(Photo By Flickr User jpmatth)

Your local post office will likely be a lot busier over the next few weeks, as people rush to get their passport before the price goes up $10 on April 2nd.

Even if you aren’t going overseas, Quincy, IL travel agent Jennifer Lepper said it’s a good idea to get one. You can use it as another form of photo ID.

Kids can get one too, which means you and your kids can often leave vital records like birth certificates at home, and use your passport instead.

Lepper said if you’re planning a cruise, you can often travel without a passport, but that’s not a good idea.

“If you need to fly home in case of an emergency, if something happens to you and you need to get off the ship to go to the hospital, any of that,” she said. “You have to have a passport in order to get home and out of the country.”

If you apply for a passport soon, postmaster Bill Reitz, said don’t expect to get your passport right away.

“4-6 weeks is generally what they’re saying. I see that that might get expanded if there’s a big influx of them before April 2nd but 4-6 weeks,” explained Reitz. “If you need it faster than that, we can do it expedited for 2-3 weeks.”

There are two fees when applying for passports if you are 16 years or older: one is a $110 application fee, while the execution fee increases to $35 from $25.

The increase goes into effect on April 2nd.

(Information courtesy of WGEM-TV)