I was in Canada 10/01 and only needed a drivers license to get in. Do you now need either a passport or a birth certificate to get into Canada as a result of 9/11? I am going to Montreal in September.
How are you getting there?
Both Air Canada and United will want to see a passport before they let you on the plane.
I have no clue about driving, I always fly.
Info from Canadian Immigration Dept.
Looks like you’ll need that passport.
From Ice Wolf’s link:
It probably won’t hurt to have a passport (and if the U.S. keeps jerking Canadians around at the border, they may retaliate with that requirement), but I read the or (that I highlighted, they didn’t) as meaning passport or valid ID, not necessarily both.
You need a passport or a birth certificate or other for of evidence you are an American. Your license isn’t proof of citizenship, but it is a photo i.d. and is usually asked for to go along with your birth certificate. You got lucky when you crossed and only used your license, probably due to the person checking you at the border deciding to be nice/keep the line moving. This still sometimes happens, but more rarely after 9/11. And since the states has gotten much more strict at the border, you might have a hassle getting home even if you did cross with just a license.
It is my personal opinion that the American border patrol people are jerks, especially compared to the Canadians. I’m an American citizen, with a US passport, living in Canada. Almost every time I cross into the states I get asked “How long to you plan to stay?” It’s so hard to not just yell “I’m an American, and I’m going to stay as long as I f***ing want!” But I want no part in getting blacklisted, or a body-cavity search, or being sent to Cuba, so I keep my mouth shut. Coming back to Canada the Canadian guards see my Ontario plates, and even though I show them a foreign passport, they alway say “Welcome home.”
I used to be able to get through with just my driver’s license. It’s a little more difficult now. A passport is not required, but it will definitely make things easier. Actually, the U.S. border agents seem to want more ID than the Canadians do. Besides, a passport is a good thing to have if you ever want to go somewhere else.
I cross over the border often, and I obtained a passport after 9-11 to make the crossing process less painful. I still use my driver’s license and birth certificate when I can’t dig out my passport in time, and that’s still accepted.
I also go out of my way to a crossing where I know the US border guards aren’t jerks.
Just get a passport. It’s handy to have.
Don’t worry about what you need to get into Canada. Worry about what you need to return to the US.