Post office to host ‘passport day’ March 8

    Post Offices in Maine will host a Passport Day on Saturday, March 8 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in order to help local residents obtain quickly and conveniently this official document necessary for international travel.  
    Customers who file passport applications can request the traditional book form, a new passport card or both. Prices and use of each vary. The wallet-sized passport card was designed for the needs of residents in border communities. The card is valid for land and sea crossings between the US and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda, and has the same lifespan as passport book: 10 years for an adult, five for youth 15 and younger.
    “The card may not be used to travel by air,” cautions USPS acting District Manager for Maine Rene Albert. “If you only have a passport card on a trip or cruise and an emergency requires you to fly home, you will not be able to re-enter the country. That’s why the familiar passport book is still an appropriate document for most travelers.”
    The layout of the new passport application form changes but much of the same information is required. Applicants can opt for the book, a card or both. Applicants still must provide proof of citizenship, separate photo identification and a Social Security number. Passport photos are also needed.
    In another change, applicants under the age of 16 will need documented consent from both parents (at least one must be present when applying) to file an application form. It was previously limited to youths aged 14 and under.
    The acceptance fee, paid to the Post Office, has been reduced to $25. Adults over 16 requesting their first passport book pay a State Department fee of $75. Youth passport books require a State Department fee of $60. Acceptance fees apply. First-time adult applicants for a passport card require the State Department fee of $20. For applicants under 16, passport cards require a State Department fee of $10. Acceptance fees again apply.
    Passport photos are available at most Post Offices, and will be taken this passport event. While the Post Office takes plastic for its fees and photos, the State Department cannot be paid by credit card. Applicants can also use cash, checks or money orders with fee payments made separately to each agency. For adults with a current valid passport, applying for the passport card is $20. There is no acceptance fee.
    First-timers applying for both documents get a break. State Department fees still apply for both the book and the card. But one acceptance fee covers the transaction. The new fees are:
     Adult Passport Book, Passport Fee $75 plus Execution Fee $25, $100 (Age 16 and over)
     Adult Passport Card, Passport Fee $20 plus Execution Fee $25, $45 (Age 16 and over)
     Child Passport Book, Passport Fee $60 plus Execution Fee $25, $85 (Age 15 and under)
     Child Passport Card, Passport Fee $10 plus Execution Fee $25, $35 (Age 15 and under)
    First-time adult and minor applicants under the age of 16 complete a Form DS-11 “Application for a U.S. Passport,” two photos, evidence of citizenship, the application fee, proof of identity, and an original copy of their birth certificate (with a raised seal) issued by the city or state. Hospital-issued birth certificates are not accepted.  
    Effective January 31, 2008 the Department of Homeland Security required border crossers to present documents showing citizenship and identity when entering the United States through land and sea ports of entry. An oral declaration will no longer be sufficient to prove identity and citizenship.
    A complete list of acceptable documents is available at www.cbp.gov.
    Saturday, March 8 will be “Passport Day” from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Houlton Post Office, 39 Court St.