Need a Passport? The Post Office Can Help

Lisbon/Cooksville, MD — No matter how far away a traveler’s destination is, the Post Office is the most convenient place to apply for a passport to get started on the journey. To help travelers with their applications, the Lisbon/Cooksville Post Office located at 1280 Hopkins Alley, Lisbon, MD is hosting a Passport Fair, Saturday, July 12 from 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, July 13 from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Each individual applying for a passport must appear in person.

Passport Fairs make it easy and convenient for travelers. Knowledgeable postal employees are available to walk them through the entire passport application process and answer questions, including the length of time anticipated to receive a passport, which is currently between three to four weeks.

Customers can call 1-800-ASK-USPS to get the location of nearby passport Post Offices and passport customer service hours or visit the Postal Service website at www.usps.com/passport to get information on passport application costs and to download a passport application form. Customers can save some time by having the application form filled out before coming to the Post Office. The link offers the following recommendations to make the application process efficient:

Customers should apply at least three months or earlier before making travel plans. This will avoid possible additional costs involved in expediting applications.
Bring in proper proof of American citizenship in the form of a previous U.S. passport, a certified birth certificate issued by the city, county or state, a certificate of citizenship, or naturalization certificate. Also bring in a valid form of photo identification, such as a current valid driver’s license, government ID or military photo ID.
A hospital-issued birth certificate alone is not acceptable.

Passport applications require two recent identical photographs which can be taken at select Post Offices offering passport services for a $15 fee (in addition to application fees).

The passport application fee for first-time applicants is $100 (photo not included). Two payment transactions are required: $75 to the Department of State and $25 to the United States Postal Service. Renewals are $75. An expedited two-to-three week process is available for $192.50 for adult, $177.50 for children (not including photos).

The new limited-use passport card is now available, which can be used for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and Caribbean countries. For adults who already have a passport book, they may apply for the card as a passport renewal and pay only $20. First-time applicants pay $45 for adult cards and $35 for children.

For the latest information on passport deadlines and other travel requirements established by the U.S. State Department, go to its website at http://travel.state.gov. Travelers can check the status of their passport applications online at: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/status/status_2567.html.

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An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits every address in the nation — 146 million homes and businesses. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses, not tax dollars. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.