If you need to apply for a passport and you live in Union County, New Jersey, here’s how to score free passport photos: Go submit your application at the Union County Clerk’s office before the end of February.
According to this article on NJ.com, Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi has decided that her office will waive the normal $10 fee for having passport photos taken at the office for applicants who submit their applications before the end of next month:
“My offices will waive the normal $10 fee for having your photograph taken when you apply by Feb. 27 for a passport book or passport card at our offices in Elizabeth and Westfield. The free passport photo is our way of trying to reduce your travel expenses a bit and encourage you to get your passport ready for spring and summer vacations.”
The Union County Clerk’s office is a passport acceptance facility, which means they accept applications from people who need to apply f0r their passports in person. They do not issue passports on site, so be prepared to wait 6 weeks for your passport to arrive in the mail if you apply with normal processing.
Although passport acceptance offices can expedite your passport application with the payment of an additional $60 fee, you could still wait up to three weeks for your passport to arrive. If you have a trip scheduled and you need a passport sooner than that, you have two options:
- Apply at a Regional Passport Agency office (if you’re in New Jersey, this will most likely mean a trip to New York City).
- Use a private passport expediting company.
Using a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com is usually the most convenient of the two options. With an expediting company, you can apply at the County Clerk’s office and get your free passport photos, but you will have them seal your documents and send them overnight to the expediting company.
Then, the expediting company delivers them by hand to the Department of State. No need to make an appointment or drive to a passport office-we handle all of that for you, and then send your passport back as soon as its ready. This process cuts processing times to as little as 24 hours!