Getting your passport

If you were flying out of the country this week, you'd better have packed a passport. If you're traveling by air, you need your passport as of yesterday, Jan. 23, 2007. If you are traveling by land or sea, new passport rules will go into effect as early as January 2008.

Under the government's new Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, everyone (including kids) will be required to show their passport when traveling between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda.

To get your first passport, you need to go to the County Clerk's office in Lyons. Forms are available at the office, in town clerks' offices at some post offices and some libraries. You can also download an application from the Department of State at

http://travel.state.gov/

County Clerk Mike Jankowski held after-hours passport clinics last year and plans to do the same in late March. (Watch for a schedule of times and places.) According to Jankowski, his office processed 150 passports at last year's clinics in six of the county's 15 towns.

You can not apply for your first passport online, but you may renew your existing one by mail. Jankowski says that will save you a $30 local processing fee. Your first passport will get you through the next 10 years and will cost $97 if you're age 16 or older. Child passports last for five years and cost $82. It takes six to eight weeks for your passport to arrive.

After you have filled out your application, take it to the County Clerk's office and bring with you: Two photographs of yourself; Proof of U.S. citizenship (ex: your birth certificate); a valid form of photo identification such as a driver's license; and your passport application form. The County Clerk's office will take your photographs for you for a $10 fee.

If you have a group of people who will be traveling together, such as a school class, senior citizen group or other organization, Jankowski says his office will come to the group's meeting and process all those who need passports.

The County Clerk's office is open Monday - Friday from 9 to 5. Jankowski encourages anyone with questions to phone him at 946.7470 or e-mail him at

MJankowski@co.wayne.ny.us

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