Cover photo: Clerk Vavricka takes a photo for a passport (Credit – Matt Meduri)
The Islip Town Clerk’s Office has been busier than ever, processing a record-breaking 737 passport applications in January 2025. This marks a significant jump from the 238 applications processed during the same month last year. The upward trend was evident even in December 2024, when the office handled 514 applications, compared to just 169 in December 2023.
“The Islip Town Clerk’s office is unique in that it is the only township in Suffolk County that is a U.S. Passport application facility. We are fortunate to be able to offer this convenient service to our residents,” said Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter (R-West Islip). The Clerk’s Office has been a designated passport facility since 2009, offering an invaluable and convenient service to the community.
Town Clerk Linda Vavricka (R-West Islip), who took office in January 2024, oversees a wide range of responsibilities beyond passports. As the Town’s secretary of official minutes, registrar, licensing officer, records custodian, and designated marriage officer, she ensures the smooth operation of essential municipal services.
Marriage, hunting, fishing, dog, clamming, peddler, bingo, and taxi licenses all fall under the Clerk’s jurisdiction. The office also processes requests for parade permits, block parties, garage sales, and going-out-of-business sales. Additionally, as the Registrar of Vital Statistics, the Clerk’s Office is responsible for recording all births and deaths in the town.
“Since taking office in January, it has been a priority of mine to create an awareness of the many services the Town Clerk’s office provides to its residents. The Clerk’s office recently went digital, streamlining the process by offering forms conveniently online, and some that are fillable,” said Vavricka, highlighting the modernization efforts.
The modernization effort is expected to make government services more accessible to residents, allowing them to complete select applications from the comfort of their homes. With passport demand soaring and travel season approaching, the Clerk’s Office is preparing for another busy stretch, but residents can feel empowered by the accessibility of these services.
“We process new passports and help with renewals,” Vavricka told The Messenger. “We’ll take their picture, we go over their documents, and make sure they have everything we need.”
From there, the files are mailed to the federal government for further processing. The Town’s role, at that point, is effectively completed, unless a photo submitted by an applicant does not size up to the specified dimensions. In such cases, the Town can screen pictures submitted by applicants or re-take them in the Clerk’s office.
Applicants must bring their original birth certificate – for a minor, both parents listed on the certificate must be present – and a photo identification.
“We try to get the applications out the same day they’re submitted,” said Vavricka, adding that passport applications that come in close to the end of the business day are kept in a vault with other sensitive information until they can be sent. Passport applications end at 4:00p.m. for this reason. The office is open from 8:30a.m. to 5:00p.m.
Vavricka and the Clerk’s office staff stress accuracy in submitting applications. Too many rejected applications due to incomplete information or photos that do not fall into the guidelines can lead to the Town Clerk office’s ability to process passports being rescinded from the federal State Department.
“As soon as I came into office, we started mandating that pictures be taken here to avoid applications being kicked back from the State Department,” said Vavricka.
For more information on passport applications and other services, residents can visit the Islip Town Clerk’s Office in person or explore available resources on the town’s official website.
