How do I cross US-Canada border while my (US) passport is being renewed?
I'm getting ready to renew my US passport for the first time. Since I got this passport the ID requirements at the US-Canada border have gotten stricter, so I've been using my passport when driving across that border.
I have no current international travel plans within the renewal window, but I have relatives in Canada and one never knows when a family emergency might occur, especially with older relatives. Renewing the passport requires temporarily surrendering the current (still-valid) one. A little Googling tells me that I wouldn't be able to cross this border (in both directions) with an expired passport at all, so waiting doesn't help.
How do I retain my ability to drive to Canada and back home while my passport renewal is being processed? I don't have an "enhanced" driver's license (whatever that is). I do have a copy of my birth certificate. My only citizenship is US.
Best Answer
If you travel to and from Canada frequently, you may want to obtain a NEXUS card. This costs $50 and is good for five years. In addition to offering identification good for crossing the border, it also expedites clearance. In addition it would allow you to use the dedicated NEXUS lanes at border crossings, which often have shorter waits.
One catch is that you must travel to a NEXUS enrollment center for an in-person interview with CBP and CBSA, and there may not be one near where you live.
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Answer 2
If you have a Passport Card, you can use this for land crossings to Canada while your passport book is being renewed. If you don't have a passport card, you can apply for one by mail.
Answer 3
You can enter Canada with just your US birth certificate, BUT you can not come back to the USA without your passport.
So in an emergency you could travel north to be with family, but once there you would have to wait until your new passport is sent and then forwarded to you by someone who has access to your mail.
If you live in Washington, Michigan, New York, Vermont or Minnesota, you can swap your standard drivers license in and get an Enhanced DL, which serves the same as a Passport Card. But not sure what the local processing time might be in those states.
But from the sounds of your wording, perhaps you have not sent it in yet? If so and if the family health issues are a real concern why not pay for expedited service?
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