[title]
If getting a passport used to mean a quick stop at your neighborhood library, that chapter has officially closed in Brooklyn.
The Brooklyn Public Library has ended its passport application services after receiving a federal order from the U.S. Department of State, bringing an abrupt end to a program that had quietly helped hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers prepare for trips abroad.
As first reported by Brooklyn Paper, the service shut down on February 27, following notices sent last fall to nonprofit libraries across the country informing them they were no longer eligible to participate in the federal Passport Acceptance Facility Program.
The reason? A legal technicality. According to the State Department, federal law, dating back to the 1920 Passport Act, does not allow non-governmental organizations to collect and retain passport application fees. Because Brooklyn Public Library operates as a nonprofit rather than a government agency, it was suddenly deemed ineligible to keep processing applications—even though libraries like BPL have been doing exactly that for years.
For Brooklyn residents, the change removes one of the borough’s most convenient passport hubs.
Since launching the service in 2011, the library has processed nearly 300,000 passport applications, a BPL spokesperson told PIX11. Applications were handled at the Central Library branch at Grand Army Plaza and the Kings Highway branch, where applicants could submit paperwork in person and even get their passport photos taken on-site.
The setup was especially useful for people without easy access to printers or computers at home, both of which many passport applications require. Library staff could help residents navigate the paperwork, making the process a little less intimidating than dealing with federal forms solo.
The program also generated revenue for the library system. Tax filings show passport services brought in more than $700,000 in 2023 alone, though library officials say the money primarily supported the passport operation itself rather than other programs.
Still, the shutdown could leave a noticeable gap. Brooklyn Public Library was the only of New York City’s three library systems offering passport processing and its closure comes as demand for passports continues to surge ahead of upcoming travel requirements, such as Real ID enforcement.
Lawmakers from both parties have already pushed back on the federal decision. In February, a bipartisan group of members of Congress, including New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrandm urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to allow libraries to keep offering passport services through at least the end of 2026. For now, though, Brooklynites will have to look elsewhere.
Passport applications can still be submitted at certain U.S. Postal Service locations, as well as the Kings County Clerk’s Office in Downtown Brooklyn—though appointment availability and hours may be more limited.
In other words, if your pre-vacation ritual once involved a library card and a passport photo booth, it might be time to add a trip to the post office to the itinerary.