Driving throu border? Throu Tj to san diego!?

Question

Iv seen people on here say that they pass with their i.d and a birth certificate....they'v never asked for my birth certificate! I just show them my i.d and im not even an u.s citizen! has anybody crossed over and they asked for the bith certificate without u giving it to them before they ask?

Answer 1

There is always a first time for everything - and it really is the legal requirement for all US citizens re-entering the US by driving through a border to present your birth certificate and valid US ID... so I would say that any US citizen without an actual passport should always carry these documents to be safe.  They are getting much stricter about borders and re-entry right now, and by 2008 everyone will need passports to re-enter.  It would be really lame to get stuck at the border and unable to cross over because you were lacking the right documentation.

Maybe things are different for you because you are not a US citizen?  I wonder what form of ID you are showing?  If you are showing a Mexican passport, that should certainly be enough ID to get you through the border legally!  

Mexican citizens crossing the border from the US are required to have a visa (whatever is appropriate for the type of stay/work they will be doing in the US) and an I-94 arrival and departure form (called a "permiso").  The I-94 is required of Mexican citizens who already have a visa and are planning to travel in the US beyond the border area and/or for logner than 30 days.  You can get those forms through the Customs and Border Protection offices which are located in New Mexico, Texas, Arizona and California.  The fee is $6.  The permit may be issued for a maximum of 6 months and for multiple trips to the USA.  

I think it is always better to be safe than sorry.  They may not ask for the paperwork every single time, but on that one time that they do, you'll be so glad you have it.  It's just like getting pulled over at Customs when you return from an international flight - sometimes they do random bag searches, sometimes they don't.  I still wouldn't bring any illegal food products into the US, because it wouldn't be worth the hassle of being searched.  Even though I love Italian prosciutto!!!

Best wishes...

Answer 2

I just give my California ID. So the answer is no, they've never asked me for my birth certificate but I carry it when I go to Mexico just in case.