US Libraries Ordered to Cease Passport Processing, Threatening Community Services
The United States State Department has issued a directive ordering certain public libraries across the nation to immediately stop processing passport applications. This move disrupts a long-standing service that many communities have come to rely upon, with librarians reporting that the process has operated smoothly for years without issue.
Federal Order Disrupts Established Community Service
In late fall, the State Department began issuing cease and desist orders to not-for-profit libraries, informing them they were no longer authorized to participate in the Passport Acceptance Facility program. The directive took effect on Friday, February 13, 2026, creating immediate disruption for libraries that have offered this service for decades.
"We still get calls daily seeking that service," said Cathleen Special, executive director of the Otis Library in Norwich, Connecticut, which had offered passport services for 18 years before ceasing operations in November following receipt of the federal order. "Our community was so used to us offering this."
Legal Basis and Impact Assessment
A State Department spokesperson explained that federal law and regulations "clearly prohibit non-governmental organizations" from collecting and retaining fees for passport applications. Government-run libraries remain unaffected by this policy change, creating an uneven landscape where library structure determines service availability.
The spokesperson did not clarify why this has become an enforcement issue now or specify exactly how many libraries are impacted. However, the American Library Association estimates approximately 1,400 mostly non-profit public libraries nationwide could potentially be affected, representing about 15% of all public libraries depending on how many actually offer passport services.
According to the State Department, passport services maintain over 7,500 acceptance facilities nationwide, and the number of libraries found ineligible constitutes less than one percent of their total network.
Bipartisan Congressional Pushback
Democratic and Republican members of Congress from Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Maryland are pushing back against the directive. They sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio this month asking him to extend the existing program until Congress can find a permanent legislative 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 congressional letter highlighted several concerning consequences:
- People will need to travel longer distances to access passport services
- Working individuals may need to take unpaid time off from employment
- Some may forgo obtaining passports entirely despite increasing demand
- Potential voting registration complications if strict new voting rules require passport or birth certificate documentation
- Increased burden on immigration verification for those carrying passports to confirm citizenship
Financial Implications for Libraries
Lawmakers predicted that some libraries, which benefit financially from passport processing fees, will face difficult decisions including staff layoffs, program reductions, or even closure if not permitted to continue providing passport services. The change proves particularly disruptive in states where many public libraries are structured as nonprofit entities rather than municipal government departments.
Public library organization varies significantly by state:
- Pennsylvania: 85% of public libraries are non-profit organizations
- Maine: 56% non-profit structure
- Rhode Island: 54% non-profit structure
- New York: 47% non-profit structure
- Connecticut: 46% non-profit structure
Legislative Response and Community Impact
Pennsylvania Representatives Madeleine Dean, a Democrat, and John Joyce, a Republican, have proposed bipartisan legislation that would amend the Passport Act of 1920 to allow 501(c)(3) non-profit public libraries to continue serving as passport acceptance facilities. A similar companion bill is pending in the Senate.
Dean, who learned about the policy change from a library in her district that has provided passport services for 20 years, called the State Department's interpretation of the law "nonsense."
In Joyce's rural, south-central Pennsylvania district, the Marysville-Rye Library represents one of only two passport facilities serving the 556-square-mile Perry County. With its elimination, the county courthouse remains as the sole remaining option for passport processing in the entire region.
Accessibility Concerns and Alternative Facilities
The State Department noted that 99% of the U.S. population lives within 20 miles of a designated passport processing location, such as a post office, county clerk's office, or government-run library authorized to accept in-person passport applications.
"Should the removal of an ineligible facility affect passport services, we will work to identify new eligible program partners in the impacted area," the agency spokesperson stated.
However, Special from the Otis Library highlighted practical complications. The Norwich post office had frequently referred people to her library for passports when someone needed service outside regular hours or had children requiring supervision while parents completed paperwork. Library staff also assisted applicants with language barriers, services that may not be available at alternative locations.
"And now the burden falls on them to do all of it and that's tough on them," she said of the post office down the street. "I don't know how they're keeping up, to be honest, because it was such a popular service with us."
