Passports – Frequently Asked Questions

1. Proof of Citizenship: Certified birth certificate, Naturalization/Citizenship certificate, or expired U.S. passport. For more detailed requirements, visit the U.S. Department of State’s website.
2. Photo: A 2-inch by 2-inch photo with a white or off-white background. Photos can be taken at all three Clerk’s Office passport processing locations for a nominal fee.
3. Identification: Driver License issued more than six months ago; Military identification card; or State identification cards with other valid forms of identification.
4. Applicant must appear in person.

A passport book can be used to travel anywhere by any means. A passport card can only be used to travel in the Western Hemisphere by land or sea.

View the Passport Fees section of the Clerk’s website for a complete list of fees.

Passport applications are processed by appointment at any one of three convenient locations:

• Lake County Courthouse
  550 W. Main St., North Wing, Third Floor, Tavares
  Phone: (352) 253-2648
  Open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday
  Driving Directions

• South Lake Branch Office
  290 Citrus Tower Blvd., Suite 116, Clermont
  (Located behind Citrus Tower Village Publix Shopping Center)
  Phone: (352) 253-4589
  Open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday
  Closed for lunch from noon to 1 p.m.
  Driving Directions

• North Lake Branch Office
  902 Avenida Central, The Villages
  (Located in the Villages of Lady Lake)
  Phone: (352) 253-4575
  Open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday
  Closed for lunch from noon to 1 p.m.
  Driving Directions

No. Proper photos can be taken for a nominal fee at all three Clerk’s Office passport processing locations.

For current processing times, please visit the U.S. Department of State’s website.

Expedited processing is available for an additional fee to the U.S. Department of State. For current processing times, please visit the U.S. Department of State’s website.

The U.S. Department of State Regional Passport Centers do not accept walk-ins; however, appointments can be scheduled on the U.S. Department of State’s website.

Review the U.S. Department of State’s renewal guidelines to determine whether a passport is eligible to renew by mail or if you must appear in person.

Forms are available at all three Clerk’s Office passport processing locations or can be downloaded from the U.S. Department of State website. For new passport applications or renewal applications processed through the Clerk of Court, Form DS-11 is required.

If the renewal criteria are met, you may mail your own application directly to the U.S. Department of State, using Form DS-82. Review the U.S. Department of State’s renewal guidelines to determine renewal eligibility. NOTE: The Clerk’s Office is not permitted to execute Form DS-82 mail-in renewal forms.

A Letter of No Record obtained from the Health Department’s Bureau of Vital Statistics Office in the state of the applicant’s birth and two forms of secondary birth evidence must be submitted. For further details or questions, contact the Passport office at (352) 253-2648 .

A certified copy of birth records can be obtained by contacting the Health Department’s Bureau of Vital Statistics Office in the applicant’s state of birth. You can visit the Florida Department of Health’s website or call 800-255-2414 for additional information.

The original naturalization certificate must accompany the application for a passport. The passport agency will return it.

The applicant must appear in person for new passport applications. For passport renewals, review the U.S. Department of State’s guidelines to determine if you are eligible to renew by mail or or if you must appear in-person.

Yes, the child must be present with both parents and have a certified parental relationship document (e.g. birth certificate, adoption decree). Identification from both parents is also required. If one parent is unable to attend, the passport agency will accept a notarized, written consent from that parent along with a photo copy of the front and back of the non-appearing parent’s identification. The DS-3053 Statement of Consent form is available at all three Clerk’s Office passport processing locations or on the U.S. Department of State website.

You and your child may have different last names, as long as the parental relationship document (e.g. birth certificate, adoption decree) lists your full name. If your name has changed from that on the parental relationship document, please bring a certified copy with proof of your legal name change (e.g. marriage certificate or court order), as it must be submitted to the U.S. Department of State with your child’s application.

All persons traveling by air outside of the United States are required to present a passport book. On June 1, 2009, the U.S. government implemented the full requirements of the land and sea phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.

The proposed rules require most U.S. citizens entering the United States at sea or land ports from Mexico, Canada, Bermuda, and the countries of the Caribbean to have a passport book or passport card. Information for specific destinations can be found on the U.S. Department of State’s website.

Foreign nationals should contact their respective governments to obtain passports.

No.

A new passport application must be completed (Form DS-11) and submitted along with a new picture, proof of U.S. citizenship, and a statement regarding the lost or stolen passport (Form DS-64). The forms are available at any of the three Clerk’s Office passport processing locations or on the U.S. Department of State website.