I had a great experience getting my new passport done at this location today. I arrived at 7:40 and was the first person in line. By the time they opened at 8, there were 4 or 5 people behind me. I had my number called at 8:05 and was out of there at 8:15. The passport photos I had brought weren't good (I used the Target service that you take a selfie and upload to their site and they print it as a passport photo, but the dimensions weren't right). So Agnes took a photo of me and printed it on the spot, and attached it to my application. The whole thing, including the photo taking, only took 10 minutes. No kidding. Thanks Agnes! read more

I'll cut to the chase right now and let you know, in case you don't want to read the whole thing, the US Passport office in the Central San Rafael United States Post Office on Bellam in San Rafael offers stellar service. Keep in mind one desk clerk is offering walk-in passport service 5 days a week from 8am-1pm to serve ALL OF MARIN COUNTY, the staff can't even dream of doing a better job. Now, the community people that frequent the US Passport office in Central San Rafael - they are a piece of work. I have never seen such an obnoxious, self-serving, inconsiderate bunch of people in my life. You look at these people it is no wonder the world seems to be going to hell in a handbasket.... So, rule number one, if you are in need of a passport is to recognize two things - when dealing with, well, anything in the metro Bay Area, and especially the government, it will ALWAYS take longer than anticipated. Number two - it is always best to be as prepared as possible. The first thing I did was check the internet. According to the US State Department's website (since they are the issuing agency, I'm going to go out on a limb and say their word is good), the ONLY game in town offering walk-in service for US passports is San Rafael Main on Bellam. The site also offers information on EVERYTHING you will need to renew your passport - forms, how many copies (and forms of acceptable) ID - everything - down to the fact if you are going to use ink, you need to use dark blue, or black ink, subject to the acceptance of the Post Office Staff. So, once you figure all that out, the hunt is on to satisfy all the requirements BEFORE you walk in the door. One small note, when printing documents from home, make sure they printed one page EACH PAGE. They do not except 2 on one page (front and back). If you follow these steps, I guarantee your trip will be no more than 10 minutes, from walking in the door to walking out. Witness today, the day we went to the post office first thing in the morning to renew 2 passports. The person directly in front of us needed her passport yesterday. No, literally in two weeks. So instead of going to the District Office in San Francisco like the State Department recommended, this person brought herself, Grandma & three kids to the passport office in San Rafael. Literally she parked (sat down) in front of the passport office door and started arranging her papers for her family right there. Yup. With a 30-foot table, literally steps away from the door, she just parks her and her stuff and starts spreading EVERYTHING in front of the Passport Office door. Once in the door, she proceeds to tie up the whole office for probably about an hour. And then very close to the end of the transaction, with standing room only in the lobby, buys stamps from the passport clerk. So inconsiderate I could hardly believe my eyes. In spite of the clueless customer, the actual Postmaster (Manager of the whole deal), came out to the lobby to alleviate the lobby traffic, which by now had grown to one big, grouchy, standing room only bunch. Of course, my family was the one that absolutely had to pay the most in this case, as we were the customers immediately following inconsiderate Mom & her family. We waited a little less than three hours to get our passports, from arrival to finish - we were in the office to hand in our papers and pay our fee for less than 10 minutes. Ugh. To be fair, the inconsiderate Mom maybe didn't want to drag three kids plus Grandma to San Francisco to get her business done, I mean, who would want to do that, but considering the uproar she caused in the lobby because of how long her transaction took, it was fairly disgusting. But then, I guess she'll never run into us again...so why be considerate? read more

Oh boy. There should be a cartoon of this post office with customers that are skeletons waiting in line. I can clearly see the cobwebs that go from them to their packages as they are waiting in line. This PO is that bad. If you have a couple of hours to kill and you need to send something go here. It does not matter when or what time, week day or Saturday. However, I will give them a star for being open on Saturday so that is good. Also it's always nice and cool in there so when you are waiting at least you do not melt. read more

So I went to the Post Office on July to renew my passport, and I haven't gotten it yet. So when I called to check the status, it said it was delivered in Texas?!?!? But I live in San Rafael. How could this be? What do I need to do now? read more

Agnes from Passport services is very rude. There is a sign states they closed at 1. I arrived at 12:40 and she told me to come back the next day and closed the door in my face. read more

