White House Visitor entrance

Tours of the White House are free, but you must get tickets through your congressman’s office. You can make a request as early as three months in advance, and no later than 21 days in advance. Furthermore, you must submit your social security number and numbers for all group members so a background check can be done. (Note: The official White House Tours and Events web page states that tickets can be requested up to three months in advance. My congressman’s website claims you can submit an application up to six months in advance. I randomly checked six other congressmen’s websites. One claimed six months, another claimed 4 to 6 months, two made no claims at all, and two gave the correct answer—three months in advance. I don’t know what my congressman does with requests submitted six months in advance, but for all I know he holds on to them and submits the request three months in advance per the White House rules.)

The current ticket distribution system came about after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Prior to that, you just got in line at the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion the day of the tour and hoped you arrived early enough to get a ticket, just like you do today for the Washington Monument. In my opinion, the current process is far from optimal, but as they say, “It is what it is.” The problem is that you cannot select a day or time for your tour, and you won’t be notified until 10-14 days in advance if a spot is available for you and your group.

When applying, you must narrow your desired dates down to a specific time period. Each congressman’s application form is different, but typically they want to know when you will be in Washington and when you will be available for tours. You can’t ask for the “next available” if your requested dates are filled, and since you won’t even be notified until two weeks in advance, it’s impossible to make another request for a tour the following week because, one, those dates are most likely already filled, and two, your request must be submitted at least 21 days in advance. Thus, the system only works for those already planing to be in Washington—if you get a tour, fine, if not, you’ll do something else. It does not work if you are going to Washington only if you get a tour, unless you can travel with two weeks or less notice.

I wrote my congressman’s office asking why this system exists and why the White House doesn’t set up a central reservation system where you are presented with a list of available dates and times so you can pick one, just like when trying to get online tickets to the Washington Monument, or any other event for that matter. I never got a response. I suspect the answer would be, “Because if you fail the background check the spot will end up being wasted.” This leads to the question, “How many people are turned down because of the background check?” If you have a background so crooked that you would be refused a tour of the White House, I’m sure you are well aware of it. Therefore, why would you sign up for a tour in the first place? (I forget I used to be a member of Al-Qaeda.) But it is what it is.

Trying to get a White House Tour from Spring Break through Labor Day is just throwing in your hat and hoping for the best, no matter how far in advance you make the tour request. I attempted to get a tour on two occasions, the first during Spring Break. I applied three months in advance to the day. Two weeks before my requested date I received an email stating that all tours for my entire stay in Washington were full. Since my trip to Washington hinged on getting a tour, I had to scramble to make alternate Spring Break plans for my 4th grade daughter. My second request was for the week after Labor Day, and I did get a tour for this time. I specifically requested an off-season date to better enhance my chances.

The following is a detailed account of how U. S. citizens go about getting a ticket for a White House Tour.

1. You must find out who your congressman is and contact him. (By “congressman” I do not specifically mean a “man,” and I do not mean your request is personally answered by him or her; the work is done by a staff member.) If you don’t know who this person is, go to Find Your Representative and follow the instructions. This person will have a website, and on this site will be a TOURS web page (or something to that effect). You may have to dig around for it, but the page is there. Fill out the form and submit your information. I never personally communicated with anyone, and I can’t imagine that your situation will be any different.
2. Once you fill out the form you will receive an email acknowledging your request. Attached will be a security form to fill out. You must list the names, ages, dates of birth, social security numbers, genders, citizenships, and current city and state residences for everyone in your group. I was sent an Excel spreadsheet to fill out, but each congressman’s method may be different.
3. Wait. Don’t bother contacting your congressman asking what’s going on because the only answer you will get is that you will be notified 7-10 days in advance of your tour.
4. If you are not going to get a tour, you won’t receive any further communication except a final email stating that the tour was full, sorry.
5. When I got my tour, I received an RSVP email that I had to respond to by a specified date. I did not get this for the previous tour request when I was denied, but I can’t say for sure if the RSVP email is a harbinger of good news. Unfortunately, I can’t remember what happened or what I had to do when I clicked the link. I may have had to give all the security info again, but don’t quote me on it.
6. A few weeks before your requested tour dates you will receive an email stating whether or not you got on a tour. On both occasions I received the notification email 12-14 days in advance, despite the claim that it would be 7-10 days. Your results may vary.
7. If you got a tour, your “ticket” will be attached. It’s not really a ticket, and you don’t need it to get in—the Secret Service has your name on a list—but it has a map of where to go, a list of items permitted and not permitted, etc. I also received a nice list of other things to do in Washington.

Foreigners can get a tour of the White House as well. I do not know the process, but I do know that foreigners must contact their embassy in Washington. I would imagine that the process is similar to how U. S. citizens get a tour.

Keep in mind that tours can be cancelled at any time due to security reasons. Before heading downtown for your tour, call (202) 456-7041 up to 24 hours in advance to make sure that tours are still being held.

To find out what to do on the day of your tour, and to get information and photos of the rooms you will see inside the White House, visit the White House Tour web page here on National Park Planner.

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