Despite demand going from 177 applications last year to 1,366 already this year, Kitsap County is reducing walk-in passport services from four days to one.

And, starting late last month, the courthouse required some applicants to book appointments. Walk-in services will be reduced from four days a week to only Wednesdays, chief deputy clerk Rebecca Wildes wrote in an email.

In 2024, the county clerk’s office processed all of those applications while open five days a week. This year, the numbers jumped to more than six times as much just as of March, despite being open only four days a week, Wildes said.

Wildes wrote there already have been some reductions.“We have not been processing applications on Fridays due to court volume and have had inclement weather days during this time,” she wrote.

While it may seem like services are being cut back at a time they are needed most, county officials say the changes will actually reduce wait times and improve service. Wait times can add up for walk-ins, so appointments will make it more convenient for them.

“We are committed to serving as many customers as possible. This approach represents a significant step in making our services more efficient, accessible and customer-focused,” Krista Carlson, the county’s public information officer, wrote in an email.

Wildes said the needs of each appointment can vary depending on the customer’s situation. For instance, a first-time passport application may take a different amount of time than a passport renewal or change of name.

More people are likely to use the service in the future as Real ID requirements start up May 7.

The Real ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, sets a uniform standard for state-issued driver’s licenses used for domestic travel, per the Department of Homeland Security. The act “prohibits certain federal agencies from accepting for official purposes licenses and identification cards from states that do not meet these standards.”

On Bainbridge Island, walk-ins already aren’t allowed. Residents rely on online appointments for passports at the municipal court, 8804 Madison Ave. N, Suite 200.

The court has processed 180 applications since January. In 2024, it processed 547 applications due to short staffing, wrote Shannon Hayes, the city’s communications coordinator. In 2023, the court processed 1,315 applications, she said.

COBI has offered passport services for years, but stopped in 2010 due to staff shortages, Hayes wrote. The service was reintroduced in 2017 and has consistently processed applications since, apart from 2020-21 due to the COVID pandemic.

“We anticipate passport applications in 2025 to surpass previous years, especially with REAL ID requirements taking effect” May 7, Hayes wrote.