The U.S. State Department’s trial run for online passport renewal ended yesterday, but it’s not the end for the process. After some fine-tuning, the department says, it will offer the online renewal service to an even wider audience, starting late next month.
Using the online portal eliminates the need to print and mail forms, along with the current passport, or showing up at an office with them. The first test, which started last August, was open to 25,000 applicants; a later wave handled 500,000 applications.
The service can be used to renew either the passport book or passport card or both—but if you already have one and just want to add the other, you’ll still have to use the old methods.
