Passport Acceptance Facilities: Can You Get a Passport Book at the Library?

You might think of your local public library just as a place to go to check out books, but it is so much more! Libraries aren't only for books, magazines, and DVDs these days. They offer all kinds of services. You can use the internet for free, get help with research, take your kids to storytime... and possibly even get a new passport!

More and more libraries now offer Passport Acceptance Facility services, so you can apply for your passport and pick up a travel guidebook, all in one stop.

Passport Acceptance Facilities: The Basics

 

What Do Passport Acceptance Facilities Do?

 

Passport Acceptance Facilities play an important role in the issuance of US passports. If you don't currently hold a valid passport (or one that expired recently), the US government needs to verify your identity and citizenship before they can issue you a passport. That's where the Passport Acceptance Facility comes in! All applicants for first-time adult passports or replacements for lost, stolen, or damaged passports have to appear in front of a Passport Acceptance Agent in person. The agent will check your application, your identification, and your proof of US citizenship. She'll then seal your application into an envelope that can only by opened by the Passport Agency. The agent can mail the envelope to the Passport Processing Center for you, or you can take the envelope with you to send to a passport expediting service. Need a passport for your kid? If your child is age 15 or younger, you'll need to go to the Passport Acceptance Facility whether or not your child has previously been issued a passport.

 

Who Can Be a Passport Acceptance Agent?

Under State Department rules, any government office can apply to become a Passport Acceptance Facility. The most common sites for Passport Acceptance Facilities are US Post Offices. But Post Offices aren't the only locations where you can submit a passport application! Acceptance facilities can be located in courthouses, government administrative offices, or even on the campuses of public universities. And since public libraries are run by county or city governments, they, too, can apply to become a Passport Acceptance Facility.

Passports for Teenage Travelers

Teenagers are always on the go… and teens who plan to travel outside the US will need to make sure they have a valid passport! The teenage years are all about the transition from childhood to adulthood, and that holds true for passports, as well. The US State Department issues minor passports to children up to age 15, and adult passports to teens starting at age 16. Read on to learn more about the special procedures to obtain a passport for your teen.

Teens Under Age 16

Until your teen’s 16th birthday, he or she is considered a child in the eyes of the State Department. Teens age 15 and younger are issued minor passports. These passports are valid for just 5 years, and cannot be renewed. Minor applicants are always required to appear in person in front of a Passport Acceptance Agent.

Minor passports require that both parents (or all legal guardians) give consent for the issuance of the passport. The easiest way to do this is to have both parents go with the child to the Passport Acceptance Facility. If you aren’t able to have both parents go to apply for the passport, at least one parent needs to go in person, and the other parent can sign and notarize Form DS-3053, the Statement of Consent. The parent who doesn’t go to the Passport Acceptance Facility will also need to provide a photocopy of his passport or the front and back of his driver’s license. (Having custody issues or trouble getting your child’s other parent to provide consent? Stay tuned, we have an article coming up soon about how to deal with tricky family situations when applying for a child’s passport.)