Looking to prepare for an international trip or just thinking that having a U.S. passport may be a good idea?
Lee County Clerk & Comptroller Kevin Karnes is hosting Passport Saturday, an event designed to help those who responded "yes" to the previous question.
The event will be held May 3 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Clerk’s Official Records department in downtown Fort Myers, in the Lee County Administration office building at 2115 Second St. on the 2nd floor. The extended hours help those who would like to apply for a passport but aren’t able to make it to the office during weekdays.
Customers are encouraged to visit www.leeclerk.org/passports to ensure they have all of the required documentation and acceptable forms of payment for both the U.S. Department of State and Clerk’s office.
When applying for a passport, you must bring two separate forms of payment – one for the Dept. of State and the other for the Clerk’s processing fee.
While the Clerk’s office accepts checks, credit/debit cards, cash or money orders, the Dept. of State only accepts checks or money orders for payment.
Passport photos are available on-site for an additional cost.
Appointments are not required but can be scheduled at www.leeclerk.org/appointment for expedited service. Customers are encouraged to arrive early. During the last Passport Saturday event, a line of customers was wrapped around the lobby before the event even started.
To learn more about how to apply for a passport, applicants can watch an online step-by-step tutorial at www.leeclerk.org/howto. The current processing time for passports is four to six weeks.
All Official Records services will be available during the special extended hours on Passport Saturday.
As an official passport acceptance facility, the Lee Clerk’s office processes more than 8,000 passport applications a year.
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