| If you are planning travel between US, Canada or | | | | Plan ahead and allow at least eight to ten weeks to |
| Mexico by air or sea, be prepared to present your | | | | process your request for a new Passport. All the |
| passport. The same rules apply for the Caribbean and | | | | more reason to make sure that you have a current |
| Bermuda. If you are planning business travel, a ski | | | | Passport now. You may have the opportunity or |
| trip, Spring Break, family vacation or warm weather | | | | need to travel, and may not have more than two |
| excursion, be prepared to carry a federally | | | | months to wait for a Passport. Acceptance facilities |
| recognized identification to enter the US, even if you | | | | include many Federal, state and probate courts, post |
| are a US citizen. The same rules will apply to roads | | | | offices, some public libraries and a number of county |
| and land border crossings in 2008. | | | | and municipal offices. There are also 13 regional |
| Beginning January 8, 2007 anyone traveling by air or | | | | passport agencies, and 1 Gateway City Agency, |
| sea to or from the United States and Canada or | | | | which serve customers who are traveling within 2 |
| Mexico must carry a passport or other federally | | | | weeks (14 days), or who need foreign visas for |
| recognized identification to return to the United | | | | travel. Appointments are required to request |
| States. | | | | expedited processing. |
| These new rules also apply to U.S. citizens entering | | | | Passports can also be used as identification for |
| from Central and South America, the Caribbean and | | | | domestic travel within the US. Tired of pulling out |
| Bermuda. | | | | your wallet and Drivers License every time that you |
| On January 1, 2008 the rules will be extended to all | | | | approach a ticket counter, security or gate check? |
| border crossings, including those on land. This new | | | | You can keep your wallet, credit cards and cash in |
| requirement will also affect certain foreign nationals | | | | your pocket or purse and present your Passport |
| who currently are not required to present a passport | | | | instead. Many business travelers have learned the |
| to travel to the United States. Most Canadian citizens, | | | | convenience of keeping their Passport in a |
| citizens of British Overseas Territory of Bermuda and | | | | convenient pouch with carry-on luggage to expedite |
| Mexican citizens will be affected by the | | | | the security identification verification process. |
| implementation of this requirement. | | | | For a convenient list of Carry-On Restrictions, go to: |
| Check your passport and make sure that it is | | | | For more information on obtaining a US Passport, go |
| current, or get one if you do not have it already. | | | | to: |
| Getting a passport takes time. The Passport Services | | | | _________________ |
| Office provides information and services to American | | | | Words of Wisdom |
| citizens about how to obtain, replace or change a | | | | "I wanna hang a map of the world in my house. Then |
| passport. A passport is an internationally recognized | | | | I'm gonna put pins into all the locations that I've |
| travel document that verifies the identity and | | | | traveled to. But first, I'm gonna have to travel to the |
| nationality of the bearer. Only the U.S. Department of | | | | top two corners of the map so it won't fall down." |
| State has the authority to grant, issue or verify | | | | - Mitch Hedberg |
| United States passports. | | | | "When you travel, remember that a foreign country |
| To obtain a passport for the first time, you need to | | | | is not designed to make you comfortable. It is |
| go in person to one of 9,000 passport acceptance | | | | designed to make its own people comfortable." |
| facilities located throughout the United States with | | | | - Clifton Fadiman |
| two photographs of yourself, proof of U.S. | | | | "A man travels the world over in search of what he |
| citizenship, and a valid form of photo identification | | | | needs and returns home to find it." |
| such as a driver's license. This also applies if your | | | | - George Moore |
| passport has expired and is not in your possession, if | | | | "When a gentleman leaves home, he uses a lint brush |
| it was issued more than 15 years ago, if it was | | | | to preserve his professional image. When a |
| issued when you were under 16 years of age, or if | | | | gentleman returns home from Las Vegas, he uses a |
| your passport is being replaced because it was lost | | | | glitter brush to preserve his professional image. |
| or stolen. | | | | |