I need an ID card for a 5 year old????

[purr]

WTF?

I never had one when I was a kid....

Heres the scoop.. I call the airline to make sure that my 7 mo old is on the ticket for our trip to Canada in March, and I was told to call the gov't travel dept and ask about what identification I need for the kids. So I called and the guy proceeds to tell me that I need to get picture ID cards for my then 7 mo old and my 5 year old, their birth certificates, and I need to get a letter from my 5 yr olds father saying he permits me to take him out of the country.

GEEZ. I used to visit my relatives in Toronto ALL THE TIME when I was a child and never once needed anything like above - it was just me, my mom, my grandmother, and my grandfather going. I can see the note from his father but ID cards??? They'll be obsolete in no time.

Any advice?

[caty]

1. I would call

the Secretary of State office and ask them how to proceed. If they didn't provide ID for children that young, they would probably know who would.

[purr]

3. I asked him 'where would I get an ID for a 7 mo and a 5 yr old'

he replied - the DMV. LOLOLOL.... I am NOT sitting at the DMV with them for as long as it takes them to process things - my drivers license renewal took 2 hours.

[sbj405]

2. Not enough time for this trip, but maybe passports are in order

I think they are good for 5 years for under 16 y/os. Then you don't have to tote the birth certificates. And you'll have them for any last minute overseas jaunts :P I have never heard about the letter thing. My father was once driving me and two of my teammates to a basketball tournament in Canada. We were three girls around 13 y/o with one old guy. The border people sorta flinched, but not really. We had no notes.

[purr]

5. I never thought of passports. I might have enough time - not leaving

until March 8th. Will have to do it on Monday and hope I get them by then. Are they even good that long for the baby??

LOL today you probably would've been detained and hammered with questions.. The guy from the airline said without proper documentation of the kids I could be detained and sent back on the next flight out :scary: .

[sbj405]

7. I'm not sure about the baby

I just sent my passport of to be renewed and it said 6-8 weeks. For an additional $60 they can expedite it to 4 weeks, I think.

Here's the link http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/minors/minors_834.html

[purr]

9. Thats who I called yesterday

I'll try the passport idea. We really dont travel that much to warrant a passport :(

[pitohui]

15. plenty of time

hell just use an expedite service there are many and you can get a turnaround of 24-48 hrs, not 4 to 6 weeks!

heck i got my passport from the post office thru usa mail in 2 weeks w.out using any expedite service but rather than be stressed just pay the fee

[purr]

22. I dont want to be sweating it out come March so I'll use the expedited

service. Better safe than sorry :)

[lakemonster11]

23. I had a passport when I was 2.

We lived in Canada for a little less than a year and I was required to have ID for immigration purposes.

I think it was good for five years even then.

If you don't have enough time for passports, it could be that you can get photo IDs for the kids at the DMV. You'd have to check out the rules for your state.

[tigereye]

27. huh I took my son's birth certificate when we went to SF by plane

but why wouldn't that be sufficient going to Canada? When we were kids our parents would just say where we were born and where we were going. But that was a long time ago. I haven't been to Canada since 911.

[wildhorses]

4. no advice...just wanted to say

:hi:

[purr]

6. Hey there!

I cant find your comments!! I cant even find the thread :(

[wildhorses]

8. no biggie...

I just pm'd you with what I could remember

[purr]

10. k!

Thanks :)

[malta blue]

11. go get the paperwork done now

I speak from experience. My 6 yo has traveled to Canada several times with me and I have always had to present a passport or photo ID and the letter from her dad.

[purr]

12. Where did you get the ID at?

Whats the purpose of all of this? Esp. the letter from his dad?

[GOPisEvil]

13. The letter is to ensure you aren't kidnapping your child.

Non-custodial parents have been known to take their children from the other parent annd go to another country.

As for the id, your guess is as good as mine.

[purr]

17. I'm the custodial parent..

actually, we never went to court.. I've had the kids since my 5 yr old was 2, and before my 2 yr old was even born. He never contested and I've always had them.

[GOPisEvil]

18. I know that, and you know that, but THEY don't know that.

They're just covering all the bases.

[purr]

19. True..

Thing is, his father says he has no time to go fill out a passport. Hes too busy with his 'girlfriend' and cant take 5 min to help me out here. I just spoke with him and he said he doesnt have the time to do it.

ARGH

[pitohui]

14. are you a usa citizen?

i advise you get a passport for the children, it will be good for ea. child for 5 yrs

yes, the usa made a big fuss claiming that bad actors were kidnapping kids and taking them to foreign countries, the real issue was divorced or soon-to-be's who didn't like the custody agreement and decided to flee w. kids, so it is not really canada or mexico being the bad guy here, they are enforcing what usa has demanded

get a passport and get your letter of permission from the father if the father can't go on the trip

it can be possible to travel w.out this paperwork but i've seen a few screaming kids and distraught families in secondary waiting to be giving permission to continue their travel and they don't look happy

you should have plenty of time to get proper passports by march but if you are worried use an expedite service

enjoy yr trip

i would never consider crossing the borders of even canada or mexico today w.out my passport, why be the nail that sticks up and attracts the hammer

the id card is prob. ok but a real passport just works that much better

[purr]

20. Yup - born and raised.

I'm filling out the paperwork now.. my 5 yr olds father says he doesnt have the time to go fill out a passport for his son. Nice.

[Deja Q]

16. Kidnappings are not uncommon. This is as much out of genuine concern

as anything political.

[purr]

21. I can understand to a point..

but if I have his birth cert. and he KNOWS I'm his mom then whats the deal?

[Gormy Cuss]

24. Check and check again.

You certainly do not need photo IDs for the kids to travel domestically
http://www.tsa.gov/public/interapp/editorial/editorial_1044.xml

I wouldn't put it past our bureaucratically obsessed government agencies to add something this egregious but if you do travel out of the country on vacation it probably makes sense to go ahead and get passports with expedited processing.


You do need the birth certificates and letter from the father.

[purr]

25. Is Canada considered domestic? I thought it was international?

[Gormy Cuss]

26. I was just pointing out that to fly within the U.S. you wouldn't need

photo IDs for the wee ones.
:7