NEW YORK >> The U.S. State Department expects 20.5 million applications for new and renewed passports this year, and that will be a record number.

The busy year is no surprise. Adult U.S. passports must be renewed every 10 years, and it was 10 years ago that a new law went into effect requiring passports for Americans traveling to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean. That new law resulted in a surge of passport requests in 2007, along with extraordinary delays that stretched into months for some individuals.

This year the State Department says it is beating promised turnaround times of six to eight weeks for processing passports.

“In 2007 it was not a good situation,” Brenda Sprague, deputy assistant secretary for passport services, said. “We did a lot of post-mortem discussions and have spent 10 years getting ready for this and addressing all the challenges we expected to come. We are extremely busy, but I am pleased to say that we are so far, knock wood, staying well ahead of ­­­­ the curve.”

Tips from Sprague for avoiding passport hassles:

>> Make sure your photos meet the requirements as described at travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/­passports/photos. Among other things: You can’t wear glasses or a hat in a passport photo, you must look directly at the camera, the photo must be shot against a light background and your expression should be neutral, though a smile is OK. Sprague said CVS, Walmart and other purveyors of passport photos have worked with the State Department to make sure their passport photos meet standards.

>> Keep an eye on the expiration date on your passport. Many countries require that your passport be valid for six months after you cross their border, so you might need to renew earlier than you think.

>> Check the travel.state.gov website for rules on passports for minors. Their passports must be renewed every five years, and both parents must appear when the application is submitted, among other detailed requirements.