If you are planning on getting a passport here, best to budget 3-4 hours. Don't forget the Dailey lunch break from 12-12:45. If you want to understand why the USPS cannot support itself financially and is slowly going out of business come to San Rafael and get a passport. The employees here will help you understand what slow and "I don't care about my job" looks like. Sorry USPS, the day your service gets privatized I will open a cold cold beer and cheers to your failure. read more

One hour. One letter. One hour to post one letter. I am seriously going to look into other solutions for my business mail at the very least. The two people working the counter were nice, the two managers pacing in circles (for an hour) were useless. I guess an agency which can't even get the statue of liberty right can't be expected to perform well in other areas. read more

The USPO is going bankrupt for bad customer service and is a direct result of why they are running out of money. I've been trying to reach them via the phone for now it is one hour. Can't reach them to stop a package from going to wrong address. called their 1-800 and spoke to a super nice woman who could do nothing to help. This is why I don't ship with them if I can help it or UPS. UPS leaves packages in the rain because he is too lazy to walk 12 steps to leave it at the door where safe and covered. read more

All post offices are slow- it's like the bank. We have to be patient. Regardless this post office stored my mail once, saved a package for me, even called me back! Which is amazing. Today they went out of their way to help me with my passport papers, I had mine written in the wrong ink and I had written my check for the wrong amount. I had been distracted and disorganized for two days and both days they were nice and helpful- and never made me feel stupid. It was above and beyond great customer service and I needed & appreciated it. I have used this post office since 2012 and never a bad experience! read more

Lousy service. Lousy attitudes. One employee asked if anyone was picking up, I was then told I had to wait my turn in line. Next person told me I could come to the front. Left hand has no idea what the right hand is doing. read more

Agree with everyone writing about Passport moron. Very rude and obviously hates his life. Needed ONE copy of ID, literally has a copy machine behind him and sent us down the street to make copy, and get back in hour line. Also mumbled something under his breathe as we walked off. read more

I also had a great experience with Agnes. I arrived before the lunch break and she was polite and explained to everyone that they would have to come back after 1pm. When I arrived she was professional and I was out of there in less than 40 minutes. read more

Edwin provided exceptional customer service. He put me at ease while he took my passport photo; he even allowed me a choice in which photo I liked. He reviewed my application and pointed to where my corrections were needed and allowed me time to make them. By far, his was the most attentive personal service I've ever received for getting my passport photo and application filed. Do I have to wait 20 years for my passport expiration to repeat such a positive photo/application process? Don't waste yr time/money at impersonal Walgreens or CVS. Go see a pro at USPS, Bellhan Blvd, San Rafael! read more

Horrible! I can't believe we allow government run postage service. They delivered a package on Thursday morning. Left a note that they took the package to San Rafael. I drove there on my lunch. Package wasn't there. They said they put it back on the truck. I get home Friday night and he was suppose to leave it here according to the manager after having it escalated. It will take me longer to get it from USPS than for it to arrive here in my city. read more

The worst! NEVER do a mail hold with this location. You'll never get your mail and if you do it'll be weeks to months! It's absolutely criminal!!!!!! read more

Agree with one of the other postings that we were lucky yesterday and Agnes was there. She is a rock star! The only reason I knocked off a star is it would be so helpful for the San Rafael post office to put the information about the passport process on their actual phone line. They could use a phone tree like all the other businesses in the world! For those who are interested here you go with the process: 1) You need to get a number from the machine or they won't see you. 2) Try to get there by 11:30 am to get a number otherwise it's possible you won't be seen that day. When we were there they stopped giving out numbers before noon. 3) Make certain and have your paperwork completed and a photocopy of front AND back of your driver license. Because they were closed for lunch we ran to Office Depot who copied it for us. We had the front but not the back. Good luck to you all and may Agnes be their for everyone. read more

Horrible ridiculous long wait some days. Terrible post office. Always a line, and then you get to deal with unhappy employees.

