Oakland County, Michigan August 29, 2006 -- Oakland County Clerk/Register Ruth Johnson has joined forces with clerks in 12 other communities to offer Saturday hours for residents who will need passports under tougher travel laws.

The Oakland County Community Passport Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 16.

The Oakland County Clerk's Office, on the ground floor of the courthouse at 1200 N. Telegraph in Pontiac, will be open that day. Visitors should use the main entrance on the north side of the building.

Municipal offices in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township, Brandon Township, Commerce Township, Famington Hills, Oak Park, Rochester Hills, the city of Southfield, Troy, Walled Lake, White Lake Township and Wixom will also be participating.

During the last Passport Fair, nearly 400 residents turned out to apply for a passport. Johnson commended local clerks for opening their offices.

"We want to make it as convenient as we can for residents throughout the county," said Johnson. "We've heard there is a 6-8 week federal backlog in processing passport applications so Oakland County residents with travel plans should make sure they get their passports in order."

Children of any age are required to have passports.

The Intellegence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires passports for travel to numerous countries that did not require them before.

By Dec. 31, 2006, all air and sea travelers to or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will need passports. By Dec. 31, 2007 the requirement will be extended to all land border crossings as well.

While every community participating in the Passport Fair processes passport applications, some are not equipped with photo processing, which will require residents to bring their own passport photos. Photos, which can be taken at local studios and some stores, must meet stringent size requirements.

For more information on photo requirements, visit the U.S. Department of State web site at http://www.travel.state.gov. Residents should call local communities participating in the Passport Fair ahead of time to see whether or not photo service is available.

Fees may vary by community. At the Oakland County Clerk's Office, for example, the fee is $107, which includes a $67 fee which must be paid by check to the U.S. Department of State.

To apply for a U.S. passport, residents must provide:

• A passport application form.
• Proof of U.S. citizenship in the form of a previous passport, certified birth certificate or naturalization certificate.
• Proof of identity, including a driver's license, government or military I.D. Social Security cards will not suffice.
• Some citizens are eligible to renew their passports by mail. But residents must apply in person if they are: Applying for a U.S. passport for the first time; if their expired U.S. passport is not in their possession; if their previous U.S. passport has expired and was issued more than 15 years ago; if their previous U.S. passport was issued when they were under age 16; or if their currently valid U.S. passport was lost or stolen.