PASSPORTS

The Lake of the Woods County Recorder’s Office is an Acceptance Facility for Passport applications. Complete information on the Passport process can be found at the US Department of State website: www.travel.state.gov. 

Application forms are available on the above website or at the Recorder’s Office. Appointments are required for the completion and submittal of the DS-11 application form. Renewals using the DS-82 application form do not require an appointment. 

Passport photos that adhere to the US Department of State’s requirements are available here. No appointment is necessary. The fee is $10.00 per person. 

Dual Function Facility 

In an effort to strengthen the security and integrity of the Passport issuance process, the US Department of State and National Passport Services (under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative) have implemented a policy for all Dual Function Facilities (DFF), effective May 1st, 2011. In order for this office to remain a Passport Acceptance Facility, we are required to divide and separate the duties of accepting Passport applications and processing birth and death records requests.  

As such, the County Recorder is the only Passport acceptance agent.  Passport Services approved our request to remain as a DFF and has audited our office at least seven times since our designation and has been satisfied with our separation methods. 

The decision to remain as a DFF was supported by the county board and the public. Other counties eliminated the Passport Acceptance Facility at the county level. With our proximity to the border, and a port of entry, a solution had to be achieved that would satisfy all the stakeholders.