The place is a joke. Worst run post office I have ever seen. Showed up at 1:15 to renew 2 passports and out at 4pm and the line was NOT long---the guy was just super slow and took forever. Government waste at its best. read more

Generally the lines aren't too bad and the service is friendly. My issue is actually with the self-serve section. I purchased an "If it fits it ships Priority Mail" box. Used the self serve kiosk to avoid the line. Went through the whole process smoothly. The PROBLEM is that their own box does not fit in to the package receptacle next to self service. So I still had to stand in line to hand them a package. Ugh. Clearly 'package design' and 'receptacle design' groups don't communicate. read more

After experiencing the Post Office - Mission Rafael in downtown San Rafael, this place was heaven. The staff was great, the service was fast, and the package got where it was going quickly without having to put a trace on it and they had lots of parking! There was a line up but they flew through it in no time with there fast service and friendly manner. I will definitely use this location from now on. read more

I have had PO Boxes in several cities, and have dealt with many posit offices over the past 3 years. I am frankly shocked by the number of bad reviews for this location. This PO is one of the BEST I have ever encountered. I found several of the counter staff very helpful and informative. And the best feature about this particular PO is the locker system for packages. If you have a package sent to you, you will get a key in your PO Box to retrieve it from a secure locker - accessible in the lobby area 24 hours a day! Always available without waiting in line. Good priority mailing drop off as well. This is a big PO, so they seem to have shorter lines than other locations more often. After using PO's in many other locations, I can easy confirm this PO has the best advantages. read more

Great post office! I walked right up without a wait. They have the self service area too, which is difficult to find. Parking is a little odd, but I didn't have a problem. read more

The process of making a "Hold Mail" request has not been available for months. What is so difficult about fixing this? It is really irresponsible that the website does not allow one to complete a "Hold Mail". Ann Rivo read more

It's a post office...how can you rate it that pleases every one and is honest? The location is great, but sometimes it's so congested you want to pull your hair out. Sometimes there is a line that takes forever, sometimes the line speeds by. For the most part, I've experience efficiency and no problems when I need to use the counter services which, granted, isn't often since I try to avoid doing so. The postal service is experiencing cutbacks so based on this I have to cut the employees a break. They're understaffed but have done their job well on the occasions I have been in. read more

5 starts to the Passport office. Great Service , The lady is so friendly and efficient

I find the staff here to be friendly, sometimes funny and always accommodating. The wait times are sometimes long but no worse than at other post offices. This is more an indication of the state of USPS's business overall that comes with deep cuts in personnel. read more

This post office lost my 93-year old grandmother's gifts and did nothing to help me find it. A most unhelpful woman at the counter took my name and phone number and never got back to me. I made a third personal visit to try and locate it and the supposed "customer service" guy claimed ALL computers were down that day. He took my name and number again and only called back to tell me the computers were down all day, then never heard from him again. I agree with an earlier review from Mel that someone at this post office is stealing packages. When I mentioned filing a police report, the "customer service" guy said that I shouldn't do that because someone would be fired. What exactly is Postmaster Erika Garro doing about this location? read more

