• Apply early
• Pay extra for expedited State Department Service ($60)
• Leaving within 2 weeks? Call 877-487-2778 and schedule an appointment at one of the 15 regional passport offices. Bring your tickets and/or itinerary.
• Enlist your constituent liaison. Call the district office, the number that doesn't start with 202. You can find your Member of Congress here.
• Hire an expediter ($80-200).

Note, until September 30, you can visit Mexico, Canada and Caribbean without a passport if you have a government-issued ID and a receipt from the State Department showing that you applied for a new passport. — BEN POPKEN

The Long Wait for a Passport [Kiplinger's]
(Photo: Tengaport)