Take A Break During Winter Break

Extra Hours for Passports Combine with Kids Program at Post Office

Winter break can be a great week for errands like applying for a passport or the new passport card. For kids enjoying a week away from school, the Post Office might not seem to be a destination of choice.

It will be on Wednesday.

Postal officials will fill the lobby of the Watertown Post Office, 232 Commerce Park Drive, with exhibits and activities for younger residents as it extends hours on Wednesday, February 20, for passport applications and on-site photos.

“The new passport card is going to be particularly useful for families in our region,” said Watertown’s postal officer in charge, Jeff Sands. “And while we know this is great time to come in to and go through that paperwork, we know kids who will stop by might enjoy some other distractions during their visit to our office.”

Joining the festivities at the Post Office will be SASS Travel and Travel Wise Motor Coach Tours, sharing travel and adventure programs. The US Coast Guard will stage a boating safety display and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office will provide a variety of personal safety tips for youngsters and teens.

Gander Mountain will demonstrate casting fishing lines and exhibit some of its international adventure program. The Antique Boat Museum will provide hands-on activities as well as summer camp programming information.
Jefferson County Community College will offer information on college studies and financing that education. A student ambassador will likely staff that table.

The Postal Inspection Service will deliver its 2Smart4U program, discussing internet safety for teens. There will also be hands-on demonstrations of the postal web site, usps.com. A local radio station is also tentatively scheduled to broadcast on site.

Activities will run from noon to 3 pm, coinciding with extra postal staffing dedicated to passports in the Watertown Post Office. Passport acceptance on Wednesday will run through 6 pm and no appointment is necessary.

Sidebar: A PASSPORT PRIMER

According to Mr. Sands, visitors to the Post Office can file for the traditional passport in book form, the new passport card or both. Prices and use of each vary. All children, including newborns and infants, must have a passport in their own name.

THE PASSPORT CARD:
The wallet-sized passport card was designed for the needs of residents in border communities. The card is valid for land and sea crossings between the US and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda.

The card may not be used to travel by air,” cautions Mr. Sands. “If you only have a passport card on a trip or cruise and an emergency requires you to fly home, you will not be able to re-enter the country. That’s why the familiar passport book is still an appropriate document for most travelers.”
The card has the same lifespan as passport book: 10 years for an adult, five for youth 15 and younger.

PARENTAL PERMISSION:
Passport processing for minors changed in February. According to the Department of State, both parents must appear together documents for children aged 16 and under. It was previously limited to youths aged 14 and under.

If that not possible, one parent must appear and submit second parent's notarized statement of consent authorizing passport issuance for the child. This may include a notarized Form DS-3053, Statement of Consent: Issuance of a Passport to a Minor Under Age 16, or a notarized written statement with the same information on a sheet of paper from the non-appearing parent.

Other circumstances for demonstrating custody of a minor child applying for a passport may be discussed with postal employees accepting passports on site on Wednesday.

WHAT TO BRING:
A new State Department form allows applicants to opt for the book, a card or both. Outdated forms cannot be accepted.

Applicants still must provide proof of citizenship, separate photo identification and a Social Security number. For minors under 16, photo identification for parents or guardians is required. Passport photos are also needed. On-site photo service is available during the extended hours.

WHAT TO PAY:
Prices also changed on Feb. 1. The acceptance fee, paid to facilities that accept passports such as a Post Office, will be reduced to $25.

Adults over 16 requesting their first passport book pay a State Department fee of $75, an increase of $8. Youth passport books require a State Department fee of $60, also up $8. Acceptance fees apply.

First-time adult applicants for a passport card require the State Department fee of $20. For applicants under 16, passport cards require a State Department fee of $10. Acceptance fees again apply.

While the Post Office takes plastic for its fees and photos, the State Department cannot be paid by credit card. Applicants can also use cash, checks or money orders with fee payments made separately to each agency.

For adults with a current valid passport, applying for the passport card is $20. There is no acceptance fee.

First-timers applying for both documents get a break. State Department fees still apply for both the book and the card. But one acceptance fee covers the transaction, saving a little extra cash for the trip ahead.

NOTE:
Additional information on passports can be found at the web sites of the Postal Service http://www.usps.com/passport/welcome.htm