Libraries Face Passport Service Disruption as State Department Issues Cease and Desist Orders

Sun Mar 15 2026 10:43:11 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The U.S. State Department has halted passport services at certain public libraries, affecting communities that have relied on this accessible service. Librarians and lawmakers advocate for a resolution.

The U.S. State Department has ordered public libraries, primarily non-profit, to stop processing passport applications, claiming it violates federal regulations. Approximately 1,400 libraries may be affected. Lawmakers are requesting a policy change to allow these libraries to continue serving their communities amidst rising passport demand. Advocates assert that this decision burdens working families and rural residents who rely on libraries for passport assistance.

NORWICH, Conn. (AP) — The U.S. State Department has ordered specific public libraries nationwide to stop processing passport applications, disrupting a long-standing service that many communities have come to depend on and that had been operating smoothly for years.

The agency began issuing cease and desist orders to non-profit libraries in the late fall, stating they could no longer participate in the Passport Acceptance Facility program. As of last Friday, these libraries are no longer authorized to provide passport services.

“We still get calls daily seeking that service,” said Cathleen Special, executive director of the Otis Library in Norwich, Connecticut. The library offered passport services for 18 years and stopped in November after receiving notification from the State Department. “Our community was so used to us offering this.”

A spokesperson from the State Department indicated that the order is due to federal law and regulations prohibiting non-governmental organizations from collecting and retaining passport application fees. Government-run libraries are not affected by this decision.

The State Department did not provide specific reasons for this sudden change or details on the number of libraries impacted. The spokesperson mentioned that there are over 7,500 acceptance facilities nationwide and that the libraries found ineligible constitute less than one percent of that total.

According to the American Library Association, as many as 1,400 mainly non-profit public libraries could potentially be affected—about 15% of all public libraries—depending on how many provide passport services.

Members of Congress from Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Maryland have expressed their disapproval, sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio requesting an extension of the program until Congress can find a permanent solution.

“In a time when demand for passports is surging, libraries are among the most accessible passport acceptance facilities, particularly for working families and rural residents,” the lawmakers wrote.

The letter highlighted the inconvenience that constituents will face as they may need to travel long distances or take unpaid time off work to obtain a passport, especially with the increasing requirement for Real IDs. Residents, motivated by fear of immigration enforcement, are also more frequently carrying passports to confirm citizenship.

This change is particularly disruptive in states where many public libraries operate as non-profit organizations. Some libraries could face staff layoffs, cut programs, or even closure if not permitted to continue providing passport services.

Public libraries’ structure varies by state. In Pennsylvania, 85% of public libraries are non-profit, while Maine has 56%, Rhode Island 54%, New York 47%, and Connecticut 46%, as reported by the American Library Association.

Pennsylvania representatives Madeleine Dean, a Democrat, and John Joyce, a Republican, have introduced bipartisan legislation that would enable these non-profit libraries to continue passport acceptance by amending the Passport Act of 1920. A similar bill is awaiting approval in the Senate.

Dean called the State Department’s interpretation of the law “nonsense,” noting that the Marysville-Rye Library in Joyce’s rural district is one of only two passport facilities in an area more than 550 square miles wide. After the policy change, the county courthouse will be the only option left.

The State Department maintains that 99% of the U.S. population lives within 20 miles of an established passport processing facility, such as a post office or a government-sanctioned library.

“Should the removal of an ineligible facility affect passport services, we will work to identify new eligible program partners in the impacted area,” the spokesperson added.

Nevertheless, Special expressed concern that the Norwich post office often referred individuals needing midnight or weekend services to her library, which supported applicants facing language barriers. “Now the burden falls on them to do all of it and that’s tough on them,” she lamented. “I don’t know how they’re keeping up, to be honest, because it was such a popular service with us.”