County auditor office to extend hours during week in April for passport requests

The Pierce County Auditor’s Office will stay open an extra hour during the week of April 4 to process passport requests.

The office will be open 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. April 4 through April 8, which coincides with spring break for several area schools.

Those with international travel plans should consider applying early. It can take six weeks to process a first-time passport application, Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson said in a news release.

“The extended hours coincide with spring break for many public schools. We hope to see families take advantage of the service, when it’s most convenient for them. Children must be accompanied by both parents, and we know that it can be difficult to schedule,” Anderson said in the release.

Those seeking to renew an expired or nearly expired passport can download a form online and renew by mail through the U.S. Department of State. The agency’s website details what forms you need depending on the passport type: travel.state.gov.

All fees must be paid for with money order or check. In-person applications are required for new passports, all children’s passports and any unusual circumstances such as lost or damaged.

Other agencies also offer passport services, typically city halls and U.S. post offices. For more information, go to piercecountyauditor.org/passports.

This story was originally published March 23, 2016 at 1:36 PM with the headline "County auditor office to extend hours during week in April for passport requests."