BajaNomad - Replace a missing passport?

Replace a missing passport?

thebajarunner - 4-19-2025 at 04:03 PM

Just discovered that my wife's passport is missing
Since we typically use the passport card it has gone unnoticed since our trip up to Canada a year ago.
Now she is escorting family teens on a cruise down to Cabo and we need the real deal.
Reading the materials on the US website is a bit frustrating
If I report it lost, then it is immediately canceled and if we find it before the trip and also before the new then we have a problem.
If we apply as a new app. that will no doubt upset the system.
Thinking Monday I head into a post office or into our local city hall and hope for good direction

Meanwhile, maybe some Nomads have a suggestion
And yeah, it was only another year or so to expiration, plus we still have passport cards and Sentri cards.
Thoughts??

David K - 4-19-2025 at 04:11 PM

Ugh! Such a bummer. Research all places the book might be: the family safe or safe deposit box, glove box of all vehicles, suitcases, top drawers of dressers, etc. Best luck, Dick!

thebajarunner - 4-19-2025 at 04:55 PM

Thanks David,
Actually it is a lot more complicated than just a missing pasaporte
One of my long ago travel partners bought me this really nice black leather travel doc folder. About 10 inches in length, perfect for the old days when you had to carry a wad of paper air tix along with your travel documents
All of my frequent flier club cards (got them all on line also)
Glasses prescriptions
Lots of useful stuff for the frequent flier
A stash of cash for foreign emergencies
English pounds
Canadian loonies
Euros
Probably some Kenyan Shillings and some Egyptian pounds as well (going to the eclipse there in a couple years)
When we got home from Canada I realized my passport was short term in life so mailed it in and got my new one. Obviously hers was still in the folio, and it is "in the wind"

Oh well.... it's only money and another project

mtgoat666 - 4-19-2025 at 06:34 PM

Quote: Originally posted by thebajarunner

Just discovered that my wife's passport is missing
Since we typically use the passport card it has gone unnoticed since our trip up to Canada a year ago.
Now she is escorting family teens on a cruise down to Cabo and we need the real deal.
Reading the materials on the US website is a bit frustrating
If I report it lost, then it is immediately canceled and if we find it before the trip and also before the new then we have a problem.
If we apply as a new app. that will no doubt upset the system.
Thinking Monday I head into a post office or into our local city hall and hope for good direction

Meanwhile, maybe some Nomads have a suggestion
And yeah, it was only another year or so to expiration, plus we still have passport cards and Sentri cards.
Thoughts??

Send in application to replace lost passport. If you need it fast, you can go to the nearest PP ofc under 15 days from travel (dont worry about request to bring proof of travel, just write a letter about your plans to drive and camp, they will accept such (gives you more flexibility in selecting 15 day window)).

wilderone - 4-20-2025 at 07:58 AM

Call the cruise line and ask if the passport card is sufficient. The passport requirement for a Mexico destination cruise is because of the USA re-entry requirement and a passport card is acceptable. Then apply for replacement passport when you return.

BooJumMan - 4-20-2025 at 11:46 AM

Your mileage may vary... But, I used the new online passport service a few months back and received my new passport in 3 days. I didn't even ask for an expedite. I think I read on here that someone else received theirs in a few days as well using the online service.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-pa...

Maderita - 4-20-2025 at 12:09 PM

thebajarunner,
If you think the passport may be in your home, stored luggage, or vehicles, have you thought of trying an RFID detector to locate it?
There are phone apps, though I cannot verify their effectiveness. But they have to be better than the CBP's chip readers at the border which work about 50% of the time!

https://play.google.com/store/search?q=RFID%20detector&c...

https://www.rfidcard.com/can-you-detect-rfid-chips-without-s...

[Edited on 4-20-2025 by Maderita]

cupcake - 4-20-2025 at 06:36 PM

Our county Search and Rescue has a device sensitive enough to detect the chip in a credit card...from a helicopter overhead. They use it to locate missing people in our local mountains, both alive and deceased. Impressive stuff.

mtgoat666 - 4-20-2025 at 07:16 PM

Quote: Originally posted by cupcake

Our county Search and Rescue has a device sensitive enough to detect the chip in a credit card...from a helicopter overhead. They use it to locate missing people in our local mountains, both alive and deceased. Impressive stuff.

And fbi/cia have next level microchip readers that can read your chips from reaper drone flying silent at 20,000 ft.

The is a valid reason why the tin hat brigade turns off their phones and puts their credit cards in copper/aluminum sleeves.

[Edited on 4-21-2025 by mtgoat666]

cupcake - 4-21-2025 at 04:15 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

Quote: Originally posted by cupcake

I have my debit card in a homemade aluminum foil sleeve, tucked inside my wallet. Last I read up on this, four years or so ago, The capability of the card readers that thieves were using required them to be within about one foot of your card to gather information from it. Like standing in line at the fast food restaurant, etc.

I've had a debit card number used fraudulently one time, some years ago (hence my starting to wrap my card in foil). They made a $25 'test' charge, which I was alerted to almost immediately and I cancelled the card. Had to jump through some minor hoops to get my $25 back, and was told by the bank fraud department that most of the time it is never found out how or where the thieves get your card number.

I figure detecting a card chip is different than actually getting usable information from the card. Our SAR helicopter guys can detect a card chip while flying, but they might not be able to gather any information from it. The FBI/CIA could be a different story though.

In any event, good idea regarding the possibility of our OP locating their misplaced passport.

[Edited on 4-23-2025 by cupcake]

cupcake - 4-23-2025 at 09:22 AM

Some might find the articles linked below interesting.

RECCO can not read the information on a credit card chip. It can detect the presence of some credit card chips. This is the system that our county Search and Rescue uses. I have not yet read of Recco being able to detect passport chips.

What Is RECCO And How Does It Work?
https://www.powder.com/gear/what-is-recco-and-how-does-it-wo...
"Of course, in the real world, a few things complicate this process. RECCO reflectors aren’t the only things that can bounce back those waves. Other common reflectors include some RFID lift passes, two-way radios and other electronics, some credit cards, and some smartphones. But generally those items don’t reflect anywhere near as powerfully as a dedicated reflector does, and they make noises that sound different to an experienced searcher. And these “ghost reflections” hold value in a real search scenario. Rescuers don’t care if the signal is bouncing off your RECCO reflector or your credit card because the end result is the same: it helps locate you."

RECCO comes as a hand held detector, and a helicopter mounted detector.
https://recco.com/faq/
"The RECCO SAR Helicopter Detector allows professional rescuers to perform rapid searches for missing people on a larger scale in the outdoors all year round. Searching with 100-meter-wide corridors the RECCO SAR Helicopter Detector can cover about 1km2 within 6 minutes."

[Edited on 4-23-2025 by cupcake]