WESTLAKE, OH – As a community service and to make it easier to apply for a U.S. passport, the Westlake Post Office, 27300 Center Ridge Road, Westlake, Ohio 44145, will have special passport hours during March. Customers can apply for passports Monday through Friday 6am to 3pm, and Saturday 8am to 12pm.

The Post Office reminds applicants of the following passport application requirements:

• To apply for a passport, travelers need to complete Passport Application Form DS-11 (unsigned). Applications are available at the Pearlbrook Post Office and may also be downloaded at www.travel.state.gov.
• Proper proof of U.S. citizenship (as shown on the application DS-11 dated 09/2013), such as an official, government-authorized, certified birth certificate.
• Proof of identity (a photo identification card), a U.S. birth certificate from the Department of Vital Statistics (not a certificate of birth) or naturalization papers. Applicants must also show either a valid driver’s license, a previous or current U.S. passport book or card, Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Citizenship, military I.D. or a federal, state or municipal government employee I.D. card. Applicants 15 & under must be present with both parents unless consent is given; ages 16 & 17 require only one parent be present.
• A recent passport photograph of the applicant (2” x 2” in size). Passport photos can be taken at the Post Office for an additional fee.
• 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.

NOTE: The most important difference between a U.S. passport book and a passport card is that a passport card is not valid for international air travel. A passport card is a limited travel document, valid only for land and sea travel within North America (Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda).

Passport fees

The fees listed above must be paid with a personal check or money order. There is a $35 processing/acceptance fee and a $15 fee for photos, which can be paid for by cash, personal check, debit or money order. The Passport Fair offices offer passport photo services.

Travelers are encouraged to apply for a passport several months before they are scheduled to travel overseas. The average time for passport applications and renewals is six weeks. However, for an additional fee, the State Department will expedite the application and process it within three weeks.

For more information about passport application requirements and to download forms, visit the State Department’s travel website at www.travel.state.gov.

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

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