Jagow announces strategies for coping with passport rules

Niagara Wheatfield Tribune, March 5, 2009

With more stringent rules for international travel inside North America set to take hold June 1, Niagara County Clerk Wayne Jagow has announced his office is augmenting its passport offerings with new services designed to make obtaining the documents easier for county residents.

Jagow, whose Lockport office now offers a "one-stop shopping" approach, said last week that given Niagara County's proximity to Canada, it's doubly important for county residents to have access to an easy and speedy passport application process.

"If people need a passport, they can come to the Niagara County Clerk's Office at any time and be taken care of," Jagow said.

The office is located in the Niagara County Courthouse, 175 Hawley St., Lockport.

Jagow showed off a dedicated, private area for processing passport applications that he said helps make the application process, including potentially sensitive questions that applicants might have, more comfortable.

In another recent innovation, Jagow said, "If there's a group of individuals that are traveling, they can contact our passport supervisor and we will try to accommodate a group by sending our agents out to them."

Call 439-7025 for more information on the off-site passport application program.

"Keep in mind we will need certain information, including an accepted ID, such as a driver's license, and a valid copy of a birth certificate with a raised seal," he said.

The office also provides services, including passport photos on-site.

 "You can come, and we'll do everything here for you," Passport Supervisor Joan Pickles said. "We'll provide you with the application, help you fill the application out, review the application, and take your photograph."

"Typically, give yourself about 20 minutes to 30 minutes to fill out the application and take your picture," she added.

Pickles noted that passports are good for 10 years for adults, and five years for those under the age of 16 at the time of issue.

"The cost for a passport is $75, and that's for people 16 and over," she said, adding that children under the age of 16 pay only $60. "Also available is a passport card, good for land and sea travel within the Western Hemisphere. These are $20, and for children under the age of 16, they're $10." An additional $25 fee is paid to the County Clerk's Office for processing the documents, along with a standard $8 photo fee.

Jagow pointed to one additional benefit to conducting the application process through the county clerk's office. Of the typical $108 in total adult fees for a passport, he said, $33 remains in Niagara County when applicants apply here.

Certified passport agents also are available at the Town of Niagara Town Hall.

CAPTION:

Niagara County Clerk Wayne Jagow, center, explains the new U.S. State Department Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative rules to County Public Information Officer Christian Peck, right, as County Clerk's Office Passport Supervisor Joan Pickles looks on. Jagow's staff have devised new services, including off-site application and photo visits, and a dedicated passport application office in Lockport to respond to county residents' needs once WHTI kicks off in June 1.