St. Johns County holds a special passport event on Saturday, August 6

St. Johns County — The St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller will hold a special Passport Saturday event for St. Johns County residents on August 6 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. as the demand for new passports surpass pre-pandemic numbers.

“We are excited to hold this special Saturday event to give residents an opportunity to complete an application before school resumes or to get a jump on the upcoming winter holiday travel season,” said Clerk of Courts and Comptroller Brandon J. Patty. “We are anticipating a busy day and will have a great team of deputy clerks ready to facilitate the applications as quickly as possible.

According to St. Johns County, passports are usually accepted Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Ponte Vedra and Julington Creek annexes process passports by appointment only.

Overseas traveling requires a passport from everyone, including infants. Applicants applying for a new passport must appear in person, regardless of age. Minors must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.

According to the U.S. Department of State, the routine processing time for a passport ranges between eight and 11 weeks. Travelers can pay an additional $60 to the State Department to expedite the time between five and seven weeks. Applicants can also pay a third-party service to accelerate their applications for emergency and/or last-minute travel.

According to a recent press release, third-party vendors physically deliver the applications to the regional federal passport office in Miami. However, the costs are often doubled.

No appointment is necessary. Clerk staff will accept, review and certify applications for first-time passports and anyone needing a new updated passport, due to the age of the passport, name changes, minors under 16, and/or anyone whose passport was lost, stolen or damaged.

Residents can also get their passport photos taken for a nominal fee.

Visit https://stjohnsclerk.com/passports/ for important information and details about required documentation, forms of payment accepted by the U.S. Department of State, and any special requirements. Passport applications are also available through the Clerk’s website or at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel.html.

©2022 Cox Media Group