Post Office and AA to hold Passport Fair Feb. 22

CARY, NC — The U.S. Postal Service in conjunction with American Airlines will hold a Passport Fair on Friday, February 22, 2008 from 9am – 5 pm at the American Airlines Reservation Center, 500 Gregson Street, Cary. Applicants are encouraged in advance to print an application online at www.usps.com/passport, and have it completed prior to going to the Post Office.

As of February 1, most passports for adults 16 years of age and older will now cost $100, including acceptance fees, while passports for children 15 years of age and younger cost $85. Both parents must sign; please go online for specific instructions on this issue. Photos are required and are available to be taken at the Post Office for an additional cost.

To help the passport application process run smoothly and efficiently, the Postal Service recommends the following:

Bring in proper 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 alone is not acceptable.)

Bring in proof of identity. This must be either: a previous U.S. passport; a naturalization certificate; a certificate of citizenship; a current valid driver’s license, government ID or military photo ID.

The passport application requires two identical color photographs of you, which are available at the Post Office for $15.

For additional information, please contact Gracie Cooke, 919-832-1604

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Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/news.

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.