DURHAM, NC — The Durham Main Post Office will hold a Passport Fair on Saturday, March 13 from 9 am – 1 pm at its lobby, 323 E. Chapel Hill Street, Durham. Applicants are encouraged in advance to print an application online at www.usps.com/passport, and have it completed prior to going to the Post Office.

As of February 1, 2008, most passports for adults 16 years of age and older will now cost $100, including acceptance fees, while passports for children 15 years of age and younger cost $85. Both parents must sign; please go online for specific instructions on this issue. Photos are required and are available to be taken at the Post Office for an additional cost.

To help the passport application process run smoothly and efficiently, the Postal Service recommends the following:

• Bring in proper proof of American citizenship. This must be either: a certified birth certificate issued by the city, county or state; a previous U.S. passport; a certificate of citizenship; or a naturalization certificate. (Please note: a hospital-issued birth certificate alone is not acceptable.)
• Bring in proof of identity. This must be either: a previous U.S. passport; a naturalization certificate; a certificate of citizenship; a current valid driver’s license, government ID or military photo ID.
• The passport application requires two identical color photographs of you, which are available at the Post Office for $15.

For additional information, please contact Durham MPO, (919) 683-1188.

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Please Note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/news.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars. With 36,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, the Postal Service relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses. Named the Most Trusted Government Agency five consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $68 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 26th in the 2008 Fortune 500.