Residents looking to travel abroad will now find that getting a passport made at the Carroll County Clerk of Court’s office is that much more efficient.
For more than a month now, Clerk of Court Alan Lee’s office has offered passport photos for the same price customers would see at drug stores or big-box retailers. Photos are $10, and by having them made at the Clerk’s office, residents can be sure that the photos meet the necessary requirements laid out by the U.S. Department of State. By doing so, they’ll also expedite the application process as a whole.
The move to bring passport photography in house came when the office was approached with a significant savings on normally-high-priced camera equipment. For what is typically $2,000 worth of equipment, Lee paid $500. Since the purchase, Lee said his office has brought in enough revenue in passport photos to pay for the camera equipment several times over.
Residents can still bring in their own photos for processing with their passport application, but the pictures must adhere to the strict federal guidelines.
They include:
* Photo must represent full head from top of hair to bottom of chin.
* Height of head should measure 1 inch to 1 - 3/8 inches.
* Head should be centered within frame.
* Photo must have a white or light off-white background.
* There must be no distracting shadows on the face or background.
* Subject must retain a natural expression.
* If prescription glasses are worn normally, then the subject must wear them in the photo.
* Picture must be 2 inches by 2 inches.
* Only religious uniforms are allowed and only if worn daily.
* Two identical photos must accompany the passport application.
As of 2007, all persons travelling across the U.S. border are required by law to obtain a U. S. passport, according to the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This includes trips to Canada and Mexico.
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