In a recent column, "It's Passport Time Again," writers Edythe and Jack Shepard correctly indicated that this is a good time to obtain or renew passports if you are planning on traveling out of the country this summer. In addition to the many local post offices that handle passports, the Nassau County Clerk's Office, located at 240 Old Country Road in Mineola, is designated as an official Passport Acceptance Center of the United States Department of State.

Residents can apply for their passports at the County Clerk's Office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Anyone traveling abroad, infants included, is required to obtain a passport in their own name.

As advised in the article, it is best not to put off applying for a passport. Passport processing can take up to six weeks. If you find your time is short, then you will have to pay an additional fee for expediting the paperwork ($60); you should then expect to receive your passport within two weeks. If you need a passport sooner, you will have to make an appointment and apply in person at a Passport Agency.

To further assist residents in processing their applications, I am currently working on offering passport photo services. Passport applications, as well as applications to renew passports, can be picked up from the County Clerk's Office or downloaded from the county clerk's website at www.co.nassau.ny.us/clerk/Passport.html.

Karen V. Murphy

Nassau County Clerk