TRANQUILLITY, CA — The U.S. Postal Service has a message to all travelers: Get ready for a whole new year of travel by getting your passport now. To assist world travelers, the Tranquillity Post Office, 25660 Scaggs Avenue, is hosting a Passport Fair on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Punjabi and Spanish speaking assistance will be available.
The Post Office is the most convenient place for people to start their travel planning. Passport Fairs make it easy and convenient for travelers by assisting with every step of the process. Knowledgeable postal employees are available to walk people through the entire process and answer questions, including the length of time anticipated to receive a passport, which is currently three to four weeks.
Customers can call 1-800-ASK-USPS to get the location of nearby passport Post Offices and passport customer service hours or visit the Postal Service website at www.usps.com/passport to get information on passport application costs and to download a passport application form. Customers can save some time by having the application form filled out before coming to the Post Office. The following are recommendations to make the application process efficient:
- Customers should plan to apply for a passport at least three months or earlier before making travel plans to avoid possible additional costs involved in expediting applications.
- Bring in proper proof of American citizenship in the form of a previous U.S. passport, a certified birth certificate issued by the city, county or state, a certificate of citizenship, or naturalization certificate. A hospital-issued birth certificate alone is not acceptable.
- Bring in a valid form of photo identification, such as a current valid driver’s license, government ID or military photo ID.
Passport applications require two recent identical photographs which can be obtained at the Passport Fair for a $15 fee (in addition to application fees).
The fee for first-time applicants is $100 (photos not included). Two payment transactions are required: $75 to the Department of State and $25 to the United States Postal Service. Renewals are $75. Passports will be mailed to the customer in three to four weeks after application.
Cost breakdown is as follows:
| Fees | Amount | Paid to: |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance Fee | $25.00 | USPS |
| Passport Book Fee DS-11 – age 16 and over | $75.00 | Department of State |
| Passport Book Fee DS-11 – under age 16 | $60.00 | Department of State |
| *Passport Card Fee – age 16 and over | $20.00 | Department of State |
| *Passport Card Fee – under age 16 | $10.00 | Department of State |
| Expedited Processing Service | $60.00 | Department of State |
| USPS Express Mail® service from passport agency to customer | $14.85 | Department of State |
| USPS Express Mail service to lockbox address | Flat rate $16.50 or zone rate fees | USPS |
| USPS photo fee | $15.00 | USPS |
The new limited-use *passport card is now available, which can be used for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and Caribbean countries. For adults who already have a passport book, they may apply for the card as a passport renewal and pay only $20. First-time applicants will pay $45 for adult cards and $35 for children.
For the latest information on passport deadlines and other travel requirements established by the U.S. State Department, go to its Web site at http://travel.state.gov. Travelers can check the status of their passport applications online at: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/status/status_2567.html.
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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.
