Canada border in Yukon

[Lin]

We are planning to rent a car in Skagway and drive to Carcross and Emerald Lake. We do not have passports. We all have New York driving licenses and our U.S. birth certificates. Are the driving license and birth certificate sufficient for ID, as we have not traveled into Canada post 9/11?

 

[dusty]

lin
we passed through canada and back into the u.s. last sept on a tour in skagway and many of the passengers only had their drivers liscense and birthcertificate. it must be a notorized '' sealed and raised ''' copy of your birth certificate. have a great time.

 

[Lin]

Thank you for your reply. We went to the Post office yesterday and applied for passports. My only problem is that my brothers and myself were legally adopted by our stepfather and the birthdate on my birth certificate is not filed within one year of my birth. It is filed the date that the adoption was finalized. Even to apply for a passport I needed to give an explanation so I attached a copy of my adoption papers however, my birthdate is one year off on the adoption papers. My mother could never get my birth year straight. She always made me one year younger. I am leary about leaving the country without knowing that I will get back in. My original birth certificate was torn up. I can't even imagine what the procedure would be to try and change a birthdate on a sealed adoption! I had a hard enough time getting copies of my birth certificate even though I still only live about 5 miles from where I was born. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I do get the passport in time so that I too can cross the border into the Yukon!

 

[ute_fan]

We did this trip in June. We had our birth certificates and drivers licenses with us, as we don't have passports. They just checked the drivers licenses and didn't ask to see the birth certificates, but I'm sure you can't count on that.

 

[dusty]

lin

it might be a good idea to go ahead and have the raised birth certificat just in case your passport does not get to you on time. that is really all you need plus a drivers liscense in canada anyway. and it is much cheaper. i hope it works out for you.

 

[Lin]

Just want to thank all for replying. If I don't get my passport in time, I have decided to bring not only the birth certificate and license but the baptismal certificate, marriage certificate and photo ID from work. I just don't know how fussy they will be about the different birth dates. I will let you know how I made out. Lynn

 

[Night rider]

We also got into Canada with our drivers licence and birthcertificates without any problems. We took the tour behind Emerald Lake with the Yukon horseback it was great. Just a thought if you are that close you might want to check it out as it was the highlight of our tour.

Good luck and let us know how you make out at the border.

Mary

 

[Lin]

Hi Night rider,
We too in the past had crossed into the Canadian border or Mexico without any problems with our license and birth certificates. We haven't since 9/11 and upon going onto our government site, it was indicated that your birth certificate must be filed within one year of your birth.
Since there was an adoption when I was 8 years old and they issued a new birth certificate with the new name and new parent name and destroyed the original, my date requires additional explanation as it is 8 years after my birth.
My problem is that my adoption papers don't quite match my birth certificate as the birthdate is one year different (my Mom always got the year of my birth wrong). You would think this would have been checked by the Supreme Court at the time but they must have taken my mother's word for it and not checked the birth certificate. I can't even imagine how hard it would be to amend sealed adoption papers.
It may not be a problem at the border but I don't want any trouble making it back to the ship with my family. Pre9/11 I would not have even given this a thought. I have decided to try it and I have decided to bring any and all other ID I have with me just in case. We did apply for passports last week but they may not get here before we leave.
We are really looking forward to driving to Emerald Lake. I know we will enjoy it. This is the first cruise I could get my husband to consider. When he was younger and returned from being stationed overseas, they sent him home on a troop ship. From what he told me, the whole ship was seasick for the ride home and I have been unable to get him on a big ship since then. Only Alaska was alluring enough to him to get him onboard. I know this is going to be a great trip and it will all workout! Thanks for your reply. Lynn

 

[Lin]

Just want to say that our passports came in the mail today just in time! Thanks for all your replies.

 

[Night rider]

Let us know how your trip to Emerald Lake turned out. Did you decide to take the Yukon Horseback?

 

[Colo Cruiser]

It is good to have passports. We had them courtesy stamp them on the way up and on the way back.