Question: I have a chance to go to Europe in late August. Is that long enough to get a passport? Do I have to make an appointment?
Q: You have printed what we need to know to get a state ID. Please do the same for a U.S. passport. Please do not send me online.
Q: Do I have to renew my passport by mail by myself? I would rather someone check it first.
Answer: Readers are in a traveling mood, judging from the flurry of questions we’ve received about obtaining or renewing U.S. passports. Here are some basics, addressing these readers’ questions.
Routine processing time is four to six weeks, and applicants can cut that in half by paying extra for expedited service, so yes, if you apply now you should receive your passport by August.
There are 11 passport acceptance facilities listed on Oahu, and nearly all encourage appointments. The exception is the Hawaii State Library, which generally offers walk-in passport service Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Don’t arrive at the last minute and expect to be served, though. It gets busy, and staff will cut off the line when it’s clear there isn’t enough time left to process everyone. The library is at 478 S. King St.
All applicants must appear in person. Children under 16 must be accompanied by both parents with ID. Minors 16 and 17 must be accompanied by at least one parent with ID.
Here’s what you’ll need to apply for a passport at the library:
>> Form DS-11 (U.S. Passport Application) is the only form the library accepts. Fill it out in black ink but don’t sign it.
>> Proof of U.S. citizenship: Any one of the following will suffice: original U.S. birth certificate; certificate of naturalization; consular report of birth abroad; old, undamaged, full-term U.S. passport.
>> Proof of identification: Such as a Hawaii driver’s license or state ID; military ID; federal, state or municipal government employee ID card; or foreign passport. Out-of-state IDs and temporary IDs require a secondary ID for confirmation.
>> Passport photo: A 2-by-2-inch color head shot against a white background. No eyeglasses, uniforms or headgear. The library doesn’t have a photo service; bring your picture with you.
>> Processing fee: $35 per applicant, payable to Director of Finance — State of Hawaii. Check or money order only.
>> Passport fee: Check or money order only, payable to the U.S. Department of State. The fee for a passport book is $110 for applicants 16 and older, $80 for children 15 and younger. The fee for a passport card is $30 for those 16 and older, $15 for age 15 and younger. Expedited service costs an extra $60 per applicant.
To emphasize, you’ll make separate payments for the processing fee and the passport fee and must pay by check or money order. Cash, credit cards and debit cards are not accepted.
Q: What if my whole family is getting passports? Do we need eight checks?
A: No, applicants can combine payments of the same type. So your family of four could pay with two checks, one for the processing fees and one for the passport fees.
To answer the third reader’s question, renewing by mail would save you money, but yes, you could go to the library to apply for a new passport. You’d have to use form DS-11 and pay the $35 processing fee, rather than using the mail-in renewal form DS-82, which doesn’t have a processing fee. The library doesn’t accept form DS-82.
For more information, including links to forms and a list of other passport acceptance facilities on Oahu, go to 808ne.ws/passlib. If you have questions, call the library at 586-3477.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
