Kane County Clerk John A. Cunningham announced that the Kane County Clerk’s Office processed 1,024 new passport applications during the month of January, setting a record for the highest number of passport applications ever processed in a single month by the office. 660 applications were completed in Geneva, and 364 were done in the Aurora satellite office. 

“We have seen a significant increase in passport applications in the last few years, as we have surpassed our annual numbers in the last 3 years, but the demand this year has exceeded what we have ever seen,” Cunningham said. “There are a number of factors involved, including an increased demand for travel, the upcoming federal deadline to have either a passport or a REAL ID compliant document for travel, and the desire for families to secure identification documents for their children.” 

For context, over the past 15 years, the Clerk’s Office has processed an average of 276 passport applications in January. The total in January 2025 was nearly four times that average. 652 applications were processed in January 2023, and 582 were processed in 2024. 

Because of the upcoming May 7 federal deadline for all travelers to have either a passport or a REAL ID-compliant state-issued driver’s license, Cunningham encourages residents to consider beginning the passport application process sooner rather than later to avoid lines and potential delays from the U.S. Department of State closer to the implementation deadline. 

First-time applicants can apply for a passport in person at the Clerk’s Office from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday or from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. 

For a user fee of $15 per person, passport applicants can also have a passport photograph taken simultaneously. For information about the passport photography service, application fees, acceptable forms of ID, or passports generally, click here or call (630) 232-5964. 

The revenue generated by the Clerk’s Office from passport applications and the passport photography service is sent to the county’s general fund, which helps save money for Kane County taxpayers. 

Information provided by the office of Kane County Clerk John A. Cunningham.

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