[pct-l] Attention Thrulys - passports to re-enter the US

[at2002 at mac.com (Gary Wright)]

On Apr 5, 2005, at 10:52 PM, Sharon & Chuck Chelin wrote:
> By the way, will an expired passport suffice for identification 
> purposes?
> OK, the photo is out-of-date, but they have accepted my birth 
> certificate at
> the border, which is now so old it looks like parchment, and doesn't 
> even
> have a footprint, let alone a photo.

Take a look at
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/kbyg/documentary_req.xml

for information about documentary requirements when returning to the US.
In particular, US Citizens returning from Western Hemisphere 
destinations
(other than Cuba):

	? 	Are exempt from passport requirements. However, it is highly 
recommended
      that a U.S. Citizen be prepared to present documentation such as 
valid
      or expired U.S. passport, U.S. birth certificate, or Naturalization
      certificate to avoid delays.

Note, this list does *NOT* include a driver's license.  I couldn't find 
anything
specific in my quick search at the site but I believe a driver's 
license in and
of itself is not sufficient to "avoid delays".  You should have a 
passport or
a birth certificate with you to avoid complications.

At that same web site there is information about future changes to 
these rules
in particular the requirement to have a passport when returning from 
Canada
(for US Citizens) will begin December 31, 2006 for air and sea entry 
and on
December 31, 2007 for land border crossings (nothing specific for trail 
crossings :-)