Passport help is coming to Chatsworth

The Chatsworth Post Office will hold a special Passport Fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24 at the Church at Rocky Peak, 22601 Santa Susana Pass Road in Chatsworth.

Extra staff will be on hand to assist customers with preparing the application. No appointment is necessary. A passport is international identification and proof of United States citizenship. A valid U.S. passport is required to enter and leave most foreign countries.

A new wallet-sized passport card will be available soon for land and sea crossings between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the Caribbean. The passport card cannot be used for air travel. U.S. citizens can apply for the new passport card, but the Department of State does not anticipate production of these cards to begin until spring.

Those applying for a passport will need to bring a certified copy of a Certificate of Live Birth issued by the state of birth (hospital-issued birth certificates and California and Texas state abstract forms are not acceptable) or an original U.S. Certificate of Naturalization, as well as valid photo identification such as a state driver's license or identification card and two passport photos. Photos may be taken at the Passport Fair for $15.

Normal passport application processing runs about six to eight weeks. An application can be expedited for an additional $60 fee, and the passport received within three weeks. For emergency situations requiring a passport sooner than that, applicants should call the Los Angeles Passport Agency directly at (310) 575-5700.