Passport Application Update

While we continue to offer essential services at the Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller’s Office, we are still not able to accept passport applications at this time.  We are monitoring the U.S. Department of State’s website and communicating with our local regional office to determine when we will be able to resume our passport services.

In March, due to COVID-19, the U.S. Department of State significantly reduced passport operations.  The state temporarily suspended expedited passport processing and restricted service to cases involving life-or-death emergencies only.  The state is now gradually reopening in three phases, as part of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomacy Strong plan, which follows guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for safely reopening. Each passport agency and center will open on a different date based on local conditions.

Anyone who applied for a passport in the past few months, should expect delays. This includes applications by customers who already applied for routine service at passport acceptance facilities or who mailed in renewal applications since March.

The Manatee Clerk’s Office is looking forward to assisting community members with their passport applications soon.  We will update our customers with a start date as soon as we learn it.

If you have any questions, you can visit the “Frequently Asked Questions” section on the U.S. Department of State’s website at: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/passport-help/faqs.html.  You can also contact our office at: (941) 749-1800 or visit our website at: https://www.manateeclerk.com/.