Forrest County Chancery Court is now making the process of travel significantly easier, as officials recently announced that they are now accepting passport applications on behalf of the United States Department of State, making the courthouse the only place in Hattiesburg other than the United States Post Office to provide that service.
United States citizens who are planning for international travel are able to apply for their passports from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the courthouse, 641 North Main Street in downtown Hattiesburg.
“We had been really talking about it for a year – there are some other chancery clerks in the state that have started doing it, and we thought it’d be a good service people,” Forrest County Chancery Clerk Lance Reid said. “You really don’t have to be from Forrest County – you can be from anywhere in the area.
“I talked with Pearl River Community College, William Carey University and (the University of Southern Mississippi), and I thought there was definitely a need for passports.”
Anyone applying for applications must fill out an application – in black ink only – and must have an original or certified copy of a birth certificate and a valid identification card. If the applicant is not yet 16 years old, then both parents must be present with that child for the application process.
An application also can be filled out by using a smart phone to scan a QR code, which can be obtained by calling Forrest County Chancery Court at (601) 545-6014.
Residents can also apply for a passport card, which can be used to travel via land and sea to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and Caribbean countries. Unlike a regular passport book, the card is not valid for international travel by air.
“The passport card will let you go on a cruise or let you go to Mexico or Canada – ( basically) anywhere you can drive,” Reid said. “But you can’t fly (out of country) with a passport card.”
Fees for the services include:
- $130 for the passport book or $100 for the passport book for individuals under 16 years old. That fee must be paid via check, cashier’s check or money order and be made payable to the Department of State.
- $35 for the chancery clerk fee, which can be paid via cash, check or card.
- $15 for the identification picture.
Applicants should allow six to eight weeks for routine service or two to three weeks for expedited service, which costs an additional $60.
Every step in the process will be handled at the courthouse, including a photo ID.
“The kind of beauty of this is, you can get everything here,” Reid said. “If you go to the post office, they don’t do the pictures – you have to get your picture made somewhere else, and you have to make an appointment with them.”
Reid said in the time since the initiative was rolled out on February 15, the response has been very positive.
“I think we did five (last) Friday, and we did three first thing (Monday) morning, so we’ve been busy,” he said. “The word has kind of been spreading.
“We didn’t really try to publicize it too much (at first), because we wanted to get our feet wet and make sure that we knew what we were doing. We feel good about it now, and we’ve probably done about 30 in the last 30 days.”
More information on passports, along with a payment calculator, can be found online at www.travel.state.org. Status of passports can be obtained by visiting www.passportstatus.state.gov.
Anyone needing a same-day passport who needs to make an appointment in New Orleans can call (877) 487-2778.
