GILROY
– Gilroy residents seeking a passport now need look no further
than their own city hall.
By Lori Stuenkel
GILROY – Gilroy residents seeking a passport now need look no further than their own city hall.
Starting this month, residents no longer must drive to Hollister or Morgan Hill to submit passport applications. Instead, they can make an appointment with the city clerk’s office, which is certified for passport acceptance by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs.
City Clerk Rhonda Pellin in January proposed submitting passports as a way of generating revenue for the city. Pellin was unsure exactly how much the passports would bring in for the city’s general fund each month, but each application includes a $30 execution fee that goes to the city.
Morgan Hill, which began submitting applications in April, takes in about $2,000 a month, but Pellin expects the amount for Gilroy will be less because Morgan Hill attracts some passport-seekers from San Jose. Morgan Hill may start seeing less revenue from its program now that Gilroy has one of its own, Pellin said.
In the first four days of offering the service, the city submitted three applications, Pellin said.
“We haven’t really advertised it yet,” she said. “We were going to do it slow so we’d make sure we’re doing it right. … So far, so good.”
To begin the application submission process, interested parties should contact Pellin to schedule a short appointment in which the application will be reviewed to ensure all information is correct. An original, certified birth certificate and valid driver’s license must be brought to the office. The birth certificate must be submitted with the application and will be returned with the valid passport.
Two passport-size photos must also be submitted with the application, but the city does not offer photo services.
Once the application is submitted by the clerk’s office, it will take four to six weeks for the passport to arrive in the mail.
Besides the $30 execution fee, passports cost $55 for adults ages 16 and over, and $40 for children under age 16. To receive expedited service and have a passport arrive in about two weeks costs an additional $60.
Appointments can be made Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. by calling Rhonda Pellin at 846-0204.
