The Brooklyn Public Library stopped processing passport applications on Friday following a federal order that ended decades of service to borough residents.
The U.S. Department of State sent cease-and-desist letters to hundreds of nonprofit libraries across the country last fall, directing them to exit the Passport Acceptance Facility Program, according to the Associated Press. The Brooklyn Public Library was the only library system among New York City’s three to offer passport services.
The State Department determined that federal law prohibits non-government nonprofits from collecting passport application fees, according to the Associated Press. However, nonprofit libraries have processed passport applications for decades without problems.
“Since 2011, we have processed nearly 300,000 passport applications, providing an accessible service through a trusted neighborhood institution — the public library,” a BPL spokesperson said.
The library initiated the partnership with the State Department because it “seemed like a natural fit” with existing services, BPL CEO Linda Johnson told a local publication in 2011. The library allowed Brooklyn residents to apply for passports in person at the Central and Kings Highway branches for a $35 fee. The library also provided photo services for applicants who needed passport photos.
The service generated substantial revenue for BPL, with tax returns showing $716,450 from passport services in 2023. However, that money “basically sustained the passport services operation,” a BPL spokesperson said, adding that “the loss in revenue will not impact other library services.”
Libraries in other states that relied more heavily on passport revenue are preparing to cut programs and staff, according to reports.
Politicians from both parties have challenged the State Department’s decision, arguing that ending passport services at public libraries will harm constituents and the libraries themselves.
In a February 6 letter, 13 Congress members including New York senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to allow libraries to process passport applications through at least the end of 2026.
“For many communities across the country, libraries are the most accessible — and sometimes the only — passport acceptance facilities,” the letter states. “Their loss will force residents to travel long distances, take unpaid time off work, or forgo access altogether, particularly as demand for passports surges due to Real ID requirements.”
The lawmakers said the State Department’s interpretation of the law preventing non-government agencies from handling passport applications “went unenforced for so long.” They noted that many affected libraries had been “repeatedly reviewed, certified and reauthorized by the State Department in good standing.”
“In New York, the Brooklyn Public Library has issued over 300,00 passports through its services alone over the last years; failure to extend this deadline will leave massive gaps in passport services,” the letter reads.
Brooklyn residents can still apply for passports at many USPS post offices and at the Kings County Clerk’s Office, though it remains unclear whether these locations can handle the demand previously met by the library. The Clerk’s Office accepts passport applications only Monday through Friday from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and from 2 to 3 p.m. Not all post offices offer passport photo services.
Applicants can search for local Passport Acceptance Facilities on the State Department’s website.
With the State Department maintaining its deadline, politicians are seeking a permanent solution. U.S. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania has introduced Senate legislation to amend the federal Passport Act to formally allow nongovernment public libraries to continue providing passport services.
The end of BPL’s passport services eliminates a convenient option for thousands of Brooklyn residents who relied on the library’s accessible locations and extended hours for their travel document needs.
