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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
09/03/2019
September is Passport Month
TRENTON - September is National Passport Month and Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello is encouraging residents to apply to renew or obtain their passport this month.
The County Clerk advises residents that fall is a good time to apply. “With the summer travel season now behind us, the number of passport applications is expected to decrease nationwide,” said Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello. “Lower demand equals less time waiting for your application to be reviewed by the US State Department, so apply now and get it done well in advance of your next trip.” Nationwide, passport applications peak during the spring and summer months. Demand typically decreases starting in September.
Passport applications are processed at our two locations: our main office at 209 South Broad Street, Trenton, and our County Connection satellite office, located in the Hamilton Square Shopping Center at the corner of Route 33 and Paxson Avenue in Hamilton Township. For adults and minors 16 and over, the passport services fee is $110 for routine applications and $170 for expedited applications. Routine applications for minors under 16 are $80, with expedited applications costing $140. The processing fee for all applications is $35. Passports are valid for 10 years for adults and five years for minors under 16. We can only accept checks or money orders as payment; no cash or cards can be accepted. Federal law states that one check or money order must be written out for each application.
Additionally, the County Clerk’s office continues to go out into the community to process passport applications. First, on September 16, acceptance agents will be on hand at the Ewing Township municipal complex, located at 2 Jake Garzio Drive, Ewing Township, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. On October 10, the County Clerk’s office will be processing applications at the West Windsor Municipal Building, located at 271 Clarksville Road, Conference Room A, West Windsor Township, from 4 to 7 p.m. The same payment rules apply. You can call our office at (609) 989-6473 to reserve a time slot. Although every effort will be made to assist walk-ins, it is recommended that you make an appointment ahead of time.
Although passports are primarily for international travel, they may soon be required for domestic flights. Currently, New Jersey is not compliant with the federal REAL ID Act of 2005, which issues guidelines for states’ driver’s licenses and government-issued identification cards. It has until October 1, 2020 to comply.
In addition to regular passports, you can apply for a passport card, which can be used for entry by land or sea only to Canada, Mexico, and many Caribbean nations. Application fees are $30 for adults and minors 16 and older, and $15 for minors under 16. Like the standard passport booklets, they are valid for 10 years for adults and five years for minors.
Before an international trip, we urge you to visit the US Department of State’s website at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel.html to see if your intended country of entry has any further entrance requirements. Some countries require you to apply for an entrance visa in addition to having a passport.
For those not planning an international trip, a passport is still a good form of identification to have. It can be used for work authorization, applying for a new passport, obtaining a driver’s license or government-issued identification card, school registration (in some districts – check with your local school system), and proof of age when purchasing certain age-restricted items requiring ID.
Lastly, the County Clerk does issue ID cards for County residents, but these are not for valid for travel outside of the US, or for use as federal identification. They are resident ID cards only.
For more information about passports, and how to be properly prepared for a passport application, please visit our website: http://www.mercercounty.org/government/county-clerk-/office-services/passports.
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Mercer County Clerk
Paula Sollami Covello
209 South Broad St., PO Box 8068
Trenton, NJ 08650-0068 | (609) 989-6465
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