US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has highlighted passport services as one of the functions being developed through America.gov, the new federal government portal launched by President Donald Trump.
Rubio said the new system is intended to simplify the passport process by reducing paperwork and the need for applicants to navigate separate government websites or rely on third-party intermediaries.
“No printing forms, no drugstore hostage photo, no appointment, no line, no middleman that you’re paying to do something that should be available to you,” Rubio said in a post published by the US Department of State on September 29, 2026.
The comments came as the Trump administration launched America.gov as a single digital entry point for federal government information and services. The platform uses artificial intelligence to help users find information from official government sources and is designed to eventually support a range of transactions.
The new portal’s planned passport service is intended to allow users to complete more of the process digitally. Information published about the platform indicates that future passport functionality will include uploading or taking a passport photograph, selecting a passport book or card, choosing delivery options and making payments online.
The America.gov platform indicates that some of these transaction-based services are planned for a later phase, meaning the passport experience described by Rubio should not be interpreted as replacing all existing passport procedures immediately.
Current US government guidance continues to require first-time adult passport applicants and people who do not qualify for renewal to apply in person at an authorised passport acceptance facility. Some facilities require appointments or have limited operating hours.
The State Department also continues to operate passport agencies and centres for people with urgent international travel or other qualifying circumstances. Appointments at those facilities remain part of the existing process for eligible urgent applicants.
America.gov is being positioned as a broader digital-government platform rather than a passport-only service. The portal is designed to allow people to describe what they need in ordinary language and receive information about federal programmes and services without having to determine which government agency is responsible.
Google has been identified as a technology partner for the launch, with its Gemini artificial intelligence technology being used as part of the platform. The administration has said the portal is intended to bring government services and information together through a single online entry point.
The initiative also reflects a wider push by the Trump administration to use artificial intelligence in government services. The administration says America.gov will expand over time from providing information to enabling users to complete transactions directly through the platform.
For passport applicants, the proposed changes could reduce some of the administrative steps involved in applications, but the precise requirements will continue to depend on the type of passport service and an applicant’s circumstances. The State Department’s existing passport guidance remains in effect while the new digital services are introduced.