Special Notice Concerning Suspension of Passport Application Acceptance
Effective March 13, 2020 the City of Newport is temporarily suspending passport application acceptance services. We hope to resume this service in the fall but a determination has not been made at this time. The Newport City Building will remain open for essential city services via phone, email, or in person appointment as necessary. This decision has been made in the interest of COVID-19 precautions with respect to protecting our staff, including first responders, from unnecessary exposure. Updates will be posted to the website when passport application acceptance resumes. We apologize for any inconvenience. To locate another facility, please use the official website of the U.S. State Department. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
City Clerk's Office
The City Clerk performs various professional, managerial duties as indicated in the Kentucky Revised Statues and the Newport Municipal Code.
Legislative and Administrative Responsibilities
The City Clerk facilitates the execution of official and legislative processes. This includes publishication of meeting schedules, agendas and public hearing notices for the Board of Commissioners as required by law, attesting to the passing of all orders and ordinances, managing the recruitment process for positions on Boards and Commissions, updating the codified ordinances, providing legislative certifications as needed, maintaining the roster of City Boards and Commissions, and attending all City Commission meetings.
Records Management
The City Clerk records official actions and legislation of the municipal government, documenting the proceedings of meetings in the official minutes and retaining other legal and historical records. Records are maintained and preserved while providing appropriate public access. The City Clerk inventories, transfers, stores, retrieves, destroys, and properly maintains City records and information according to state statute, and helps to preserve City history. The City Clerk is responsible for training City departments concerning records management systems, policies, standards and guidelines.
Primary functions in the area of records management include research, records management, and archiving. These functions include managing the receipt, preservation, and distribution of a number of City documents including, but not limited to: ordinances, orders, resolutions, approved minutes, and contracts. The City Clerk is called upon to assist City employees in maintaining and finding records efficiently and cost-effectively. Skilled management of records is essential so that the City identifies records with permanent value, retains records it is required to keep, and disposes of those with no further value in a secure and timely manner.
The City of Newport has utilized advances in technology where allowable and appropriate to improve these services. One thing that will not change, however, is the personal touch the City Clerk gives to the citizens. It is the City Clerk’s ability to balance this good public rapport with high professional and ethical standards which helps to maintain our City's reputation for excellent service.
Mission
The mission of the City Clerk is to provide public information, to provide support to the Board of Commissioners, and to preserve the legislative history of the City.
Open Records Requests
The City Clerk is the official custodian of records for the City. If you would like to make an open records request, it should be submitted to the City Clerk via regular mail, via hand delivery to the city building, or via facsimile to 859.292.3669. (We do not accept open records requests via email.)
Passport Application Acceptance Agency
Effective August 16, 2021 the City of Newport will resume processing passport applications Monday thru Friday 9am to 2pm. To locate another facility, please use the official website of the U.S. State Department.
You can apply for a passport at the Newport City Building, Monday through Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. We accept walk-ins and do not require appointments.
You may get blank forms in our office or you may download them from travel.state.gov. Allow twenty minutes per person for the application process. Before you make a trip to our office or refer someone else, we would like to offer you the following information.
You must submit proof of citizenship. This may be a certified birth certificate, your certificate of naturalization, or your most recently expired U.S. passport. Photocopies and hospital birth certificates are not acceptable. The certified birth certificate must have a raised, an embossed, or a multi-colored seal. Birth certificates and other documents are submitted with the application and will be returned by mail. When children under the age of 16 are applying for a new passport, the most recently expired passport should be submitted as well as the birth certificate (which is used to demonstrate the adults accompanying the child at the time of application are the parents.)
Bring a photo I.D. Acceptable forms are a driver’s license, military, or school I.D. For children under the age of sixteen, or other young applicants who do not have a permenant ID, the parents will show ID for themselves and will identify the child. (A temporary driver's learning permit is not considered a permenant ID; if you only possess a temporary license please bring it with you and have a second ID or a parent to identify you.)
Bring a “passport photo” a color photo with a solid, white or light-colored background.
It should be a forward facing, clear photo, free of shadows. Photos must be well centered, with the head and face measuring 1” – 1 3/8” high and the photo itself measuring 2” x 2”. The standards for photos are very stringent, digital photos taken at home and school photos will not meet the standard. Many department and drug stores offer photo service for about $15 (including some chain drug stores). Blurry, over- or under- exposed photos are not acceptable. Do not wear a hat or uniform (unless worn daily for religious reasons).
Bring your checkbook, we do not accept credit cards. Fees are outlined below.
We can only accept personal checks, money orders or cashier’s checks for your passport fee; we cannot send money through the mail. Fees to the U.S. Dept. of State for a family may be combined on one check and fees to the City of Newport may be combined on one check or we can accept cash for our portion of the fees if this is more convenient for you.
Adult passport book fees are $110 to the U.S. Dept. of State & $35 to the City of Newport for regular service which takes 18 weeks.
Expedited 12 week service for adults costs an additional $60.
For children under 16, passport book fees are $80 to the U.S. Dept. of State & $35 to the City of Newport for regular passport service which takes 18 weeks.
Expedited 12 week service fees for children costs an additional $60.
PASSPORT CARDS
Passport Cards can only be used for land or sea crossing to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, & Bermuda. Card for Adults: $30 US Dept. of State & $35 Newport / Card for Children Under 16: $15 US Dept. of State & $35 Newport
All applicants must appear in person. Children under 16 must be accompanied by both parents. In the event of sole custody the appropriate paperwork must be provided. If both parents are not able to appear with the child, a notarized statement of consent from the absent parent may be acceptable, please ask for the specific requirements and form.
Adult passports are good for 10 years. Children’s passports are good for 5 years.
All acceptance agencies charge the same fees.
Renewals may be done yourself by mail if you can submit your old passport, if you were at least 16 when it was issued, if it was issued less than 15 years ago and if your name has not changed except by marriage or court order. (If you meet the criteria, you renew your passport yourself by mail even when expediting, our office has the forms but cannot handle renewals for you.)
Applications are available at our office or from www.travel.state.gov . Complete instructions are also available at the website.
Use black ink, print clearly, and do not use any white-out on the form.
If you find that our office hours for Passport Application Acceptance do not suit your needs, the Main Branch of the Cincinnati Public Library (located downtown at 800 Vine Street) offers some evening and weekend appointments. You may reach them at 513.369.6976. If you need to call us, our number at the Newport City Building is 859.292.3666.
