as you're a US citizen, with a US passport, i don't think you can get a provisional licence in person. i had to send my passport away with the forms I collected at the post office.
a tip about the scheduling of the written/road test. when you go to book these online or on the phone the next available date may be several weeks/month off. tell them that you'll take a cancellation. i ended up pulling my practical test (road test) up three weeks b/c i was willing to do it at the last minute. now, i had a very understanding company b/c i was getting this licence so that i could fulfill part of my job. good luck.