Americans can now renew passports online and bypass cumbersome paper applications

By The Associated PressFILE – The cover of a U.S. Passport is displayed in Tigard, Ore., Dec. 11, 2021. 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. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — 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 renewal system is now fully operational, after testing in pilot programs, and available to adult passport holders whose passport has expired within the past five years or will expire in the coming year. It is not available for the renewal of children’s passports, for first-time passport applicants for renewal applicants who live outside the United States or for expedited applications.“By offering this online alternative to the traditional paper application process, the Department is embracing digital transformation to offer the most efficient and convenient passport renewal experience possible,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.The department said it estimated that about 5 million Americans would be able to use this service a year. In 2023, it...