The U.S. Department of State now requires all U.S. citizens to have passports for air travel to Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.  The new regulations extend to land and sea travel on June 1, 2009.  No passport is needed for citizens traveling to or from U.S. territories, including American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Swains Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  For more information, please visit the Homeland Security website.

If you are planning to travel outside of the Western Hemisphere, please apply for your passport as soon as possible.  For the latest passport processing times, you can check www.travel.state.gov/passport.  

If you have not received your passport 48 hours prior to your departure, you can travel to any US Passport Agency to reapply and receive a passport on site.  The closest agency to Louisville is the Chicago Passport Agency, located in the Kluczynski Federal Building, 230 South Dearborn Street, 18th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604-1564. To download an application, get directions or obtain additional information, visit http://www.travel.state.gov.

If you are traveling within 48 hours and decide to travel to the Chicago Passport office, you will be starting the application process over.  Therefore, you will need all of the materials required when the application was first completed, including a certified birth certificate, photos and new application.

The Chicago office will process your application as a “walk in” if you are within two days of your travel date.  However, be certain to bring proof of your departure date (airline ticket, official itinerary from travel agent, etc.) and be prepared to stay all day.

For additional assistance, please do not hesitate to contact my office at 582-5129.