This review is for the horrible excuse for a human being that is the passport processor automaton at the passport counter. The passport office is open from 9-2 pm (5 hours). When I arrived at 10:30 am, there were 10 people ahead of me - all of whom had been waiting since before 9 am. Apparently, there had been only 2 other people who had been seen even though the passport office had been open since 9. I was immediately warned by one of the people waiting that the passport guy (herein, "Passport Jerk") moves at a snail's pace and is a A---hole. Nevertheless, I waited. At precisely 11:50 am, passport jerk says he's closing for lunch and will be back at 1. Mind you, he did not just say it he sneered it at all of us. Understandably, we all had questions: will you be able to finish all of us before the counter closes at 2, how long does it take to get a passport, how many can you process in an hour? No answer by Passport Jerk, he just sneered, rolled his eyes and said, "I'm at lunch" and closed the door. At 1 pm, a lot of people had fallen off and left because of jobs and other obligations. While I was waiting, a woman who had been through the rigamarole of getting a passport from passport jerk, regaled us of her horrible experience with him. She actually said that she had never met anyone as spiteful and evil as the power-tripper that was Passport Jerk. She said she actually thinks that there is something psychologically wrong with the guy and he needs to be reported for abuse. "Oh come on!" I thought. He can't be that bad. After telling us her story, she left and said she would never again let herself go through the humiliation by Passport Jerk. Apparently, among the other humiliation she was subjected to, Passport Jerk rudely reprimanded her young son for fidgeting while he slowly looked over their paperwork. By this time, only 3 people remained and it was getting close to 2pm. I was starting to get nervous that he might not finish. And, because no one got an answer as to whether he would give the people who waited all day but did not get to be seen priority for the next day, I was on the edge of my seat. But miracle of miracles! Apparently, if it's time to close up shop, Passport Jerk can move fast. He powered through the 2 people remaining at a rate of 8 mins/application (I know because I timed him). So, why the hell did it take him 30-45 mins to process the previous applications behind closed doors? I suspect the Passport Jerk was in the back office being lazy and trying to make himself important. When it was finally our turn (a simple renewal of passport for a child), Passport Jerk called us up. No hello, no hi, no acknowledgment that there were people in front of him and not even to the school aged child standing before him. If I could show you how painfully slow and deliberately disinterested he looked over our paperwork, I would. I mean think of the laziest, most disrespectful, entitled, DMV power-tripper and multiply that by 100 and you get Passport Jerk. We had all our paperwork done but in the aftermath of the rush to get back to the post office after Passport Jerk's lunch, we misplaced a photocopy of our driver's license. Passport Jerk said, "Aw now come on I can't process this." We provided him with our driver's licenses and explained the situation and asked if he could walk to the photocopy machine that was clearly behind him. He said, "No, we don't do that." We said, "Ok then can we come back tomorrow as a priority as we've been here all day?" He rolled his eyes and said, "No." I said, "but we've been waiting here all day and had all the paperwork and you could just take 3 steps back and run into the photocopy machine behind the counter. It would mean a lot as we both had to take time off work and my little girl had to miss school." He said, "Why you making your issues my issues? I don't care." I told him I'm not trying to make my issue his issue, I'm just trying to appeal to his humanity and am asking for a small common courtesy. He sat down, crossed his arms and said "I'm tired. I want to go home." It's 2 o'clock! This coming from a guy who didn't want me making my issues his issue! And I'm supposed to care that he's tired and wants to go home at 2 o'clock after having worked a total of 4 hours (3 hours from 9-12, and 1 hour from 1-2). "You don't have your paperwork (smug look, neck roll, arms crossed, duck lips)." Then, he took his Closed sign and put it right in front of my face. He did all this in front of my little girl who started crying. My husband had to walk out because he would have punched the A--hole. This guy epitomizes the problem with civil servants and entitlement. If you see him, give him a piece of your mind. He needs to be fired or else the USPS will be a thing of the past if they keep deadbeats like him employed. read more

It was the Saturday before Christmas, 10:30 am, and there was no line! Then a clerk named Genieva helped me send presents and packages at one-third the cost of what SEEMED to be the fastest rate--but wasn't! I saved over $45 and the packages arrived a day earlier than they otherwise would have. Genieva was super cool. Even when that rude, skinny gal behind me (with the package headed for Michigan-you know who you are lady) interrupted us with multiple questions. Thanks Genieva. Don't go changin'. read more

Awful - slow lines - the outside machine is never working - you can only buy half the stamp denominations, they never pick up the phone, under staffed. read more

I must tell you, I rarely have anything flattering to say about any government agency, however, this experience is worth sharing with you and the YELP audience because the post office often gets a bad rap. In this case, we needed to get a passport renewal and you know how long those lines can be. We had our forms filled out and everything ready, but there were several people who were ahead of us and it seemed like it was taking a very long time. Agnes came out from behind the glass to check on everyone waiting and to let us know that they were working as quickly as they could and she assured us that they were going to take care of all, even after the 1pm closing time. She wanted us to know that they were not going to cut us off and I thought that was very thoughtful and respectiful. Just then, a customer walked in and expected to be taken care of at that minute while we were all waiting in line. Your staff was polite but would not allow her to disrupt their waiting on customers who had been waiting in line. The woman was not happy but honestly, Agnes handled it professionally and pleasantly and those who had been waiting, really appreciated that. Once my friend and I had been waited on, we were in and out in 5 minutes or less (the benefit of being prepared for the visit; i.e. right forms, all of the requirements, etc.). Not everyone who comes to utilize the services of the post office is well-prepared which can, I believe, add to the frustration of waiting time. In any event, Agnes was terrific and I want the post office and anyone using that post office to know it. read more

The post office never redelivers your packages when they say they will. This is for 2121 Meriidian park blvd. in Concord, ca. The supervisors let the mail people run wild. read more

I gave one star (instead of zero) because if you are desperate, you can just walk into the passport office. If you are reading this review, and have the time, make an appointment at another post office (you can find them listed online)! We arrived at 11:00am and got our number. The clerk finished the one person he was helping and then took the next customer. He finished at noon and when I went up he told us we had to come back at 1:00 as he was closing for lunch. I believe in lunch and I believe in breaks but couldn't he have just told us at 11? We went back at 1:00, he showed up about ten minutes later but we didn't finish until nearly 2pm. read more

