Renewing Your Passport Just Got So Much Easier

Did your passport expire, or is it about to? Or maybe you just went through the whole process that includes printing out the form or grabbing one at the post office, filling it out along with anything else you need, writing a check, then putting it all in an envelope, including a new passport photo you hopefully like, and finally dropping it in the mail.

When my passport expired, I jumped on my laptop to renew it, only to find out that online renewal didn't even exist. Wait what?! This is the digital age, so how is this possible?

According to CBS News, the U.S. State Department is finally rolling out a passport renewal system that bypasses the traditional method.

Yes, you can now renew online from start to finish if you want.

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You can even take your own passport photos as long as it's not a selfie and is against a plain, white background. Just remember, no open mouth and no eyeglasses allowed.

You can still have your photo taken at the post office or other places that take them, like your local library or drug store. Simply enter your zip code on the renewal page to find out where.

Thanks to increased staffing, technological advancements, and a host of other improvements, the average routine passport is being processed today in roughly one-third the time as at the same point last summer, and well under the advertised six to eight weeks processing times.

According to the United States Department of State website, after you upload your photo and complete all the necessary documents, you can receive email updates on the process.

It's still six to eight weeks to receive it unless you want to pay the extra fees to rush it.