Passport application - USPS vs County Clerk

[BlueDevil 61]

Hello.  Is there a huge difference in processing times when applying for a new passport at a USPS location vs County Clerk's office?  Any other benefits/drawbacks between the two?  I am going to be looking at a pretty tight timeline for getting my passport before I need to travel and the County Clerk has an appointment a week before USPS has any availability.  I didn't want to rush and go to the County Clerk if, at the end of the day, USPS was more efficient.  I see most folks applying through USPS so that made me a little nervous.  Thanks!    

[Mike E 11,723]

I don’t know how to book your county clerk online.  I do know how book usps online. 
 

Otherwise for a simple case, I don’t think  there won’t be any difference.
 

For a complex case like a passport for a minor who acquired citizenship automatically through the naturalization of a parent, all I read about is how usps botches the process, usually by refusing to allow the custodial parent to send required evidence.  A county clerk can’t be worse. Since their day job is closer to what a competent passport acceptance agency does, I would put money on the county clerk getting this right.  

[Crazy Cat 39,267]

37 minutes ago, BlueDevil said:

Hello.  Is there a huge difference in processing times when applying for a new passport at a USPS location vs County Clerk's office?  Any other benefits/drawbacks between the two?  I am going to be looking at a pretty tight timeline for getting my passport before I need to travel and the County Clerk has an appointment a week before USPS has any availability.  I didn't want to rush and go to the County Clerk if, at the end of the day, USPS was more efficient.  I see most folks applying through USPS so that made me a little nervous.  Thanks!    

There is no difference between USPS passport acceptance and the Dallas County Passport acceptance here....none at all.  The cost is exactly the same.  The speed of receiving the passport is the same... The requirements are exactly the same.  There are more USPS locations which accept passport applications.....  However, here, all USPS locations around Dallas are booked 4 weeks out.  I found an open slot at a small Dallas County passport office about a week after my wife's oath ceremony..

 

The only difference was the place to book online.

Edited February 8, 2023 by Crazy Cat

[BlueDevil 61]

3 minutes ago, Crazy Cat said:

There is no difference between USPS passport acceptance and the Dallas County Passport acceptance here....none at all.  The cost is exactly the same.  The speed of receiving the passport is the same... The requirements are exactly the same.  There are more USPS locations which accept passport applications.....  However, here, all USPS locations around Dallas are booked 4 weeks out.  I found an open slot at a small Dallas County passport office about a week after my wife's oath ceremony..

Thank you!!!  That makes me feel a whole lot better.  Yeah, I'm seeing the same here with USPS.  All appointments are 4 weeks out and there is one solitary appointment that was available next week.  

 

@Mike E - to your point, when I say County Clerk, I mean the same office that issues motor vehicle registrations, marriage licenses etc.  Perhaps not all County Clerk offices around the country offer passport services?  Fortunately, mine is one of the listed centers for that.  They have an online appointment system and I was able to snag an appointment. 

[Crazy Cat 39,267]

Oh.... At our county passport office, it took about 10 or 15 minutes.  It was a small office with only a few applicants the morning we went.