Palm Springs Public Library to host passport fair Aug. 5

The Palm Springs Public Library today announced that it will host a Passport Fair next month for residents in need of their first passport.

The fair will be held Aug. 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Learning Center of the library, 300 South Sunrise Way, according to Julie Warren, library and public services manager. No appointment is needed for the event.   

"If you need a passport for the first time (no renewals), just bring your completed paperwork, proof of citizenship and identification, and one of our trained staff members will assist you,'' Warren wrote in a statement.   

For an additional fee, staff can also take passport photos during the event, according to Warren. The proceeds from the additional fees will benefit the Friends of the Palm Springs Library.

Warren said that all documents and applications will be reviewed by staff and submitted to the State Department for processing, which takes 10 to 13 weeks for routine service and seven to nine weeks for expedited service.   

The library was the first in the nation to be designated as a Department of State Passport Acceptance Facility, with its services starting in 1997 until 2008, according to Warren. It resumed its services in 2019, paused during the COVID-19 pandemic and restarted again in August 2021.

Appointments will continue to be available on the library's website for those who aren't able to attend the Passport Fair event in August.   

"Our staff is trained and happy to help anyone applying for a new passport,'' Director of Library Services Jeannie Kays said in a statement. "We are excited to offer this service to the community."

More information about the event can be found at palmspringslibrary.org/passports.