Luverne Post office now issues passports

For the first time in a number of years, passports are now being issued in Luverne.
According to Luverne postmaster Alisha Vander Wal, the local post office has been offering the service since June.
“We were getting multiple requests a week for passports,” she said. “We knew there was a demand.”
People can apply for new passports or renew or replace existing passports, Vander Wal added.
Previously Rock County residents needed to travel to Worthington or Brandon to obtain a passport.
Vander Wal said that the local post office had to apply with the Department of State to issue passports and the process took nearly a year.
“We had to purchase the equipment for taking the pictures, a backdrop and printer,” she said.
Travelers need to make an appointment at the post office in advance, and a driver’s license and certified copy of a birth certificate are needed to obtain a passport.
According to Vander Wal, both passport cards, used to travel to Canada or Mexico, and passport books, needed for air travel, are now available in Luverne.
The total cost for a passport book is $150 and passport cards cost $75.
“We are happy to offer this service to our customers in Luverne,” Vander Wal said. “We’ve just recently started, but people are already appreciating it.”