The Monroe County Library System (MCLS) charges a fee for a library card issued to anyone who lives outside of the county or who does not own property within Monroe County. Out-of-county residents who own, rent or lease property, including business property, are exempt from this charge.

In Monroe County, over 90% of costs for public library services are paid by local town, city, and county taxpayers through a mix of property and sales tax. The fee is a way of sharing library support for those who live within and outside the county.

Effective January 1, 2016 there is a $25 charge for a MCLS library card issued to anyone who lives outside of the county, or who does not own property or a business located within Monroe County.

Application for Non-Resident Library Card

• Use this form to order a new card, or to renew an existing card.
• The Rochester Public Library assists the MCLS with processing Out of County Cards as a MCLS system service.
• While you can continue to make your Out of County Card renewal payments by mail or at a member library location, online payment is the MCLS’ preferred method of payment for ease of processing. Visa, Mastercard and Discover can be used for payment (American Express is not accepted at this time).

Several MCLS libraries issue “restricted” cards to out-of-county residents at no charge for borrowing privileges at a specific MCLS library location. Restricted cardholders cannot use these cards at other libraries, place holds or use any digital resources (e-books, etc.) Participating libraries should be contacted directly for more information.

Questions regarding Out of County cards can be directed to Central Library Circulation at 585-428-8180 during normal business hours.