As a community service to make it easier to apply for a U.S. passport, the Postal Service is announcing special Passport Fairs.

No appointments are necessary for the Passport Fairs. Walk-ins are welcome and passport photo service will be available.

The Postal Service recommends bringing original documents and following these guidelines:

• Download and complete a passport application at www.travel.state.gov beforehand. 
• Bring proper proof of U.S. citizenship (as shown on the application DS-11 dated 09/2013).
• Bring proof of identity. This must be either: a recently issued U.S. passport; a recently issued naturalization certificate; a recently issued certificate of citizenship; or a current valid driver’s license, government ID or military photo ID.
• Bring a photocopy of your proof of identity.  Each applicant must bring a front and back photocopy of the ID that will be presented at the time of passport acceptance.
• The passport application requires a recent passport photograph of you (2” x 2” in size).
• All applicants must appear in person (including minors). Minors under the age of 16 must appear with both parents. If one parent is not available, a notarized authorization from the absent parent is required.

The U.S. Department of State provides detailed guidelines for preparing passport applications and supporting documents as well as current processing times at: www.travel.state.gov.  USPS.com is also an excellent resource for obtaining the paperwork and locating acceptance facilities across the nation.

Only need to renew a passport? Well, the State Department says you should do it now—and they mean ASAP. That’s because the agency is expecting an epic amount of renewal requests due to millions of passports set to expire. Nearly 10 years ago, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative was a law passed requiring U.S. citizens to have a passport in order to travel to all countries, and soon those passports will no longer be valid. The State Department says it’s looking at about 47 million passports set to expire this year alone. If you’re planning a trip overseas in the next six months, don’t wait

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

###

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

For reporters interested in speaking with a regional Postal Service public relations professional, please go to about.usps.com/news/media-contacts/usps-local-media-contacts.pdf. Follow us on Twitter (twitter.com/usps), Instagram (instagram.com/uspostalservice), Pinterest (pinterest.com/uspsstamps), LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/usps), subscribe to our channel on YouTube (youtube.com/usps), like us on Facebook (facebook.com/usps) and view our Postal Postsblog (uspsblog.com).

For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and usps.com/postalfacts.