No More Passports at Somers Town Clerk's Office

If you need a passport you'll have to find someplace else to get your application processed.

As of April 1st the Somers Town Clerk's office will no longer accept the applications because of changes in federal regulations that dictate the process by which the documents are received and kept.

Town Clerk Ann Logan said she's disappointed by having to make the decision, but that the new requirements make it prohibitive for her to provide the service.

"It's tough. It means the loss of a service for residents and it means lost revenue for the town," she said. Towns receive $25 for each passport application accepted. In Somers, this translated into $5,375 in revenue in the last fiscal year.

The changes restrict someone from issuing a birth certificate and processing a passport and require extensive inventory procedures and a designated counter to receive the applications. Logan said many times she is the only one in the office and because she also issues certified copies of birth certifcates the law now prohibits her from doing both.

Passports will still be processed at the North Central Probate District office on the second floor of the Enfield Town Hall or the Enfield Post Office on Palomba Drive. Call ahead because some offices have limited hours.

The application itself has also changd a bit. For more information on the new application and to download a copy of the document visit the U.S. Passport Web site.