I am driving to canada it is a emergency. only have drivers license I did order my birth certificate online?

Question

i am taking the chance that it will arrive while i am gone and i hope to have it faxed to me while i am there. if my plan fails, and they stop me at the border, are they going to hold me there or will i at least be able to get a hotel room til i can get my b.c., or do you think if i bring lots of info, like tax stuff and etc. would that help me to cross..any ideas or help...i leave in 2 days...i would appreciate any input

Answer 1

they will not take birth certificates anymore u have to have a passport now they will detain u at the border i know my son got trapped there back in october

Answer 2

You may not be able to get BACK . I think you need a passport to get back, and maybe to go as well.

Answer 3

we used to go back and forth on only drivers license but sometimes we would get pulled aside and they go thru our cars that goes for both sides. generally it wasn't too big of a hassle but it seems to be getting tougher every day

Answer 4

You do NOT need a passport to cross the Canadian border by LAND. BUT...a faxed copy of a birth certificate will NOT be aceptable.  You must have the actual certified copy.

Answer 5

Emergency or not, you have to follow the laws of the land.    For driving, you need 2 pieces of ID, proof of citizenship and government issued photo ID.  A fax of your birth certificate isnt going to work.  Actual birth certificate have many fraud prevention measures built into them so border guards know to spot fakes.  A fax can be altered.  (easily altered I might add)

The border guards will feel for your situation...but if they let one person go they have to bend the rules for everyone.  That defeats the whole purpose of it all.

Edit:

This site says it can get your birth certificate to you in less than a week:

http://www.vitalchek.com/agency_locator....

Hope that helps you.  I'd recommend getting it before your cross over.  Most people I know that have come from USA to Canada at the local border crossing have been asked for it by the guards on both sides.  (from the Travel state website "ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS:  U.S. citizens traveling to Canada are required to show U.S. Government-issued photo ID and proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a birth certificate.\")

Answer 6

You still only need a government issued ID such as driver's licence when entering Canada by LAND if you are an adult.

Only if you fly into Canada will you need a passport.