As of November 2020, Passport Processing and Photo Services have been discontinued at the Free Library.

The Free Library helps people explore new worlds—through fictional tales of far-off places and its international music collections, as well as through its robust foreign-language materials and travel resources. It can even bring Philadelphians one step closer to their next foreign adventure or international family visit, through Northeast Regional Library’s Passport Office.

Northeast Regional Library is an officially designated U.S. Department of State Passport Acceptance Facility, offering passport processing for new U.S. passports or passport cards, passport photographs, and expedited service. The Passport Office is on the first floor of the library, located at 2228 Cottman Avenue.

The Passport Office is open:

Tuesday 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Friday 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Across Pennsylvania, many public libraries offer passport services, including those in Jenkintown, Ephrata, Kutztown, and Lancaster. The Northeast Philadelphia location meets the need for additional passport services in this area. The community surrounding the Northeast Regional Library has one of the highest percentages of foreign-born residents in the city of Philadelphia. The passport services add to the Free Library system’s robust offerings for new Americans, which include English-as-a-Second-Language classes, travel and foreign-language materials, online Citizenship Test preparation resources, online language tutorials for over 70 languages, and more. 

Note: the Northeast Regional Library Passport Office only handles applications for new passports. Those needing to renew a passport should visit the U.S. State Department’s website.

The Passport Office accepts money orders or personal checks; it does not accept cash. Costs for the available services are set by the State Department:

• $110 for 4–6 week passport delivery (check payable to U.S. Department of State)
• $170 for expedited passport delivery (check payable to U.S. Department of State)
• $35 processing fee (check to Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation)
• $10 photo fee, if necessary (check to Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation)

For more information about the services available at the Northeast Regional Library’s Passport Office, visit freelibrary.org/passports.