Sometimes I am a little scatterbrained....the long story short is I can't find my birth certificate and I don't have a passport.

Can I get back across the border?

Luckily I can go to the county seat and get a certified copy of my birth cert on Monday...hopefully I can be to the shop by 10:00 (I have an in with the owner if I'm late!)

Can I send for a passport on Monday and hope to see it by the wednesday following?

Should I not go?

Will they detain me at the border?

If I do go and get detained...will my husband ever speak to me again?

What do you all think?


And is anyone going down Thursday late morning/early afternoon the day before the race? I'm also looking for a ride

Have I mentioned I'm not the planner in the family?


Pretty obvious there if you know Bob..

I hope Danger Dave skips this thread

i think that a rush job on the passport is still a week or so. sorry.

I have a week plus two days...

can you get approved for a modified license that quickly? i'd check into that, if ca has them. wa does and it allows mexico and canada travel without passport.

Mom,
I hear if you have an application reciept, CA drivers licence and the certified copy of birthcert, you'll get back in...delayed a bit maybe but back in.
mtz

You are a citizen of the USA they can't refuse you entry. It could slow you don't a bit and they could give you grief but not THAT big a deal.. Don't worry about it, you'll live.

thumpermom said:

I see everything.

Only my personal experience here.

I still don't have a passport and have been going to Baja. I carry my original SS Card and Birth cert and present those along with my CA drivers license and have not had a problem yet. Hopefully that will continue for me and would probably work for you.

lost all my id in march, they had me go to this little room, within 10 min they knew more about me than i know about myself!

mtzracing said:

Get the copy of the orginal BC (the one with the stamp embedded on it) and your DL. Send away for the card size PP. They can't keep a US citizen from entering the USA, but they can keep you at a border crossing until proof of citizenship arrives. Depends how nice you are more often than not. (ex border agent).

schrode said:

Actually, I got my passport in two days, but I had to drive to the Regional Passport Agency in Los Angeles to do it. Plus I had to pay extra to have my application expedited ($60 I think). There are also RPAs in Tucson and San Francisco.

If you do a search online, there are lots of places to get your passport in 24 hours, but I'm sure they'll want lots of money to do it!!

mtzracing said:

This is true. A few months ago I called and spoke to the Calexico Port of Entry and was told that you needed some form of valid U.S. identification (i.e. a drivers license or govt issued i.d. card) and a certified or original birth certificate. But, if you've already applied for your passport, just show your receipt and you won't have any delay.

Don't forget about the Passport Card, which I've heard (but don't know for sure) may be easier to get. But, it's only good for travel to Mexico and Canada.

Good luck and don't worry! You'll be fine!

Last year I went down to the passport office with the 1000 schedule of events, my son and his birth certificate, paid $200 and had his passport the next day. If you show you need to be somewhere out of country soon they will grant you next day service (for a price of course).

thumpermom said:

detain you? You are from CA...are you in Mexico now or something? You don't need a passport or birth certificate to get back home...at least I didn't need to back in the day. Maybe things changed...but if you are a caucasion blondy...chances are, they just might believe you are not a mexican citizen

TimberMountainRider said:

Whole different ballgame now days.

I'll be very nice, plus I should be in the car with Bob and Robby (all the same last names) so hopefully it won't be a probelm.

I wnet and got my birth certificate and applied for the passport in less than 2 hours including one hour + of drive time. Good thing I was born in the next county! Too bad I didn't think to do this 2 months ago when Bob said that I should....

Taking bets on how many...I told you so's....from him

They did keep my birth certificate, but I have the passport card application...it's no faster. They said 5-6 weeks unless I expedite and then it's 2 weeks or so.

So hopefully I will see people down in Ensenada at the start/finish.

thumpermom said:

Oh we will see you down there, we're just not sure if we'll see you back in the STATES! :lol:

Just kidding, you'll be fine! :p

I crossed 2 weekends ago in Mexicali, no problem just spent 10 min in secondary cause I left my passport at my dads house in San Felipe.
I was very nice and so were they, said this happens once in a while. They verified the registration on my van and checked my lic and off we were.

Stay safe and have a good time in Baja!

thumpermom said:

That seems odd to me. I don't recall turning over my birth cert when I got mine?

Where in Cali. are you? I think there is a passport office in San Francisco and LA. If so you can get same day passports, I have done this in the Seattle office, all you have to do is show up with ID, BC, and passport photos. I have not had problems driving (but I always take my passport) but if you fly a passport is needed.
Good luck