County Clerk prepares to meet growing passport demand

Newton - The Sussex County Clerk’s Office, a long-standing passport acceptance agent for the federal government, has announced that the office is now equipped to take passport photos on-site. Persons requesting a passport were required to submit two color photos with their passport application, and frequently, according to County Clerk Erma Gormley, “the photos just didn’t meet federal standards. Background colors, head size, and resolution quality were often questionable.” According to personnel at the Clerk’s Office, the U.S. Department of State’s Philadelphia agency has complained lately about the quality of photos it receives from its passport agents in the region. “The state asked us to rigidly enforce the guidelines on acceptable photos,” said Gormley. “Unfortunately, that means customers with questionable photos will be asked more often to purchase new ones.” The federal government is expected an increase in applications before new travel regulations go into effect in a few months. “Something people may not know is that by January of next year the need for carrying a passport will grow significantly. Previously, applicants could provide a birth certificate and driver’s license to cross the border into Canada and Mexico, or to take a cruise to the Caribbean, but new legislation will soon require that Americans carry a passport when traveling to those destinations,” said Gormley. The new travel restrictions to be implemented under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative are scheduled to go into effect as early as January 1, 2007, and also will affect Americans traveling to Central and South America. “Equipping our office with the new passport camera service ensures our customers get a good quality photo the first time, while giving us control to ensure all the necessary guidelines established by the federal government are met,” said Gormley. The Sussex County Clerk’s Office submitted nearly 1,500 passport applications to the State Department in 2005, and anticipates exceeding that number by the end of 2006. “We would encourage any county residents who are planning trips next year to plan ahead and apply for their passports now,” said Deputy Clerk Brian McNeilly. “If you have travel plans, you won’t want to get caught in a potential backlog.” McNeilly’s concern of a backlog stems from a recent survey taken by the International Council of Cruise Lines, which showed less than half of cruise passengers traveling to the Caribbean were carrying passports. The cost of an adult passport is $97, and for children age 15 and under, the cost is $82. Adult passports are valid for 10 years, with children’s valid for five years. The typical turnaround time for processing a passport is six weeks. The Clerk’s Office can expedite the process and have passports returned within two weeks for an additional fee. Residents can apply for a passport with the Clerk’s office Mondays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., or Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. American travelers may want to take note that flights and cruises out of the United States are not the only means of travel to feel the effects of this new legislation, motorists crossing from the United States into Canada and Mexico also will have to provide a passport, or other equivalent, by 2008.