Has anyone else applied for a passport recently? I made my application 6 weeks ago. The State Dept has a web site where you can track it. It says it should be in the system after 4 weeks, but mine isn't showing up yet. I know they are behind but we applied for a passport for DGD the same day and hers shows "being processed".

I sent an e mail (per the web site instructions) and got back a generic reply that just said give them 4 weeks before trying to track my app.

A friend of mine took a cruise to Mexico in April. She'd applied for passports for her family in January. By the beginning of April she hadn't received them due to the backlog.

We are experiencing passport backlog here in Canada as well.

I just want to say a bit about passport etiquette.

I don't know if you have passport guarantors in the US, I would imagine that you do.

I can sign for people, and with the backlog and long waits to receive passports people often come in and need them done right away because they're heading down to stand in line at the passport office or whatever. I always do this gladly, however, sometimes it can be very disruptive in a busy day.

It's really nice to get a thankyou card or note for doing this, better yet a bottle of wine or some home baking. (I drink the wine, family eats the baking!)

I got mine in February and I'm sure glad I did.

One clue to those who haven't. Get your photos done before you to the office where you're having it processed. Have your papers filled out online and printed, in hand. You don't hold up the folks standing in line behind you and pics are cheaper at somewhere like Kinkos than they are at the post office.

I think it took about 6 weeks to get mine back in the mail.