Passport Day highlights new travel initiative
CENTRAL NEW YORK -- As the weather gets warmer, planning a summer trip may be on your to do list. Before you take off there are some new rules that may affect your travel plans.
"On June 1st any land travel or seas travel will require a passport book or passport card. Before in going to Canada you used to be able to be able to bring your driver's license and a birth certificate now they have to have the official passport or passport card," said postmaster Cindy Foley.
So Saturday was Passport Day, post offices across the state used this day to inform people of these changes and assist with the application process. Erik Memmo will be going on a Caribbean cruise in a few weeks with his family and took advantage of this day.
"While we have our birth certificates with the original raised seal we think it's probably important to try to keep that document safe and have the passport instead," said Memmo.
Applying for a passport or passport card isn't difficult at all. You'll need to bring proof of citizenship or nationality as part of your application.
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
"You got to have a birth certificate and it must have a raised seal. Some of the out of state birth certificates have a multi-color so, those are okay because they don't have the raised seal," said Foley.
You will also need to provide a social security number and proof of Identity and that can be a Driver's license, government or military ID. All regional post offices will have application forms for the passport booklet or the passport card. The process was a piece of cake for applicants who stopped by the post office.
"It was very easy. It just had the application form basic information, name address birth information and then my birth certificate and driver's license," said Angela Rubin.
Although Saturday was designated passport day, you can apply for one any day at a local post office. On average it takes about four weeks to process.
There is a difference between the passport book and the passport card. The passport card is only good for traveling by car or by sea. For a downloadable form and more information click
here