An hour before National Passport Day began on March 9, dozens of people were lined up at the offices of the DeKalb clerk of Superior Court.

Debra DeBerry, the clerk of court, decided to start at 9 a.m. instead.

“The staff was there,” she said. “We were all there, so we started early.”

At the end of Saturday’s five-hour event, the office had processed 154 passport applications. DeBerry said it was the first time her office had participated in the U.S. secretary of state’s annual Passport Day, which is in its fifth year.

The day offers U.S. citizens a weekend day to apply for or renew a passport book or passport card at 25 domestic passport agencies or hundreds of participating non-department passport application acceptance facilities, like the clerk’s office.

DeBerry said her office processes about 200 passports on a normal weekday. She said that as the U.S. Postal Service has reduced its hours for passport applications, her office is seeing more applicants. Now is a good time to apply for passports if you plan summer travel overseas or to Canada, she said.

The clerk’s office accepts applications weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. No appointment is necessary.

U.S. citizens must present a valid passport book when entering the United States by air and from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda at land borders and seaports.

The Clerk of Superior Court Office is in the DeKalb County Courthouse at 556 N. McDonough St. in Decatur.

For more information, call 404-371-2251.