ABOVE: Joann McGowan takes a photo of Michelle Duncan in the Martin County Recorder’s Office using the department’s new setup.

FAIRMONT– The Martin County Recorder’s Office recently added some new technology to make getting your passport a one-stop-shop.

The Recorder’s Office has four staff members. The office does all recordings of real estate and all vital records including birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, notaries and passports.

At a recent Martin County Commissioner meeting, County Recorder Michelle Duncan gave an overview of 2024. She said that Real Estate Recordings for 2024 were down, 3,539 from 3,735 in 2023.

Births were slightly up from 126 in 2023 to 135 in 2024. Deaths, however, were down from 265 in 2023 to 221 in 2024. Marriage licenses were also down slightly, from 97 in 2023 to 95 in 2024.

The current fund in the Recorder’s Office is $282,340. Ten dollars of every recorded document goes into that fund for use by the Recorder’s Office for obtaining, maintaining and updating equipment.

In 2024 the office processed a total of 401 new passports and the revenue it brought in was $14,035 at $35 per passport.

To better serve those getting passports, the office recently got a backdrop, printer and a camera designated to take photos that meet the criteria for passports. This is a new addition to the office.

“We had talked about doing this for several years,” Duncan said. “I thought it’d be a good service for the public.”

She said that both Walgreens and Walmart can take passport photos, but so often people were coming into the Recorder’s Office with everything they need for a passport, but no photo.

“We’d have to send them away to get the photo and then ask them to come back,” Duncan explained.

She said that if someone can’t get to the Recorder’s Office between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. it’s still great to have other options in town, but that they hope to make it easy for people to get everything done in one stop.

There is a template on the new camera to ensure that the photo being taken is the correct dimensions and meet the criteria.

“It has to have a white background, you can’t be wearing a hat or glasses,” Duncan said.

You also need to have a straight face, with no smile, because if you grin too big it changes your facial features. However she said there’s a little slack where children are concerned.

The cost at the Recorder’s Office is $15 for two photos, which Duncan said is comparable to what other offices in other counties charge.

You need a passport book to travel internationally, including to Mexico and Canada. A passport card is less expensive and is similar to an enhanced ID in that it allows you to cross the border into Mexico or Canada, but not fly into the countries. Both last for 10 years.

Duncan said, “Two new customers came in (this week) and were doing a renewal and we offered it and they opted to get their photos here. It worked well.”

She said both Faribault and Watonwan counties have been set up for photos and Duncan is excited that Martin County is now joining them.

“We don’t like turning customers away. If they can get the service here we might as well offer it,” Duncan said.