The U.S. Department of State announced Tuesday that they are increasing their fee for passport books by $20 starting Monday, Dec. 27 for passports prepared at their Passport Acceptance Facilities. The Clerk’s Office is not increasing its portion of the fees collected for processing passport applications, and fees for passport cards are unchanged.
The new cost for passport books are as follows:
Passport Book – Age 16 and older: $165.00
o $130.00 check or money order made payable to the U.S. Dept. of State (cash or credit cards not accepted by the U.S. Dept. of State)
o $35.00 check, cash, or credit card to Clerk of Court.
Passport Book – Age 15 and under: $135.00
o $100.00 check or money order made payable to the U.S. Dept. of State (cash or credit cards not accepted by the U.S. Dept. of State)
o $35.00 check, cash, or credit card to Clerk of Court
Applications in Lake County are by appointment only from 8:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Monday through Friday, and are offered at three convenient locations:
· Lake County Courthouse, 550 W. Main St., North Wing, Third Floor, Tavares
· South Lake Branch Office (closed from noon to 1 p.m.), 290 Citrus Tower Blvd., Suite 116, Clermont
· North Lake Branch Office (closed from noon to 1 p.m.), 902 Avenida Central, The Villages
For more information about obtaining a U.S. Passport, contact the Lake County Clerk’s Office at (352) 253-2648 or visit www.lakecountyclerk.org/administrative_services/passports.aspx to schedule an appointment.
Customers can check the status of their application online at http://travel.state.gov or by calling the National Passport Information Center at (877) 487-2778.
