? for anyone who drives into Canada regularly (rent, inspection)

[BacktoNE]

My DH has to travel to Toronto next week for business - this is the first time. He wasn't able to get a passport quickly enough so he has to fly into Buffalo and then rent a car and drive across to Toronto.

I have his original birth certificate, plus he has his photo drivers license. Will they accept a photo copy of his birth cert. or does he need to take the very fragile original?

Thanks!

[vter]

You have to have a certified copy of the birth certificate. So, you can't just photocopy the original birth certificate. If you can't get a Certified Copy in time, he'll have to bring the original.

EDIT - by reading the following link, it does not specify certified copy. BUT, I'd rather be safe than sorry.
Important Change in International Land and Sea Travel Document Procedures - CBP.gov (broken link)

EDIT again - in the FAQs it is noted that certified copies are preferrred, but not mandatory.
Jan. 31 Travel Documents Requirement—Frequently Asked Questions - CBP.gov (broken link)

[BacktoNE]

Thank you, that tells me what I need to know

[kellysmith]

The WHTI (western hempisphere travel initiative) deadline for passports or proof of citizenship when crossing a land border was Jan 31 if I remember. The traveling public was given a handout explaining the requirement beginning that day. If someone is a US Citizen, they will not be denied re-entry. They might be detained for secondary inspection however. (that would take only minutes) If I had a fragile original birth certificate and didn't want to risk it being damaged...and couldn't get another notarized copy of it, I'd take a photo copy with me. Like I say, you will not be denied re-entry. You might be given a tearoff sheet explaining the requirements, you might even get pulled into the secondary area while checks are run, but trust me, every day hundreds of folks both USC and Canadian cross the border without the proper documentation. (don't try to board a plane without a passport however, that won't happen) CBP just didn't want to deal with the public uproar and are still in an "informational" mode when encountering travelers at land borders without proper identification. And a USC has the trump card of he/she is going home, not entering for a visit from a foreign country.