Starting Nov. 1, Hennepin County will stop processing applications for passports at its six service centers, but it will begin taking applications for first-time driver's licenses and state ID cards.
County officials said the change is due to federal regulations that require offices which process passports be physically separated from those that provide birth records and driver's licenses. The county's facilities currently provide those services in shared locations.
Those needing passports can still get them through Oct. 31 at the Brookdale, Maple Grove, Ridgedale and Southdale service centers.
With the change, all of the county's service centers will take applications for first-time driver's licenses. First time driver's licenses are issued to new state residents and current residents who have obtained their driver's instruction permit and completed the provisional license requirement.
In addition to the four centers mentioned above, the county operates service centers at the Hennepin County Government Center, 300 S. 6th Street, and in the Midtown Exchange Center, 2929 Chicago Av. S.
With the Hennepin County Service Centers discontinuing passport services, here are places to submit your application:
Minneapolis Passport Agency: 212 3rd Av. S., Minneapolis 1‐877‐487‐2778
United States Post Office, Loring Station: 18 N. 12th St, Minneapolis 612‐332‐1381
