 This year, if you just need to renew your passport, the State Department says you can do so online. Does it mean it'll be faster? Not exactly. The government is still testing this system and limiting the number of online submissions every day. And that means a six- to eight-week processing time. So much for the speed of online renewals. My advice? For the moment, you should apply for or renew your passport the old-fashioned way. But do it soon.