Salt Lake County Passport and Marriage Division

Jorge Iturrieta

Very fast, professional and friendly service

JD Hanson

After my visit to the passport office in the Salt Lake County building this morning, I feel angry, humiliated, and ignored. I have had some good experiences with county govt in this very same building. This wasn't one of them. My wife and I reserved two 15 minute appointment slots several months in advance so that my family of 4 could all get passports. We knew 15 minutes wouldn't be enough, so we made sure to reserve two spots. When we get to the office we are met with an impenetrable glass wall protected by two locked doors and giant signs that direct you to call a number to check in for your appt, but ONLY if you have an appt, and ONLY if you have first followed a long complicated list of instructions which first and foremost includes bringing along a check or money order as these govt tyrants refuse to accept any modern or normalized forms of payment like debit card, credit card, or cash. I showed up about 2 minutes early for the appt and called the number right away. I sat on hold for about 5 minutes, then one of the humans that I could see clearly through the bulletproof glass wall, answered the phone and asked me to hold again while she finished up some paperwork. No problem. I head for another 2 or 3 minutes (it's now 8 minutes past our appt time) and when she answers the phone she doesn't ask what she can do to help me, she doesn't invite me back to be served by humans, she starts questioning to find out of I have completed all the requirements to make myself worthy to enter her fortress of required fields. She informed me we needed to fill out application forms. She acted as if this step should have already been taken before we dared ask for entry to their queue, nevertheless I had not completed the apps as I thought that was what we were there to do, and she brought them out for me and my children and asked me to call back when I finished the apps. I completed the apps with my children in about 10 minutes time. Our appt's we're scheduled for 915 and 930, back to back. It was now 9:38. I called back and was answers by another lady who again hesitated to even invite me in. The first words out of her mouth was "your appts were for two 15 minute slots and those are almost up". Forget the fact that I still had 7 minutes of reserved time left, I answered her by letting her know I had already spent 12 minutes of that time on hold and 11 minutes gathering and completing the required fields. When she reluctantly agreed to buzz me in and grant me, the wretched unprepared peasant, access past her wall of required fields, she had no sooner asked who we needed passports for than she was explaining to us why we would need to leave and make another appt. I can admit that I was unprepared according to their standards having not filled out the paper applications in advance. Although I don't know how I would have done that without making a trip to the county office that has sighs plastered all over saying NO WALK-INS ALLOWED! But even if I take accountability there, I had all other documents and even had the required checks (that I had to go have printed up at the bank because who uses checks anymore). And once I finally thought I would be able to get the human service I deserve and PAY FOR, I was still turned away. The whole experience was inhuman, humiliating, rigid, cold, and brutal. Now I have to Make another appt, wait another 3 months, and beg permission from my govt to first get behind their bulletproof wall of rigid social workers (I'm a social worker too btw), and second to simply get permission to LEAVE the country that is rumored to value something called freedom. What an embarrassing, inaccessible mess our government processes are. As usual the bar for the average person is placed so high that just to reach it in the first place takes patience, work, and sometimes overwhelming amounts of stress. But even once you've met their requirements you cannot dare to expect to even be treated like a human, much less like a human that pays their salary. I can't imagine if I were disabled, ill, or poor.

Alli D

They were efficient and well organized. My biggest problem was no changing table for my baby. She had to be changed in between the sinks in the bathroom.

James Wissler

Bessie was fantastic, incredible attention to detail. Identified errors and corrected on the spot. Very accommodating. Thanks for your service.