Official Passport Only

[Hereandthere36]

I'm a US citizen with an expired US passport. I do have a current Offical US passport. Can I use this to cross the boarder and get back to the US without being on official US government business? I can't get a clear answer from either US or Canadian customs websites. They only state that a valid passport is required. However, I did find where it states that official passports can only be used while on official business. However, I'm not trying to use the official passport to get a visa, only to verify citizenship. Any ideas?

 

[ssj3]

I would err on the side of caution and assume that you can't use it. How soon are you looking to cross the border? In a lot of cases you can have your passport renewal expedited within a week.

 

[rollingstone]

I googled the Official passport (ended up at travel.state.gov) and you can only use it as part of your job. Since its not a work trip you will need a valid regular passport. You cannot use an expired passport and you can't use your official passport because thats for official business.

There is *only* one instance I know of where an expired passport can be used, and that is if it expired while you are abroad, you can use it only to get home.

 

[Hereandthere36]

That's what I was afraid of. I'd be looking to come play this weekend. Maybe next time. Thanks for the help.

 

[Chigen]

I do have a current Official US passport.

Donald,

Just have them put on the lights and sirens and barrel through at the border. If you order up a GS in Canada, it is the finest as the source is pure mountain spring waters.

Enjoy!

 

[Lougle69]

For land travel you can still use a DL and birth certificate for entry and re-entry. They don't advertise this fact. It's all a control scam.

 

[transatlantic]

For land travel you can still use a DL and birth certificate for entry and re-entry. They don't advertise this fact. It's all a control scam.

As you indicated, a US birth certificate and DL is acceptable to both CBP and CBSA. They do advertise this but it is buried in fine print because it takes additional time to process as there is no "uniform" US birth certificate. Not only does each jurisdiction have a different design, the design for a given jurisdiction would also vary thoroughout the years. A passport, on the other hand, follows international standards set forth by ICAO.

No it's not a control scam. It makes sense from an operational perspective to advertise passports.