Passport Fair hosted before scheduled increase in fees

Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds Lisa Brown is hosting a special passport event on Saturday, March 17, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in response to the U.S. Department of State raising the passport acceptance fee. On February 1, the U.S. Department of State Passport Services issued a Notice of Increase in Passport Acceptance Fees to passport acceptance agents. The $25 execution fee will be increased to $35 beginning Monday, April 2.

“I want to alert our residents to this future increase in fees and give them an extra opportunity to apply for a passport before the fee hike takes effect,” said Oakland County Clerk/Register of Deeds Lisa Brown. “By opening on Saturday, I hope to make it easier for people to do business in my office.”

In addition to passports, the Oakland County Clerk’s office will provide the following services on March 17:

• Birth, death and marriage records
• Business registrations
• Concealed pistol license applications and renewals
• Marriage licenses
• Military discharge filings
• Notary filings
• In-person voter registration

To apply for a passport, residents must:

• Apply in person (if the applicant is under 17 years old, the minor and both parents must be present, unless one parent has signed a notarized consent form).
• Present a valid, government-issued form of identification and a certified copy of a birth certificate or proof of citizenship.
• Bring a passport photograph or pay the $10 fee to have one taken on-site that day.

Passport fees paid to U.S. Department of State (with check or money order only) include:

—Adult Passport Book $110 (16 and older)
—Adult Passport Card $30 (16 and older)
—Child Passport Book $80
—Child Passport Card $15
—Expedite Fee $60 (Each family member must pay)
—File Search Fee $150

Fees paid to Oakland County (with cash or credit card only) include:

—Execution Fee $25
—Photo Fee $10
—Overnight to Lockbox $23 (Pay once per family)

Passport applications from U.S. citizens will be accepted and other services from the Clerk’s Office will be available. For more details on the fees and forms of payment required for services, visit www.oakgov.com/clerkrod.

Information on how to apply for a U.S. passport is available at www.travel.state.gov. U.S. citizens may also obtain passport information by phone, in English and Spanish, by calling the National Passport Information Center toll-free at 877-487-2778.

The Oakland County Clerk’s office is located at 1200 N. Telegraph Rd. in Pontiac. Residents shlould use the North Entrance on Passport Day. For additional information, call 248-858-0564 or visit www.oakgov.com/clerk.