mr.phx
Al Pastor Locator
Lucky me on Friday the 13th! A comedy of errors on the way down forced me to give up the idea of having a passport this weekend 'down south'. Thankfully, I did a full color scan of the passport back in 2009. Found it in my email and printed off a copy (which will be in the permanent collection in the glove box from now on. Show my AZ full color driver's license and the beautiful scan to the border detective and viola! Got through without a hitch. Just goes to show you, scan your importants and keep 'em nearby. Just in case...In case anyone is wondering in 2012 if you need a passport....the truth and answer is NO, you don't. I would definitely recommend one because the US Govt says you need one, but they can not withhold a US citizen from entering their own country.
In fact, the last two times I went to Rocky Point, we were with people without passports and the US Border Patrol let us back in. Did they give us some crap about it? Yeah...for about 20 seconds. One time they gave us a pamphlet to get a passport. The other time they just waved us in after hecklin' us for a few seconds.
A Drivers License and Birth Cert is sufficient.
And if you really wanna know...one time a few months ago we with with a friend from Georgia who had NO BIRTH CERT AND LOST HIS GEORGIA DL AT WRECKED AT THE REEF lol.....so he had no ID at all....and Border Patrol let him back in. haha
In fact, the last two times I went to Rocky Point, we were with people without passports and the US Border Patrol let us back in. Did they give us some crap about it? Yeah...for about 20 seconds. One time they gave us a pamphlet to get a passport. The other time they just waved us in after hecklin' us for a few seconds.
A Drivers License and Birth Cert is sufficient.
And if you really wanna know...one time a few months ago we with with a friend from Georgia who had NO BIRTH CERT AND LOST HIS GEORGIA DL AT WRECKED AT THE REEF lol.....so he had no ID at all....and Border Patrol let him back in. haha
So to finalize my thoughts on this....you don't need a passport. Go have fun in Rocky Point. And if you come back to the border and talk with an intense Southern drawl, have no ID at all, and are white.....then US Border Patrol will waive you back in and shake their head at your dumb redneck a$$ 
Roberto
Guest
Probably ony if you are lily white !So to finalize my thoughts on this....you don't need a passport. Go have fun in Rocky Point. And if you come back to the border and talk with an intense Southern drawl, have no ID at all, and are white.....then US Border Patrol will waive you back in and shake their head at your dumb redneck a$$
My wife is scared to go without a passport. We went to Nogales last year on a whim with no passports and no birth certificates. We had no id for our daughter. They let us back with with our DLs and the border guard asked our daughter a few questions to make sure we werent stealing her from Mexico. Scared the **** out of my wife tho. We're planning a spontaneous trip to Arizona's beach for the 4th. She now wants me to call the Lukeville border crossing. I say we're going!!!!! Bringing everyone's birth certificates this time tho.
brokenwave
Guest
No problem without a passport
Crossed today at 10:30am today and there were 2 lanes open, each had 1 car with obvious non passport issues.
It took an extra 2 minutes per car.
I spoke with the border agent about what is needed and he replied a passport is required but they don't can't stop an American or permant resident
from entering the US as long as there is enough info to support that they are from the USA. Just takes a few extra minutes.
I had the same agent as last Sunday and he was way nicer this week to the car in front of me without Passports,
For me he actually was cordial and cheerful, as I had the 5 passports for my passengers all lined up nicely.
Last week he was a big grump, he usually works the left hand side lanes at the crossing.
Crossed today at 10:30am today and there were 2 lanes open, each had 1 car with obvious non passport issues.
It took an extra 2 minutes per car.
I spoke with the border agent about what is needed and he replied a passport is required but they don't can't stop an American or permant resident
from entering the US as long as there is enough info to support that they are from the USA. Just takes a few extra minutes.
I had the same agent as last Sunday and he was way nicer this week to the car in front of me without Passports,
For me he actually was cordial and cheerful, as I had the 5 passports for my passengers all lined up nicely.
Last week he was a big grump, he usually works the left hand side lanes at the crossing.
popsuperstar
Guest
Thanks. Do they scan your passports or driver licences when you drive back to the US from Mexico? Or do they just take a look and let you go?
popsuperstar
Guest
wondering if they actually make a record of everybody crossing the border...
Of course they do. They take pictures of the front and back of your car before you even get up to the booth. I'm sure there's video too, maybe even in real time with someone in the office watching your movements in the car before you get to the agent in the booth. They always scan my passport too.
The bigger question is why are you so worried about it?
popsuperstar
Guest
yeah just curious as to how strict they are at the Mexico/US border in terms of tracking who's crossing. Some people said above in this thread that they crossed without even showing their passports/ids/birth certs...
brokenwave
Guest
Maybe because they will run you passports, I had a passenger with us last year who had an outstanding warrant for an overdue speeding ticket from another state that she ignored. We were detained long enough for them to contact Albuquerque NM Police, Border agents called to see if they wanted her held so she could be picked up and transferred to NM. After 30 minutes we were told to go on our way and for our friend to clear up the overdue ticket because she could be held and transported if NM police had agreed to have a NM police officer come get her and for transport. Wow, she will never go back to Mexico because of this. Agreed she should just get it fixed.
GV Jack
Snorin God
We have a group that goes down every year for our NFL Draft Party. We watch the draft, drink a beer or two and watch more of the draft and drink another beer or two..I think you catch my drift.
We all had passports and when we hit the spot the guy took them and went in the little station there. After a few minutes he came out and asked for my keys. He put them on the roof of the car
and looked at the guy next to who just happened to be a black man. He asked him for his social security number, wrote it down and went back in the cubical. I asked LJ what was going on. He
asked me if I could guess how many black guys named Leonard Johnson had outstanding warrants. He said he had none and never had had any. He is a Purple Heart recipiant from Desert Storm
and one hell of a great guy. Was the only survivor of an IED attack on his vehicle. After a few minutes the BP guy came back out, gave me the keys and apologized for the delay.
Yeserie. If you got warrants, if you go down, you better stay there.
We all had passports and when we hit the spot the guy took them and went in the little station there. After a few minutes he came out and asked for my keys. He put them on the roof of the car
and looked at the guy next to who just happened to be a black man. He asked him for his social security number, wrote it down and went back in the cubical. I asked LJ what was going on. He
asked me if I could guess how many black guys named Leonard Johnson had outstanding warrants. He said he had none and never had had any. He is a Purple Heart recipiant from Desert Storm
and one hell of a great guy. Was the only survivor of an IED attack on his vehicle. After a few minutes the BP guy came back out, gave me the keys and apologized for the delay.
Yeserie. If you got warrants, if you go down, you better stay there.
popsuperstar
Guest
ah sounds like people's experiences really vary - some people got through without any certifications and no records at all while others need passport. Sounds like you can really get different treatments depending on the border agent!
There's a .000000000000001% chance you'll get back without being asked for at the very least your birth certificate and drivers license. Just get a passport card and save yourself a giant headache. If you think you are going to cross just by declaring "US citizen" like in the old days, you are sadly mistaken.
popsuperstar
Guest
Yeah does sound like they could be quite flexible at times, the border agents ! i guess if you're with a bunch of people who have passports and you happen to forget they might just let you through if you look like a decent human being...
jerry
Guest
hmmm might be a good way to smuggle a new Ukrainian "wife" into the states.