Can you drive to the U.S. and then fly in the U.S. without a passport?

Question

I am Canadian and need to visit a certain U.S. city, however I do not have a passport. Since you don't need passports to drive to the U.S. at this point, can I drive accross the border to Seattle and fly to the destination from there?

Answer 1

According to the people at the Passport Canada website. That is fine. According to my coworker across who does just that - drives to Seattle and flies to Vegas - she has never had a problem.

You should be able to do that until next year when you will need a passport even when you drive across the border. I would also double check when booking your tickets and ask the airline what their identification policy is.

Answer 2

I would get a passport just to be on the safe side. As a Canadian citizen, I'm preety sure you need a passport to fly anywhere outside of Canada. I live in the U.S. and when I was a kid, you didn't need a passport to go to Mexico. Well, when we were trying to come back across, they detained us because my Mom is Greek and was very tan and they thought she might be Mexican even though she didn't speak a word of Spanish and speaks perfect English. In this case, it would've helped to have passports. This is an example of why I say, get a passport! Plus, it'll be handy to have for future travel. If you don't have time to apply, I would contact U.S. airlines, U.S. and Canada border authorities, etc... but why take their word???

Answer 3

Yes...many people in the US do not have passports. You do not need one to fly domestic...only a ticket and a picture ID (drivers license, etc.) Some airlines require two forms of ID, but not a passport.

Answer 4

Since terrorism has been so prominent in the U.S. Travelling through the Canadian border now requires a passport. Check out the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.
And as for domestic travel within the U.S. you will need proper identification when purchasing your tickets. So, even if you do somehow manage to purchase tickets for a U.S. domestic flight, you will still need proper identification when going through airport security and when checking in. Usually this requires a U.S. driver's license.

"Domestic Travel
Q: What information does the U.S. government require in my flight reservation?
A: For security reasons, the U.S. government requires collection of passenger travel information. The information required includes passport number, citizenship, country of residence, emergency contact name/phone, and temporary U.S. address for U.S. visitors."



"Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
This travel initiative is being implemented in two phases. The first phase will be for air travel, and the second for land/sea travel.

For Air Travel
As of January 23, 2007, U.S. citizens and citizens of Canada, Mexico and Bermuda traveling by air between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda are now required to present a valid passport to enter (or re-enter) the U.S.

For Land/Sea Travel
As early as January 1, 2008, U.S. citizens traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), could be required to present a valid U.S. passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security in a forthcoming separate rule.

While recent legislative changes permit a later deadline, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working to meet all requirements as soon as possible.

We will provide advance notice so you can obtain acceptable documents for land/sea entries."

Answer 5

The only ways to enter the US without a passport are:

1) Illegally (obviously we're doing a horrible job on that, considering our illegal immigration problems)

2) With a US military ID and a copy of your orders and/or leave form, although the military encourages Soldiers and Sailors to get a passport, anyway. Dependents, etc. are required to have passports because they are not on orders and vacations for civilians do not require the same paperwork as taking leave or PCSing (on orders).

Regardless, it's a good idea to get a passport no matter where you want to go.

Also, passports are not checked for domestic flights-just IDs (in my experience, anyway).

Answer 6

Yes, people do it all the time. You need a passport only if your crossing the border via boat or plane.

Answer 7

Correct...I just flew to Florida from Detroit...no passport needed. (I'm Canadian)

Answer 8

Hate to tell you this but.. call the AIRLINE and ask them!
duh.