# Same day passport without a plane ticket? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 9, 2011, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-day-passport-without-a-plane-ticket/605603 "2011-12-09T09:29:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-day-passport-without-a-plane-ticket/605603/21 "2011-12-21T08:47:01Z")
> [@Alley\_Dweller](#): > > Buy a refundable plane ticket. How exactly would that help? ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-day-passport-without-a-plane-ticket/605603/22 "2011-12-21T10:00:21Z")
> [@Lord\_Mondegreen](#): > > How exactly would that help? If you were to read the OP, you would see that the poster suggested that having a plane ticket for “the next day” might help expedite the process of getting a passport, but yet he had no plans to travel the next day. He believed that there was a “show us your plane ticket” requirement. If that really helps (and I have no idea if it does), he could get a refundable plane ticket for “the next day,” show it to the passport office, and then take it back and get a refund. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-day-passport-without-a-plane-ticket/605603/23 "2011-12-21T11:52:57Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > Since you’re in the US, you can leave the country without flying. Can you tell them you have an urgent appointment in Canada or Mexico that you need to drive to? Unless you are crossing on foot in the wilderness or swimming the Rio Grande this is not really true anymore, yes you can go without a passport, but you need a government ‘enhanced’ ID card, such as a ‘enhanced’ driver’s license, the normal license does not work for this anymore. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-day-passport-without-a-plane-ticket/605603/24 "2011-12-21T12:05:03Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Unless you are crossing on foot in the wilderness or swimming the Rio Grande this is not really true anymore, yes you can go without a passport, but you need a government ‘enhanced’ ID card, such as a ‘enhanced’ driver’s license, the normal license does not work for this anymore. That’s exactly what he’s saying. Before the new requirements, an urgent trip to Canada or Mexico would not have required a passport, so by definition an urgent trip requiring a passport would have been via air and thus plane tickets would be the natural proof of travel urgency. These days you could claim you have an urgent travel need in Canada and Mexico without having a plane ticket and that could be grounds for a super-expidited passport. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-day-passport-without-a-plane-ticket/605603/25 "2011-12-21T14:49:22Z")
I’ve often been told that “oh god I need a passport NOW” is a common use for your Congresscritters’ constituent services department. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-day-passport-without-a-plane-ticket/605603/26 "2011-12-21T14:51:03Z")
I have been issued my passport in one day twice, both times at the passport office in DC. Both times, I had a letter from my employer stating that I had urgent travel that required a new passport to be issued in one day, both times I never was required to show the letter to anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-day-passport-without-a-plane-ticket/605603/27 "2011-12-21T14:52:42Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I’ve often been told that “oh god I need a passport NOW” is a common use for your Congresscritters’ constituent services department. When I was an intern for a congressman back in the 80’s, we did this all the time. I assume that they still do. ---
**Author:** ![Rusalka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecd19e/32.png) [@Rusalka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rusalka)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-day-passport-without-a-plane-ticket/605603/28 "2011-12-22T18:56:31Z")
Wow, why didn’t I think of that? Thanks Nars and Zsofia. ---
**Author:** ![Rusalka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecd19e/32.png) [@Rusalka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rusalka)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2011, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-day-passport-without-a-plane-ticket/605603/29 "2011-12-28T18:47:23Z")
I have my new passport now thanks to the suggestions here. My congressional representative’s aide wrote me a letter, made an appointment for me last Friday, and I received my passport the same day! Thanks SDMB! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/same-day-passport-without-a-plane-ticket/605603.md?page=1)