plans to issue limited-edition U.S. passports featuring President Donald Trump’s portrait to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary. On June 26, Trump shared updated renderings of the commemorative passport on Truth Social, offering the clearest look yet at the final design. The State Department has since confirmed that the passports will be issued starting July 6, prompting renewed questions about who will receive one—and whether travelers have any choice in the matter.
According to CNN, a State Department official said the passport “will be the default passport out of the Washington Passport Agency when available” for people who apply for new passports at the location on 19th Street NW in the nation’s capital.
“As the United States celebrates America’s 250th anniversary in July, the State Department is preparing to release a limited number of specially designed U.S. passports to commemorate this historic occasion,” confirmed State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott in an email statement to Afar on May 5.
Trump’s newly released renderings differ from the concepts the State Department previewed earlier this year. One commemorative page displays an illustration of Trump seated behind the Oval Office’s Resolute Desk against the text of the Declaration of Independence with his signature beneath, while the facing page reproduces John Trumbull’s iconic painting Declaration of Independence.
In announcing the updated design on Truth Social, Trump described it as “the U.S.A.'s New Passport, which says, ‘Welcome, but be good!’” Although he included that phrase in his post, it remains unclear whether it is intended to appear inside the finished passport or was simply part of his announcement.
If you have a passport due for renewal soon or are a first-time U.S. passport applicant (or applying for a child’s passport for the first time), you may have questions. Here are some answers.
Will I be required to get a Trump passport if I have to get a new passport or renew?
The short answer is no. According to the State Department, the commemorative passport will be issued only through in-person appointments at the Washington Passport Agency beginning July 6 and at select State Department–sponsored passport-acceptance events while supplies last.
That means you won’t receive one if you apply online, renew by mail, apply at another passport agency, or apply through a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. For most Americans, the standard passport will remain the default option.
Just how limited are these limited-edition passports?
The commemorative passport marks the first time a living president has been featured inside a U.S. passport. Updated renderings released by Trump show revised artwork from the concepts previously shared by the State Department.
The State Department has not disclosed exactly how many commemorative passports will be issued but says they will be available while supplies last.
“The new designs will be available for any American citizen who applies for a passport when the rollout happens and will continue for as long as there is availability,” said Pigott, adding that there is no extra fee for the limited-edition passport.
How and where can I get a standard passport?
For first-time U.S. passport holders, including adults and children—or if your previous passport was issued before the age of 16 (or if you’re 16 or 17 and applying for the first time, among other considerations)—fill out a DS-11 form and bring it to a designated passport-acceptance facility. Those locations include places like libraries and clerk of court offices, depending on where you live. Travelers who don’t want to receive one of the commemorative editions don’t need to do anything differently; the standard U.S. passport remains the default for virtually all online, mail-in, and routine passport applications.
People who need to renew their passports can apply online for renewal through the U.S. Department of State’s official website. Don’t forget that some countries won’t allow you to board a flight to that country if you don’t have at least three to six months before your current passport expires.
Excluding people with international travel plans in the next 14 days (or with life or death emergencies), all passport renewals—which can be submitted within a year of your current passport’s expiration date—must be applied for online. Same-day renewal service is available for in-person passport renewals for applicable cases like those mentioned above; appointments can be made online and require you to appear in person at a passport office.
According to the FAQ section on the State Department’s website, it can take two weeks from the day you apply for passport renewal by mail until your application is marked “in progress.”
Current processing times for renewing passports by mail are four to six weeks for routine service and two to three weeks for expedited service, which costs an additional $60 on top of the standard application fee of $130 (plus an extra $22.05 for one- to three-day return delivery by mail).
