FREEPORT — In the midst of breakfast with Santa, a library flea market, gingerbread houses, bagpipe and dance recitals, train displays and other activities during Freeport's “A Small Town Christmas” Saturday, the post office at 415 High St., will host a Passport Fair for people planning to travel in the near future.

“We decided to have it because of the possibility of Jan 22, in case they are traveling in the first few months of the New Year,” said Jill Bernard, postmaster of the Freeport post office.

Information received by the post office indicates Jan. 22, 2018, as the date when a Pennsylvania driver's license will no longer be accepted as identification for airline flights within the United States.

However, a valid U.S. passport or passport card or a REAL ID-compliant driver's license will let a passenger board a flight.

According to the federal Department of Homeland Security, Congress passed the REAL ID Act after Sept. 11, 2001, to establish specific minimum federal standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards used for federal purposes, such as boarding commercial flights.

For information about extensions, visit the Homeland Security website.

The site also says, “All Pennsylvania licenses and identification cards are currently acceptable for REAL ID purposes, however, PennDOT advises customers who may want to obtain a REAL ID to get their required documents in order as soon as possible.”

Visiting the Passport Fair is a way to beat the rush. A steady stream of 80 applicants visited the April Passport Fair in Freeport. Bernard expects another large group of applicants Saturday.

She said applying for a passport or identity card requires several items: a completed passport application, proof of U.S. citizenship, proof of identity and a passport photo.

Passport application forms for new and renewing applicants are available at the post office and at https://travel.state.gov.

A previously fully valid U.S. passport is proof of U.S. citizenship. A certified U.S. birth certificate is another item that is proof of U.S. citizenship.

“For a new passport, you must bring an original birth certificate with both parents' names and an embossed, raised seal. People are coming in without that and cannot get their passport,” Bernard said.

She said birth certificates are available in New Castle at the Department of Vital Records, 101 S. Mercer St.

To receive a birth certificate the same day, Bernard recommended arriving at the department by 11:30 a.m. The birth certificate will be ready for pickup three to four hours later. Ordering a birth certificate online requires more time. For more information, visit http://usvitalrecords.org/ or call 724-656 3100.

A current, valid driver's license is one of the items acceptable for proof of identity.

Bernard said the passport photo should be from a passport-approved photo center that can provide a photo that meets federal standards. Applicants can have their photos taken during the Passport Fair in Freeport.

“We guarantee our photos,” Bernard said.

Stephen Koessler, lead clerk of the Freeport post office, said some post offices offer passport services but not all. He advised calling ahead.

For a passport card, including the cost of a photograph and the processing, Bernard said the fee is $70. For a passport booklet, including the cost of a photograph and the processing, the fee is $150.

Koessler said there is no processing fee for a passport renewal so the fee is $125, including the photo.

Applicants will receive their cards and passports in four to six weeks, said Koessler.

Passport booklets allow travel to many countries and travel within the United States.

“The U.S. passport book is an internationally recognized document and can be used anywhere,” Koessler said.

Passport cards are different.

“You cannot use the card for international flights,” Bernard said.

The passport card can be used for domestic travel, she said, and it is recognized in all states.

“It's driver's license-size, so it fits right in your wallet so you don't have to worry about losing your book,” Bernard said. “Most people get both.”

If a cruise is on the horizon, the passport card may be sufficient.

Koessler said the card can be used on land and sea for travel to Bermuda, the Caribbean, Canada and Mexico.

“The U.S. passport card is REAL ID-compliant regardless of regulations and dates,” Bernard said.

She said both the cards and passports are good for 10 years.

Even so, she knows travelers who were surprised to discover that their passport books weren't accepted during travel even though the expiration dates were months away.

“A country can deny access if your passport is within six months of expiration,” Bernard said. “Travel worry free. Don't have your vacation ruined by not having the proper identification.”

What: Passport FairWhere: Freeport post office, 415 High St., FreeportWhen: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. There will be another fair in 2018.For more information, call 724-295-2211.For more information about REAL ID visit www.dhs.gov/real-id.