The U.S. State Department has ordered certain public libraries across the country to stop processing passport applications, a move that has disrupted a service many communities had relied on for nearly two decades. The agency began issuing cease and desist orders to non-profit libraries in late fall, stating they were no longer authorized to participate in the Passport Acceptance Facility program, effective Friday.
Cathleen Special, executive director of the Otis Library in Norwich, Connecticut, said her library offered passport services for 18 years before receiving the order in November. “Our community was so used to us offering this,” she said. “We still get calls daily seeking that service.”
According to a State Department spokesperson, the decision stems from federal law and regulations that “clearly prohibit non-governmental organizations” from collecting and retaining fees for passport applications. Libraries operated by government entities are not affected by the order.
The spokesperson declined to provide details on why the issue has recently come to the forefront or the exact number of libraries impacted, but stated that the affected libraries represent “less than one percent” of the State Department’s network of over 7,500 acceptance facilities. However, the American Library Association (ALA) estimates that approximately 1,400 mostly non-profit public libraries – roughly 15% of all public libraries nationwide – could potentially be affected.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers from Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Maryland have responded to the change, sending a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken earlier this month. They are requesting an extension of the existing program while Congress seeks a permanent solution. The letter highlights the increasing demand for passports due to Real ID requirements and concerns that citizens may need passports or birth certificates to register to vote if stricter voting rules are implemented.
The lawmakers also pointed to the potential financial impact on libraries, particularly those in states where a significant percentage operate as non-profit entities. In Pennsylvania, 85% of public libraries are non-profits, while Maine has 56%, Rhode Island 54%, New York 47%, and Connecticut 46%, according to the ALA. They warned that the loss of passport processing fees could lead to staff layoffs, program cuts, or even library closures.
Representatives Madeleine Dean (D-PA) and John Joyce (R-PA) have co-sponsored bipartisan legislation that would amend the Passport Act of 1920 to allow 501(c)(3) non-profit public libraries to continue serving as passport acceptance facilities. A similar bill is also pending in the Senate.
Dean, who learned of the policy change from a library in her district that had provided passport services for 20 years, dismissed the State Department’s interpretation of the law as “nonsense.” Joyce noted that the Marysville-Rye Library in his rural Pennsylvania district is one of only two passport facilities serving Perry County, a 556-square-mile area. The county courthouse will now be the sole option.
The State Department maintains that 99% of the U.S. Population lives within 20 miles of a designated passport processing location, including post offices, county clerk’s offices, and government-run libraries. The agency spokesperson stated they would “operate to identify new eligible program partners in the impacted area” if the removal of ineligible facilities creates service gaps.
Special, of the Otis Library, noted that the local post office frequently referred individuals to the library for passport services, particularly those needing assistance outside of regular hours or requiring support with paperwork, including language assistance. “And now the burden falls on them to do all of it and that’s tough on them,” she said. “I don’t know how they’re keeping up, to be honest, because it was such a popular service with us.”
