Under the
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, new passport requirements affecting only air travel between the United States and various countries went into effect on January 23, 2007. Canada and Mexico, nations to which U.S. citizens formerly could travel by air without passports, are among the countries affected. If you are applying for a new passport or are in another situation where you need to apply in person for a passport, you need to appear at a passport agency or an official passport acceptance facility. I learned last week that the main Brookfield post office, the one located on Civic Drive, across the street from the Brookfield City Hall, is one such facility.
Because my family has always maintained current passports, I didn't think too much about the new requirements until I was standing in line at the post office recently and saw a sign indicating that the post office accepted passport applications. Coincidentally, last week, my father mentioned that his passport was set to expire in June. So, in the interest of obtaining information for this blog, I went to the Brookfield post office to check it out, even though I assumed that I could get the necessary renewal forms somewhere in cyberspace.
The postal clerk gave me a renewal application and stated that renewals are handled by mail, meaning that you don't have to appear anywhere in person. In order to use the renewal form, your situation/passport status must fit certain requirements listed on the front of the form. If your situation does not fit the requirements, you cannot use the renewal form, and you will need to apply in person with the necessary documentation. For example, if your most recent passport was issued under a different name (e.g. your maiden name), you cannot use a renewal form. If you are able to use the renewal form, the clerk advised me that, should I wish to send it via U.S. mail, most people send it by priority mail with signature confirmation. The clerk further advised me that the required photos for passports can be taken at the post office. (Although I did not ask, I assume that there is a fee for the required photos.) My father fit the requirements for renewal by mail, so that was all the information I needed from the clerk, who was extremely helpful by the way.
To find out whether you need to apply in person for a passport and what documentation you will need, you can consult the website for the U.S. Department of State. You can also download forms from their site. Note: Children, including infants, are required to have passports under the same travel conditions as adults.
The main Brookfield post office accepts in-person passport applications Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Although I did not ask, I assume that time range is when photos can be taken for renewal applications.) Note: The Passport Acceptance Facility Search Page on the U.S. Department of State website indicates that the Brookfield post office also has Saturday hours by appointment only. However, the clerk did not mention Saturday hours to me.
