First Time Getting a Passport? It Will Soon Get a Bit Easier

Passport paperwork may finally be headed for the digital dustbin. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced that, starting in 2027, most Americans will be able to apply for their first US passport entirely online through the government's new AI-powered portal, America.gov, reports the Washington Post. Applicants would log in via Login.gov, upload required documents and a photo, and pay, all without setting foot in a post office or passport office, though the State Department hasn't detailed every step or given a precise launch date.

First-timers will also be allowed to upload their own compliant passport photo and preview how it will look in the booklet—"so if your picture is bad, it'll be your fault," snarks the New York Times. Rubio additionally unveiled a redesigned passport with a larger gold national emblem, tweaked cover text, a flip-book-style flying eagle on interior pages, and upgraded packaging to replace the scuffed Priority Mail envelopes, per the Post. Mashable has video from The Daily Show, on which Jordan Klepper had some thoughts on that flip-book eagle. "Holy s---!" he exclaimed. "This is going to totally blow the minds of kids in 1928 who haven't seen Steamboat Willie!"