Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on September 29, 2026 in Washington, D.C. that Americans will be able to apply for their first passport entirely online starting next year, as part of the whole-of-government America.gov project. He also unveiled what he described as the 2028 U.S. passport, redesigned with the National Design Studio.
What the State Department announced
Speaking at an event for President Trump's America.gov project, Rubio said the State Department is partnering with America.gov "to rebuild the entire thing from the ground up," referring to the passport application process.
"Starting next year, Americans will be able to apply for their first passport entirely online," Rubio said. He added that "by the end of 2027, our goal is for the vast majority of Americans to be able to apply for a passport or a passport card on America.gov."
Rubio described America.gov as a whole-of-government project touching every department, agency and bureau, with the stated goal of making life easier for ordinary Americans.
How the online process would work
In a demonstration described in his remarks, Rubio said an applicant signs in with login.gov and can then securely see information the government already holds, avoiding repeated data entry.
For the photo, he said applicants can take a new picture on a phone at home or upload one from their own device, preview it in the context of the finished passport, and retake it until they are satisfied. Payment is then entered while logged in through login.gov, he said.
Rubio also said the service will show real-time status, including an estimated delivery date for the passport in the mail.
The case the State Department made
Rubio said that today a first-time applicant must know which form to print, schedule an appointment and wait in line, and that "an entire cottage industry" has grown up around the process, with some sites charging for forms and appointments that are free and then collecting sensitive personal information.
He said more than half of Americans now hold a passport and that the department ships "tens of millions of these envelopes every year," arguing the current packaging does not match the document's importance. The department will change how the passport is delivered, he said.
The 2028 passport redesign
Rubio presented what he called the 2028 U.S. passport, saying the State Department "worked really closely with the National Design Studio to rethink it from cover to cover."
On the new cover, he said, the words "United States of America" appear first at the top and the Great Seal is larger and more prominent. Inside, artwork depicting the American Eagle animates as the pages are flipped, carrying imagery from Lexington and westward migration to Iwo Jima and the Artemis splashdown.
Rubio said the book is highly secure and that some features could not be shown publicly. The claims about the design, timeline and online service are the State Department's own.
What to do
- Rubio warned that some third-party sites charge for passport forms and appointments that are free and then collect applicants' sensitive personal information.
Key facts and where they come from
- First-time passport applications are to move fully online starting next year.
Starting next year, Americans will be able to apply for their first passport entirely online.
- The department's stated goal is broader online access by the end of 2027.
by the end of 2027, our goal is for the vast majority of Americans to be able to apply for a passport or a passport card on America.gov
- Applicants would sign in through login.gov to reuse existing government data.
once I’m signed-in with login.gov, I can securely see the information that the government already has about me in its system
- Photos can be taken on a phone or uploaded from a device.
You can take a new one of them yourself on the phone.
- The service is to include real-time delivery tracking.
We have an estimated delivery date, so you know it’s coming.
- The State Department is working with America.gov on the rebuild.
the State Department is partnering with America.gov to rebuild the entire thing from the ground up
- A redesigned passport is planned for 2028, developed with the National Design Studio.
the State Department worked really closely with the National Design Studio to rethink it from cover to cover
- The department mails tens of millions of passport envelopes annually.
We ship tens of millions of these envelopes every year.
- More than half of Americans hold a passport, according to Rubio.
Today, more than half of Americans have one