# Need Birth Certificate NOW! Or how do I get across the Canadian border without one? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 20, 2007, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-birth-certificate-now-or-how-do-i-get-across-the-canadian-border-without-one/412495 "2007-07-20T05:02:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-birth-certificate-now-or-how-do-i-get-across-the-canadian-border-without-one/412495/1 "2007-07-20T05:02:19Z")
So my mother and I decided to get passports for the first time as we’re planning on taking a good vacation here in the next couple years. So we apply today and they take our picture, birth certificates, and application. Then we remember we leave on TUESDAY for Victoria. We knew we didn’t have time to get passports in time for this trip but it wasn’t until tonight we realized _they took our birth certificates_. :eek: This is the only other way we know of to get across the border. I can easily get a new one as I live about 3 miles from where I was born but my mother was born in Salt Lake City. Any ideas? ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-birth-certificate-now-or-how-do-i-get-across-the-canadian-border-without-one/412495/2 "2007-07-20T05:16:58Z")
Have them overnight it for an extra fee? ---
**Author:** ![lexan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/73ab20/32.png) [@lexan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lexan)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-birth-certificate-now-or-how-do-i-get-across-the-canadian-border-without-one/412495/3 "2007-07-20T05:17:37Z")
There are a few companies that can retrieve vital records for you; one popular one is [Vitalcheck](http://www.vitalchek.com/); poking around on their website, it looks like they offer 1-2 day shipping from Utah, so hopefully that’ll help you. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-birth-certificate-now-or-how-do-i-get-across-the-canadian-border-without-one/412495/4 "2007-07-20T05:45:02Z")
After thrashing around on CBSA’s and CIC’s websites for _way_ too long, I found the site of the [Canadian consulate-general in Seattle](http://geo.international.gc.ca/can-am/seattle/menu-en.asp?lang_update=1). More thrashing around led me to this [travel site](http://www.explore.canada.travel/ctc/ke/things_to_know_2.jsp?cat=4004&localeId=16), which says: > [@](#): > > U.S. citizens only need a document such as a birth certificate and government-issued photo identification (e.g., driver’s license) to enter Canada. However, as of January 23, 2007, a new American law, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), requires anyone, including U.S. citizens, entering or re-entering the United States by air to have a passport or a NEXUS card when used at a NEXUS kiosk at designated airports. > > By June 1, 2009 or earlier, anyone, including U.S. citizens, entering or re-entering the United States by land and sea will need to have a passport or other appropriate, secure document. > > At this point, only requirements for travel by air to the United States have changed. Americans can continue to use documents such as their birth certificates and government-issued photo identification (e.g., driver’s license) to cross the Canada-U.S. border by land and sea until the WHTI is fully implemented. So it looks like you need your birth certificate and photo driver’s license or equivalent. It’s maddeningly-imprecise though, and it took me WAY too long to find this. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-birth-certificate-now-or-how-do-i-get-across-the-canadian-border-without-one/412495/5 "2007-07-20T06:26:12Z")
From the [State Department](http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_3254.html) > [@](#): > > Do I need a passport to go on a cruise or to travel by vehicle across the land border to Canada or Mexico? > > No, but it is recommended that U.S. citizens carry and present government-issued identification when requested. Although not currently required to present a document, U.S. citizens arriving by land and sea must still establish to the satisfaction of the inspecting officer that they are U.S. citizens. you’re driving, not flying, but this piece of advice might come in useful > [@](#): > > Due to longer than expected processing times for passport applications in the face of record-breaking demand, the federal government is making an accommodation for air travel. U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda who have applied for but **not yet received passports** can temporarily enter and depart from the United States by air with a government issued photo identification and Department of State **official proof of application for a passport** through Sept. 30, 2007 > [@](#): > > What will be acceptable proof of application for a passport? > > A print-out of the online status check accessed at [http://travel.state.gov/passport](http://travel.state.gov/passport), showing an application has been received by the Department of State. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-birth-certificate-now-or-how-do-i-get-across-the-canadian-border-without-one/412495/6 "2007-07-20T08:46:40Z")
Well at this point we think we’re going to roll the dice with **Lexan** ’s link and hope to hell it’s closer to the 1 business day than 4 to be processed and shipped. I don’t really see what other options we have, we need it by Tuesday. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-birth-certificate-now-or-how-do-i-get-across-the-canadian-border-without-one/412495/7 "2007-07-20T13:35:26Z")
To add to **Tapioca Dextrin** ’s links: Since you’ve applied for your passport, you must have gotten a form letter back from the passport agency, stating that your application is being processed. This letter is the ‘Department of State official proof of application’ mentioned in one of the quotes; it and a photo ID should get you into and and of Canada via land or air. At least I hope so, since that’s what **I’m** using tomorrow! (But I’m bringing my birth certificate anyway.) ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-birth-certificate-now-or-how-do-i-get-across-the-canadian-border-without-one/412495/8 "2007-07-20T13:42:20Z")
We just crossed in Vermont this past weekend and only needed driver’s licenses. My friend who lives in Montreal says As far as the passport, it is not absolutely required yet…they do recommend bringing a photo license ID and a birth certificate instead to prove residence. I bet they won’t even ask for that though, but just to be safe if [our other friend] has her original, then she won’t have any issues crossing over. I guess we were lucky they didn’t ask for more than the license. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-birth-certificate-now-or-how-do-i-get-across-the-canadian-border-without-one/412495/9 "2007-07-20T13:56:09Z")
It’s too bad you didn’t think to take a copy of your BC before sending it off. I’m in the process of getting my new Canadian passport, and have to send my original away; I have copies of everything. But then, I went through the immigration process moving to the US, and I know just how long everything can take. Better safe than sorry. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-birth-certificate-now-or-how-do-i-get-across-the-canadian-border-without-one/412495/10 "2007-07-20T14:40:38Z")
Why don’t you drive into Canada (just need a driver’s license) and take the ferry from Tsawassen instead of taking the ferry from Port Angeles or whatever? ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-birth-certificate-now-or-how-do-i-get-across-the-canadian-border-without-one/412495/11 "2007-07-20T14:51:55Z")
I have not ever needed anything other than my driver’s license when crossing into Canada. As it stands, returning from Canada by land requires nothing more than it always has, namely, the same thing that got you into Canada (government issued photo ID). ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-birth-certificate-now-or-how-do-i-get-across-the-canadian-border-without-one/412495/12 "2007-07-20T14:53:43Z")
[QUOTE=postcards] To add to **Tapioca Dextrin** ’s links: Since you’ve applied for your passport, you must have gotten a form letter back from the passport agency, stating that your application is being processed. This letter is the ‘Department of State official proof of application’ mentioned in one of the quotes; it and a photo ID should get you into and and of Canada via land or air. At least I hope so, since that’s what **I’m** using tomorrow! (But I’m bringing my birth certificate anyway.) [/QUOTE] I didn’t get one of those. The post office gave the the [travel.state.gov](http://travel.state.gov) link and told me to look there in a week. But I’m going to be flying, so I DO need it. It’ll take about a week from the day you submit your stuff. If you’re really concerned, I would call the people in Utah and FAX over a birth certificate request form. They might be sympathetic and print up a certified copy and overnight it to you. I know I got my expedited birth certificate from \ on Friday when I ordered it Tuesday. You might be able to improve on that. If all else fails you may be able to talk your way through it with customs. Unless your suitcase is ticking, I doubt they’ll give you a great deal of hassle. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-birth-certificate-now-or-how-do-i-get-across-the-canadian-border-without-one/412495/13 "2007-07-20T15:06:58Z")
I always used to just show a driver’s license.