Starting Monday, The Kansas City Public Library will accept applications for U.S. passports at two of its branches.
Passport services will be held at the Westport Branch in Kansas City, Missouri and the Trails West Branch in Independence, Missouri.
“The traditional library is changing. We want them to check out books, we want them to check out DVDs,” Westport Branch Manager Megan Garrett said. “We want to offer them the services that we need. So passports, we just feel is one of them, a convenience for them.”
You do not need to set up an appointment, as walk-ins are welcome.
“If you're getting ready to travel and you need a passport, you might not have time to wait for an appointment,” Garrett said. “If you can walk in and get it done while you're coming in to get your library books, that's great, you can knock out two things at once and maybe you need some travel books too.”
Wendy Castro was the first one to apply for the library’s new service, as she and her husband Ricardo get ready to plan a trip in the summer.
“Mexico, some nice beach in Mexico,” Castro said when asked where they planned to vacation.
This is Castro’s first time applying for a passport.
“I figured we would get one now, because it's going to get really busy,” she said. “I had originally planned in 2015 getting it and it took a long wait then, through the postal service.”
There are certain documents you need to bring with you, such as a passport application (Form DS-11 – the library has that form available or online at travel.state.gov), proof of U.S. citizenship, Primary Identification, one passport photo and payment for applicable fees.
Since Missouri driver’s licenses won’t meet ID requirements at airports starting in 2018, Garrett said this library could see a large number of passport applications.
“We do expect to see some people come in for that reason because I'm sure a lot of people travel out of here and you need a different form of identification to get on a plane,” Garrett said.
Passport services end an hour before closing time.
For more information on these passport services, click here.
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Rae Daniel can be reached at Rae.Daniel@KSHB.com.
