BajaNomad

Passports for kids?

norcalbajabetty - 11-3-2009 at 09:20 AM

I am so frustrated! Cannot get a straight answer from the government employees here in the states (When I am finally able to get a LIVE person, that is...) so I turn to my wise nomads....
My husband and I will be driving down to Baja with our two children age 12 & 14. Husband and I will have passport books. There is information on the Homeland Security website stating that since 6/1/09, children are allowed to cross with certified birth certificates and both custodial parents.
The stae department website, and my local passport office, say that children are required to have passports. Yet the state department website links to the above mention Homeland Security info.... Confused? Me too.
Anyone out there have any recent experience crossing with kids with Birth certificates? We will be traveling by car, crossing at tecate, although we were thinking about coming home through TJ.
Thanks so much for the help.

David K - 11-3-2009 at 09:26 AM

"kids" don't need their own passports for Mexico until they are 16... The birth certs. will be fine. This was the word when the passport rules took effect and I have not seen any change... Please check the Customs and Border web site.

Remember, the U.S. officials cannot prevent Americans from returning to America (without passports)... It is just to speed up the crossing, you may have to go to Secondary so they can establish your citizenship if you don't have passports. Try and have as much good I.D. as possible (Birth Cert. and photo I.D. from your state, etc. , voters registration, military ID, etc.).

norcalbajabetty - 11-3-2009 at 09:32 AM

Awesome! That's what I thought, but the local passport office INSISTED I was incorrect. Especially good news, as we do not have time to get passports for them before our trip.
Thanks David for the info.

arrowhead - 11-3-2009 at 10:09 AM

The local passport office may have been correct, depending upon what you told them. David only got the story partially correct. The devil is in the details. Children returning to the US by land or sea do not require a passport. A certified copy of a birth certificate will do. However, all persons returning by air require a passport (or other acceptable travel document), even children. So it you get down there and your car breaks down or have an emergency where you have to fly back, you will be in world of hurt.

You can get a passport on an expedited basis for more $$$.

norcalbajabetty - 11-3-2009 at 10:15 AM

That darned devil....
I am always worried about the what-if's. It;s my job as a mom, I guess.
How about if we get passport cards for the kids? I know they are only good for land crossings, but don't you suppose they would help the situation if an emergency arose, and we had to fly? If we had their passport cards, birth certificates and student photo ID's, I would think it would be sufficient.

I'm not looking for a guarantee, just a little assurance. :)

mtgoat666 - 11-3-2009 at 10:28 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by norcalbajabetty
That darned devil....
I am always worried about the what-if's. It;s my job as a mom, I guess.
How about if we get passport cards for the kids? I know they are only good for land crossings, but don't you suppose they would help the situation if an emergency arose, and we had to fly? If we had their passport cards, birth certificates and student photo ID's, I would think it would be sufficient.

I'm not looking for a guarantee, just a little assurance. :)


passport card takes same amount of time to apply/receive as a passport book, so why not get the rug rats passport books so in future your family can travel anywhere in the world???
airlines usually don't let passesngers board intl flights unless they got proper travel docs, you may not be able to talk your way onto a plane without proper travel docs, regardless of what immigration says/does when you disembark in US airport

[Edited on 11-3-2009 by mtgoat666]

DanO - 11-3-2009 at 11:57 AM

At least in my neck of the woods, getting a passport is a snap -- a half hour visit to the post office. They take the pics there and even do expedited processing for an additional fee. What's the problem?

sancho - 11-3-2009 at 01:11 PM

This passport requirement
is not 'apparently' being enforced
as advertised, as on Govt. sites.
A recent post stated that the
East mexicalli border crossing, back into
the US, reports
only a 50% compliance with the new
passport/passcard/sentri requirements.
A post from Texas by a guy whose brother
is a US Border Patrolman, suggests
not to waste $ on a passport, but that is
not my suggestion, I happily
show my passport, even go to the trouble
of returning fmt's to Mex IMM,
as Mex IMM have been stamping my passport
upon issuance of an fmt upon entry

Bugman - 11-3-2009 at 01:51 PM

Keep in mind that passports for kids are only valid for 5 years. My two little rugrats have them and travel with us all the time but we have to keep a close eye on the expiration date. I guess their appearance changes too quickly and they want new ones for them on a regular basis. I think they cost the same as an adult passport too! :coolup:

fdt - 11-3-2009 at 03:09 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by norcalbajabetty
That darned devil....

And those darn details...

norcalbajabetty - 11-3-2009 at 05:02 PM

Let me explain...It would be no big deal, except I have to take both kids out of school, drive 30 miles to the courthouse, and pay just over 300 bucks to get them in time. (exbedited) Which kind of takes it from a minor inconvenience level to a bigger deal, in norcalbajabetty's busy day. :) This could be their only trip down in the next five years too, so if I can get away without the passports, I would like to.
I am merely looking for clarification of what the rule is, and who is following it.
Thanks for your input! I appreciate it.

fdt - 11-3-2009 at 06:19 PM

I understand perfectly norcalbajabetty, MrsFdt is the same way so I sent you a U2U earlier today.

The Gull - 11-3-2009 at 06:30 PM

The equivalent to a passport for adults is a Califonia Driver's license which has the new format with the hologram. CBP doesn't advertise it, but it works.

Terry28 - 11-4-2009 at 10:20 AM

We do this all the time with my 15 year olds friends that travel with us...Birth cert. and a picture ID like a school photo ID..never a problem, and never a trip to secondary either... this is valid as of last week when we returned....don't sweat it...just go...

norcalbajabetty - 11-4-2009 at 02:14 PM

Right on...Thanks again folks!