Mercer County Clerk’s Office is set to sponsor a passport processing session in Lawrence Township.
Lawrence Passport Day is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 31 at the Lawrence Township Senior Center, 30 Darrah Lane East. To scheduled an appointment, call (609) 989-6472.
The County Clerk’s Office processes 5,000 to 6,000 passports annually. Overall demand for passports has risen over the past few years due to changes in U.S. travel requirements, which require travelers to have passports for air, land and sea ports outside of the U.S., including the Caribbean islands, Canada and Mexico. The passport book is accepted for all travel while the passport card has a more limited use and is generally used at seaports and border crossings.
U.S. Passport or Passport Card applicants need a proof of citizenship in the form of a state-certified birth certificate, U.S. naturalization certificate or a previously issued U.S. Passport; and a proof of identity in the form of a current driver’s license or a state-issued identification card.
The regular passport fee is $110 for adults and $80 for children in the form of check or money order. There is also a $25.00 processing fee for the county. Photos are a separate fee.
Adult passports are valid for 10 years and a child’s passport is valid for five years. For a child under age 16, both parents must appear in person for the application process.
In addition to passport days, the clerks office processes passports in its Trenton office weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with late hours until 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday evenings. The clerk’s office is located at 209 South Broad St. in the Courthouse Annex.
The clerk’s office also process passports at the Mercer County Connection satellite located at Route 33 and Paxon Avenue in Hamilton. The Mercer County Connection is open Mondays through Saturdays for passports. The Hamilton office offers late hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 7:30 p.m. and offer limited hours on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Passport pictures are available at both locations.
More information is online at mercercounty.org.
