OK so we are leaving on Tuesday. My buddy Ken cannot find his passort. The guy is in a complete panic talking about paying $800 to get one for Tuesday when we leave. I have calmed him down and talked him off the ledge. I told him we can cross into Canada without a passport and we can get back in with a birth certificate and a drivers licsense. Any other suggestions or input?
Copied this off of the Canadien web site
When you enter Canada, a CBSA officer may ask to see your passport and a valid visa, if one is necessary. If you are a citizen of the United States, you do not need a passport to enter Canada. However, you should carry proof of your citizenship, such as a birth certificate, certificate of citizenship or naturalization, as well as photo identification. If you are a permanent resident of Canada or the U.S, you should bring your Permanent Resident Card with you.
I would make a phone call to the US Customs office your crossing at to see what is required. Typically a passport is the only way back into the US right now. Make the call just to be safe. 
Getting into canada is a breeze…its getting back into the states where the problems take place.
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Getting into canada is a breeze…its getting back into the states where the problems take place.
I wouldn’t even want to try and get back into the US without a passport. Can it be done? Sure. They’re not going to bar you from returning forever. But expect the mother of all run arounds and hours wasted trying to get back in.
The law states that he must have a US Passport to come back home.
My only advise is for him to dig all day today and tomorrow for that passport. If he can’t find it he should start calling at 8 am Monday to see if there is such a thing as a document he can use as proof of having a pass port. My opinion would be he is S.O.L. 
I WOULD NEVER TRY GETTING BACK WITHOUT A PASS PORT. I had to show one on the United States side a week ago. I had WALKED across the bridge to Canada and was there a total of 45 minutes getting a license and RBCP.
I hope he finds it.
No passport – No return
I am sure they wouldn’t mind while you contact the US Embassy in Canada to help with your immigration issue.
If I didn’t have one – I wouldn’t leave the country.
What if he had his passport made and sent to our outfitter during our time in? Then we would have the passport in hand when we went back over and would not need one to enter Canada
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What if he had his passport made and sent to our outfitter during our time in? Then we would have the passport in hand when we went back over and would not need one to enter Canada
As others have stated, Canada doesn’t require the passport, the US definitely does. My concern would be leaving the US without it and then not receiving it while it Canada. Assuming that the passport arrives to the outfitter on time… I think it is a solid plan. If something goes wrong there’s going to be issues but your buddy knows that going in.
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What if he had his passport made and sent to our outfitter during our time in? Then we would have the passport in hand when we went back over and would not need one to enter Canada
That is a risk I would not be willing to take, what if it got lost or did not show up on time then you are SOL.
Once you get this all straightened around and after some time has passed tell your buddy that passports go in a safe when he’s not traveling versus the sock drawer. 
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Once you get this all straightened around and after some time has passed tell your buddy that passports go in a safe when he’s not traveling versus the sock drawer.
You beat me to it James. 
Hmmmm, stuck in Canada with a fishing pole.
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Hmmmm, stuck in Canada with a fishing pole.
There certainly could be worst things in the world, they probably could have this figured out by late August 
They put it off for about a year but the new rules REQUIRE a passport. Period.
Yep, under the new rules, no passport, no entry back into the U.S.
Under no circumstances would I leave the country without one. If he can’t track it down today, he should call the passport office and see if he can get in to the Chicago office to get a replacement. They can do one in a day in an emergency. You pay a pretty good chunk of change for it, but you get your passport.
Well we took the advice presented here and Ken will be getting his new passport this morning to the tune of $800 . He is a pretty successful business man so he has the means to pay this and not set him back too much. A tough lesson learned and costly, he anguished all weekend long not being able to get anything done but moved into action yesterday morning. Bottom line: you can get a passport in 24 hours if you really want one. We will be leaving tommorrow morning for 9 nights of wilderness camping in Quetico and I will post my story when I get back. Hopefully all the bad stuff is behind us 
Better to have the bad happen before you leave.
I went up to the Canadian side of LOTW a couple weeks ago via Baudette/Rainy River. I realized I forgot my passport as we came into Baudette. I stopped in the US customs office and told them what happend and that I have a passport sitting on my kitchen counter. He said no worries, and that I would need to fill out a short sheet when we came through. He said they get about 10-12 of these a day.
When we went over the bridge into Canada, the agent asked for my passport, I told him what happened and gave him my driver’s license. No problems.
When I cam back over the bridge into the US, I again told the agent what happened and that I stopped into their customs office on the way up. I showed him my driver’s license and, after the normal questions, he waved me through (without a stop inside).
Would I go up all the time w/out a passport – no way, but I wouldn’t fret a 1x mishap like I had.
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