Post Offices throughout Indiana will be hosting passport fairs on Sept. 17 to provide passport information to U.S. citizens and to accept passport applications.
The Postal Service is joining the U.S. Department of State in celebrating “Passport Day in the USA,” a national passport acceptance and outreach event.
“We are happy to leverage the convenience of the Postal Service and partner with the State Department to help our customers apply for passports,” said Greater Indiana District Marketing Manager Michael McInturf.
It is recommended that customers come in as early as possible to apply for their passports – at least eight weeks or earlier before departure – to avoid any extra costs involved in expediting their application. The State Department is currently reporting four- to six-week processing times for routine passport applications.
It costs $135 total for adults (16 years and older) with separate payments of $25 to the U.S. Postal Service for its processing fee, and $110 paid to the State Department for the passport application fee. For persons under 16, the total cost is $105 – $25 to the Postal Service, and $80 to the State Department.
For expedited passport service, add $60 for each application, payable to the State Department. In such cases, the applicant also incurs overnight (Express Mail) delivery costs, payable to the Postal Service.
Passport photos are available at all of the Post Office application sites for $15. The application fee must be paid with cash or check. Credit or debit cards, as well as cash or checks, may be used to cover the cost of photos and the acceptance fee.
To help the passport application process go smoothly and efficiently, the Postal Service recommends the following:
- Bring in proof of American citizenship. This must be either a certified birth certificate issued by the city, county or state; a previous U.S. passport; a certificate of citizenship; or a naturalization certificate. (Please note: a hospital-issued birth certificate is not acceptable).
- Bring in proof of identity. This must be either a previous U.S. passport; a naturalization certificate; a certificate of citizenship; or a current valid driver’s license, government ID or military photo ID.
Passport photograph services will be provided on site for a fee of $15.
To save time, customers can download a passport application at www.usps.com/passport to complete their application beforehand.
All applicants must appear in person (including minors). Applicants under 16 must appear with both parents. If one parent is not available, a notarized authorization from the absent parent is required.
In 2010, the Postal Service accepted 6.7 million passport applications at retail locations across the country.
