One of the major causes of passport processing delays is unacceptable passport photos, which do not meet the U.S. Department of State guidelines. These rejections can cause your passport to be delayed. That may require you to cancel or reschedule your travel plans, wasting time and money. The Collier County Clerk’s Office is introducing a new passport photo service to help expedite the process and avoid delays while saving you money.
“The Clerk’s Office is constantly looking for ways to improve our services and make it easier for our customers to use those services. We hope that with this new passport photo option, applicants will have a one stop passport process that will save time and money,” said Clerk Crystal K. Kinzel.
The U.S. Department of State has strict requirements for passport photos. They must be of a specific size and layout with a white background, and the face must be easily recognizable and unobscured by glasses, hats, or hair. Photo guidelines are available on their website at travel.state.gov. Due to the intricacy of passport photos, applicants are highly advised to visit a passport office or facility offering passport photo services to ensure that photos meet the required standards.
Applicants may choose to have their photos taken at the time they submit a passport application or may opt to have a photo that was taken elsewhere retaken by one of the County Clerks so that it meets standards. The photo service cost is $15 per applicant, offering great value as it reduces the number of trips back and forth to correct photos that are “not quite right.”
This service is currently available only at the Clerk’s main Recording Office in the Collier County Courthouse at 3315 Tamiami Tr East. Photos will be taken when the passport is ready for submission and are available for all ages. We plan to extend this service to satellite offices that provide passport services in the near future.
Schedule a passport appointment at the Collier County Courthouse by visiting collierclerk.com/passports. Appointments are recommended but not required. Additional details about passport requirements, applications for minors (children under 16 and children aged 16-17), U.S. Passport Cards, and passport renewals are also available on the website.
