There are some surprising answers to this question, and I'll try to clarify some of the comments made.
- You can't apply for a diplomatic passport. If you're entitled to one, it will be issued.
- Diplomatic passports are issued only to diplomats and their accompanying family and in some countries very senior government officials, such as current and former heads of state. In the latter cases, it is issued as a matter of courtesy. It does not confer formal diplomatic privileges, although courtesies often extended to diplomats will most likely be offered.
- A diplomatic passport does not confer diplomatic immunity. For that to happen a diplomat must be proposed to and accepted by the host government.
I have travelled widely on diplomatic passports and in practical terms they are useful for beating immigration lineups by using the diplomat lane and impressing your seatmate on the flight while filling out the landing forms, if you're into that sort of thing. I didn't care about impressing strangers but I was all about beating the lineups by using the diplomat lane.
I do recall once staring down a TSA agent who wanted me to stand back while she searched my carry-on. I didn't want her looking at the documents I had in there or fiddling with my laptop without me watching closely. She wasn't thrilled about it but with my passport in hand she gave in and didn’t require me to stand back.
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