San Diego County residents will no longer have to travel to Los Angeles for urgent U.S.-passport services.

The U.S. State Department has opened a passport office in downtown San Diego that will expedite services for U.S. citizens who plan to travel within 14 days or who have a life or death emergency.

The San Diego Passport Agency opened here largely because of its proximity to Mexico and the increase in demand for U.S. passports and passport cards after strict document requirements went into effect in 2009 at U.S. land and sea ports of entries, officials said.

"We realize, for many U.S. citizens in the southern part of the state, crossing the border can be a daily occurrence," said Under Secretary of State Patrick Kennedy at the formal opening of the agency on Monday. "We want to ensure they experience no delays receiving their travel documents."

The State Department has opened passport agencies in other border cities in recent years, including in Tucson and El Paso.

The new facilities are being paid with federal stimulus money.

The San Diego Passport Agency, which operates daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., is on the 10th floor of the Columbia Center at 401 West A St., near the America Plaza Trolley Station, and Interstate 5. It has 15 counters to serve customers with urgent travel plans and a lobby that can hold up to 120 customers.

"If you're traveling within two weeks and need to get your passport quickly, you make an appointment, come in here, pay an expedited fee and we'll process your passport," said Rick Saltzman, director of the San Diego Passport Agency. The expedited fee is $60.

About 30 employees staff the 19,000-square-foot facility, including bilingual speakers. The office opened for business two weeks ago and has processed hundreds of applications already, officials said. The office is equipped to process passport books and passport cards.

A U.S. passport book is accepted for travel by air, land and sea. A U.S. passport card is less costly but is only valid for entry into the United States by land or sea from Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean or Bermuda. It is not valid for international air travel.

Local U.S. citizens who do not have an emergency or plan to travel within 14 days may apply through post offices and other application acceptance facilities. To find one near you visit http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/

The fee for an adult passport is $135, for a passport card $55, and both $165.

It normally takes four to six weeks to obtain a passport.

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San Diego joins Los Angeles and San Francisco as cities in California with passport agencies. Last year, 1.9 million U.S. citizens obtained passports documents in California.

Leonel.sanchez@sandiegored.com