Americans Can Now Renew Passports Online And Bypass Paper Applications

4 weeks ago Americans can now renew their passports online, bypassing a cumbersome mail-in paper application process that often caused delays. The State Department announced Wednesday that its online passport renewal system is now fully operational. After staffing shortages caused mainly by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in lengthy passport processing delays, the department ramped up hiring and introduced other technological improvements that have reduced wait times by about one-third over last year. The online system will allow renewal applicants to skip the current process, which requires them to print out and send paper applications and a check by mail. They now can submit their documents and payment through a secure website.