Need to get a passport but can’t take the time off work to visit the post office or prothonotary’s office? Don’t worry – the library can help! The James V. Brown Library, 19 E. Fourth St., is an official Passport Acceptance Facility and open after work and on Saturdays.
Library staff also can take your passport photo, making the library a one-stop shop for all your passport needs.
U.S. citizens re-entering the United States must present a passport book, passport card or other travel documents approved by the U.S. government, which are listed at travel.state.gov. Passport cards are only accepted for travel by driving between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, seas of port in the Caribbean and Bermuda. Passport books are required for all air travel abroad.
All passport applicants must apply in person, regardless of age. When a child is under 16, both parents must be present and show identification when applying for their child’s passport. For applicants under 16, if one parent is unable to come, they must fill out the Statement of Consent form, and provide a front and back photo copy of their photo identification. Please note that the photocopied identification must be the same as the one used when notarizing the Statement of Consent form (DS-3053).
To apply for a passport, you will need the following:
One passport photo that meets the U.S. guidelines. The Brown Library will take one for you for a $10 charge.
Passport application form, the DS-11, which is available at the library or the Passport Agency website at http://travel.state.gov/.
Proof of citizenship, such as an original state-issued birth certificate (must list both parents), a current or previous U.S. passport, a consular report of birth abroad, or a certificate of naturalization or citizenship.
Proof of identity, current valid U.S. driver’s license or state-issued identification card, a military ID card or government-issued photo ID card. Note, that for state-issued ID cards, the passport agency encourages additional secondary identification to bring along with it. Also, people applying with an out-of-state driver’s license are required to bring additional secondary identification.
There are fees associated with getting a passport based on age and must be made in the form of a check or money order payable to the U.S. Department of State, along with a separate payment for processing of $35 paid to the James V. Brown Library either by cash, check or credit card.
Adult passport books are currently $130, adult passport cards are $30. Child books are $100, and a child card is $15. Expedited fees include an additional $60. These are prone to change so applicants are encouraged to visit the U.S. Department of State’s website for updated fee costs. Also, the fees are the same for both first time and renewal applicants.
Routine processing currently takes 8-11 weeks. Expedited processing is currently 5-7 weeks. These are prone to change so applicants are encouraged to visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports.html for updated processing times. The processing times are the same for both first time and renewal applicants.
State Department officials also encourage those with soon-to-expire passports to renew soon because many countries enforce a requirement for at least six months’ validity on a United States passport, as listed here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/passport-help/faqs.html. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met, according to the U.S. Department of State. Also, COVID-19 testing is no longer required for U.S. entry as of June 12, 2022.
For your convenience, passport applications are accepted from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 to 1 p.m. on Saturday.
The library also will take photos for those who need photo identification for testing purposes. The same $10 charge applies.
For more information about passport requirements, please visit http://jvbrown.edu/passport/ .
The James V. Brown Library is open for browsing and holds pick up from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. To place a hold, visit http://www.jvbrown.edu or call 570-326-0536 during the library’s operating hours. The library also is open for public computer usage and for services such as printing, faxing, copying and scanning. Walk-in passport services are available.