I hate this post office. I try to go to any location in Marin but this one. They are painfully slow and it takes forever to get anything done here. read more

I showed up at 8:15 and waited over 4 hours to be seen for a passport. There is a 30 min lunch break in which the clerk chose to enjoy a 1 hr break instead. The clerk also saw not 1 but 2 families who didn't even have a number because they barged into the room. The experience was inefficient & infuriating. read more

Yay, the normal guy was on vacation! Agnes was there instead, and she was AWESOME!!! We went the day before thanksgiving to renew my daughter's passport. We went at 8:15 am and we were 2nd in line. By the time they opened at 9 am, there were 15 people in line, and when I walked out at 9:15, there were probably 25 people waiting. I was actually missing a copy of my daughter's birth certificate (which I didn't realize was required, since I had her old passport), but Agnes did not make me feel bad at all. She had me go home and get it and then wave at her through the glass door when I got back, so I didn't have to wait in line again. When I came back around 10:30, I was shocked to find the waiting area almost empty! Agnes worked so quickly and helped so many people in just an hour! And she is delightful! She is one of the good ones! My advice: find out when the normal guy will be on vacation, and cross your fingers that Agnes is working instead! read more

This is not an indictment on the local USPS Office, but the overall postal system. I received a package from Irvine, CA that was left at our door-no knock on the door or doorbell-the postal employee was too embarrassed to confront me-the package was smashed in on 3 sides and looked like it was used as a Piñata or a brake to keep a truck from rolling down a hill! Get the picture? I tried to send an email on the USPS website, but the selections for the Complaints Category only offer 4 ways to (automatically select) state my problem and none of the choices were applicable. I have photos of the damage with the barcode as evidence, but again-no way to upload them. The USPS ripped off a $7.75 fee to get this package to me and this makes the Seinfeld character "Newman" look like a saint. read more

My first attempt at getting a passport here, I stand in line (don't go here to mail anything! The customers can get nastier than the clerks! It's because there aren't any clerks. Just one or two schlubs sitting on stools. I realize Passports are at a different spot in the same room. My bad. But the door is locked and nobody's there. It's 12:00, and the sign says PASSPORTS ONLY BETWEEN 9AM and 2PM. I go back to the schlub - it's closed! Schlub says - lunch hour! There's a sign! No there isn't. Not today! And anyway, what moron designed a limited time window with an hour's break in the middle? Ok, so I come back a week later, BEFORE noon, and try to walk into the office and he shoo's me out. 25 minutes later, he's taken care of a lady - I don't know if he's dumb, slow, or trying to pick her up. Finally, it's my turn. He looks at the passport (no "hello! How are you today?") and says "Where did your photo come from?" My house. No good! WHY? There's a reflection on your eyeglasses. It obscures your eyes. Nothing is covering either eyeball. NO CAN DO. I'm pissed, of course. I hold my temper, but turn to leave, and he says "you know, if you mail this in, it will cost you $25 less". THAT was the best news I've heard in a week. Seriously, as the other reviews say, this post office is run by lunkheads, and that's just the bosses. Maybe it's time for the public to be able to have a say, not just here on YELP, but in a way that could close down a bad office, like they want to close down bad schools. It IS our money, and we deserve better. I rate this place MINUS FIVE STARS. read more

I was there to renew a passport for my daughter and was impressed with the way the woman working the counter handled the sea of walk-in applicants, especially the ones who were less than prepared with their documentation. She is there to help, no matter how long it takes. The passport counter is open from Tuesday through Saturday, 8AM to 1PM, and the reason I'm taking back a star is because the only way to find out this information is to actually go there and behold the sun-faded piece of paper taped to the door--it's not on any website or automated USPS message. Come early, and double-check the application form for needed documentation before you arrive. read more

Agnes, Kiristine, and Christine went above and beyond to process my passport application despite the fact that I showed up half an hour passed the post office's scheduled closing time. Agnes, Kiristine, and Christine were patient and thorough as they assisted me in completing the application process each step of the way.They were also prompt with getting my case filed under such short time. I am forever grateful! I would definitely recommend Agnes, Kiristine, and Christine for future postal service matters. read more