Fort Bend County residents can apply for a U.S. passport at a Saturday fair Sept. 12 at Jones Creek Ranch Park in Richmond.
The District Clerk's Office will accept applications from 8 a.m. to noon at 7714 FM 359. Appointments are limited. Residents can reserve a slot through the District Clerk's passport website, My Neighborhood News reported.
District Clerk Beverley McGrew Walker, who has held the office for seven years, is hosting the event as part of a series of Saturday passport fairs. A previous fair took place Aug. 22 in Stafford, according to Katy Times. Walker said she has focused on making passport services more accessible during her tenure.
Why apply now
The timing matters for families with holiday travel plans. Routine passport processing takes four to six weeks, according to the U.S. Department of State as of Sept. 9. Expedited processing runs two to three weeks for an extra $60.
Those estimates do not include mailing time. The State Department says an application can take up to two weeks to reach a passport agency and another two weeks for the finished passport to arrive after it is issued. Families planning trips around Thanksgiving on Nov. 26 or Christmas on Dec. 25 have a narrow window.
All applicants, including children, must appear in person. For children under 16, both parents generally must attend. If one parent cannot make it, the District Clerk's Office advises bringing a DS-3053 consent form or notarized authorization from the absent parent, along with a copy of that parent's ID.
Costs
A first-time passport book for applicants 16 and older costs $130 plus a $35 acceptance fee. For children under 16, the passport book is $100 plus the $35 fee. The State Department updated its fee schedule in June 2026.
Federal passport updates
Eligible adults can now renew passports online instead of visiting an acceptance facility. To qualify, an applicant must be at least 25, hold a passport that was valid for 10 years and is expiring within one year or expired less than five years ago, and have no international travel planned for at least six weeks after submitting. Online renewals cannot be expedited.
The State Department also warned in September about unofficial passport-renewal websites. The only authorized online renewal service runs through the State Department. Third-party sites may charge extra fees or put personal information at risk.
One more tip: unacceptable photos are the leading reason applications get placed on hold. Photos must be recent, unedited and taken against a plain white or off-white background. Applicants should not use filters, retouching tools or artificial intelligence to alter the image.
The District Clerk's Office can be reached at (281) 341-4515.
