The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) has produced 75 million electronic passports at its secure production facilities in Washington, D.C. and Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

The electronic, or e-passport program, launched in 2005 and includes an integrated, secure chip and antenna incorporating numerous security features. GPO and the Department of State developed the U.S. e-passport in response to the requirements for Visa Waiver Program countries in the 2002 Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act.

The Department of State loads personal information, including the traveler’s photograph, digitally onto the chip in each passport. This is the same data that is visually displayed on the photo page of the e-Passport. No personal data is handled by GPO or its suppliers.

“We appreciate GPO’s continued support of the Department and our efforts to modernize the U.S. passport. Passport issuance, a function of the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, is our most visible domestic public service program,” said Michael D. Kirby, principal deputy assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs.