Lieutenant Governor Tregenza Roach
The Lieutenant Governor's Office, as with virtually all government operations in the territory, has announced changes to operations amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Passport Acceptance Facilities
Mr. Roach on Friday advised the public that effective March 19, 2020, the U.S. Department of State Passport Services has closed passport agencies until further notice, and appointments will not be accepted.
If a customer applied for a passport on or before March 20, 2020, Passport Services will honor the commitment.
The lieutenant governor said all public lobbies are now closed and all passport agencies, including the Passport Acceptance Facilities in the St. Thomas and St. Croix Districts, will only be providing in-person service to those applicants with a Life/Death situation abroad and who will need a passport to travel internationally within 72 hours for that purpose. Customers with any life or death situation that require international travel (I.E. Funerals/critical illness) must first call the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) 1-877-4872778 for instructions.
For status on passport agencies and centers, please visit the website at travel.state.gov. For general questions, customers may call the Passport Acceptance Facility in St. Thomas at 340-774-2991.
Modified Customer Service Hours for the Offices of the Lieutenant Governor
Recognizing the critical role of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor in generating revenues for the Government of the Virgin Islands, Mr. Roach announced modified hours of operation by the office but with limited access to the public.
Effective March 23, the Offices of the Lieutenant Governor will be operating during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily. All cashier services will be available from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. The modified schedule will remain in effect until Friday, April 3, 2020 and is subject to change based on any new developments owing to COVID-19.
The following divisions will be closed to public access: VI State Health Insurance Program/Medicare; Corporations and Trademarks; and Passport Acceptance Facilities. Customers in need of assistance from these divisions can utilize any of the following options available to them for services and information:
- Calling the Office of the Lieutenant Governor at 340-774-2991 (St. Thomas/St. John) and 340-773-6449 (St. Croix).
- Visiting the website: ltg.gov.vi o Information for all divisions of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor can be found online, to include forms, documents, and applications.
The following divisions will provide limited public access: Office of the Tax Assessor, Office of the Tax Collector and the Division of Banking, Insurance and Financial Regulation.
- Customers can visit the Office of the Tax Assessor and the Tax Collector between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
- Customers can visit the Division of Banking, Insurance and Financial Regulation by appointment only. Please call the numbers provided above for further detail.
The following divisions will allow members of the public to drop off documents for processing but will otherwise be closed to the public: Recorder of Deeds; Cadastral; and Notary Services. All documents left in the drop boxes will be kept confidential. Drop off boxes will be made available in accordance with the following procedures:
- Customers will be asked to drop off documents and collect them at a designated time as services are completed. Customers must provide contact information with their drop off packages.
- The drop off box for the Cadastral office will be located at the Cadastral offices in each district.
- The drop off box for the Recorder of Deeds for the district of St. Thomas/St. John will be located at the Recorder of Deeds office on St. Thomas. However, the drop off box for the Recorder of Deeds office for the district of St. Croix will be located at the Office of the Tax Assessor in Christiansted.
“The safety of our employees and customers during this public health crisis is of our utmost importance. The modified hours will help to maintain adequate social distancing practices, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I encourage all of our customers to cooperate with us during this time, and to utilize the options available for services and information,” stated Lieutenant Governor Roach.
