US State Department reopens online passport renewal portal

Patrick Clarke | (TNS) TravelPulse

Renewing your expired or soon-to-expire U.S. passport just got a lot easier.

The State Department reopened its online renewal portal on Wednesday, unveiling a beta program designed to speed up processing for travelers who meet certain criteria in efforts to avoid issues faced last summer.

Keep in mind this isn’t a full launch, so officials will only take a select number of applicants each day. Travelers can still renew by mail.

To be eligible to renew online...