WASHINGTON DC — The U.S. State Department announced it will offer limited-edition passports featuring Donald Trump's portrait nationwide. The State Department's 27 passport agencies nationwide will start offering the special travel documents next month.

Passport offices in Centennial, Colorado; Chicago; Dallas; Detroit; New Orleans; New York; and Stamford, Connecticut, will offer the Trump passports at one-day special events starting on August 8. The State Department has dubbed the commemorative passports "Patriot Passports." The agency plans to issue more than 250,000 of the commemorative passports.

"In response to overwhelming demand, the Department of State is making an additional 250,000 of the special commemorative passports available to the public," the State Department said in a statement. "Americans all across the country will now have the opportunity to apply for one of these additional special passports, known as the 'Patriot Passport.'"

The commemorative passports celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Donald Trump is the first living president featured in a U.S. travel document. The State Department began issuing the commemorative passports in early July. Previously, the commemorative passports were only available at the Washington DC passport office for in-person applicants.

The commemorative passport features Trump's picture over a gold imprimatur of his signature on an interior page. The design includes an image of the President alongside the text of the Declaration of Independence. It also includes a depiction of the Founding Fathers gathering to sign the Declaration of Independence.

The passport cover carries the words "United States of America" in bold gold print at the top and "Passport" at the bottom. The placement of text on the commemorative passport cover is a reversal of the current standard cover. A small gold laminate American flag with the number 250 encircled by stars is at the bottom of the back cover of the commemorative passport.

Current U.S. passports feature a double-page depiction of Mount Rushmore with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. They contain depictions of the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell, and Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Current U.S. passports contain scenes of the Great Plains and the mountains and islands of the nation. They also contain quotations from Martin Luther King Jr. and quotations from Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Dwight Eisenhower.

Those who want the limited-edition passport must apply in-person on the day specified on the State Department's passport website. Those wanting a traditional passport must apply on different days than the special events. Applicants can receive the commemorative passport if they get a standard passport in-person at the Washington, DC passport office.

For those who do not want the commemorative passport, they can apply online, mail in their application, apply at a US embassy or consulate abroad, or apply at an acceptance facility like a library or post office. If you apply for a passport online, you will not get a "Patriot Passport." Those applying in-person in Washington, DC can opt for a large passport book which uses the existing design without Trump. Those hoping to get the special edition must call 877-487-2778 and dial 9 to make an appointment during designated hours. As of July 31, there are no dedicated appointments listed for Florida.

Rep. April McClain Delaney criticized the initiative in a social media post. "Most of my constituents are asking how they're going to afford rent, groceries, childcare, and health care," she said. "They are NOT focused on a Trump-branded commemorative passport for overseas travel." She added, "I'll keep fighting for a more affordable America and for working families."

Rep. Lizzie Fletcher also voiced opposition in a social media post, referencing a separate controversy involving the Kennedy Center. "The Kennedy Center is a living memorial to President Kennedy," Fletcher said. "President Trump's announcement that it will also bear his name (in violation of the law establishing it) and that it will be closed for two years (for unidentified repairs) show the narcissism and lawlessness that define this Presidency." Trump displayed his name on the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. but it was removed last month per a federal judge's order.

Why It Matters

This initiative marks the first time a living president appears on a U.S. travel document, altering the historical precedent set by current passports featuring deceased leaders and national landmarks. By expanding availability from a single Washington, D.C. location to 27 agencies nationwide, the State Department aims to distribute over 250,000 units in response to stated demand. The requirement for specific in-person appointments creates a distinct application process separate from traditional passport services, affecting how citizens access standard versus commemorative documents.