Enhanced License

Ok, my hubby and I got our Enhanced so do we need any other documents? We are going to the Caribbean not sure exactly now because of the hurricanes.

You willing to gamble denied boarding by a $9 an hr clerk who is clueless? I wouldn’t do it.

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Ok, my hubby and I got our Enhanced so do we need any other documents? We are going to the Caribbean not sure exactly now because of the hurricanes.

Enhanced Drivers Licenses (EDLs) are documents that verify citizenship and identity in one document and may be used the same way as a passport card for land and sea border crossings. Right now only 5 states issue them- Washington, Minnesota, Michigan, New York and Vermont. Many people confuse licenses issued in compliance with the REAL ID act to be enhanced and they are not. An EDL will have the US flag on it and will say "Enhanced Drivers License" on it. If you have one of those you are good to go. If you do not then you will need your birth certificate to go with it.

I would also take my birth certificate just to be on the safe side. The person checking you in may not recognize an enhanced license for what it is! Then they have to find someone who does. I've never heard of one.

I would also take my birth certificate just to be on the safe side. The person checking you in may not recognize an enhanced license for what it is! Then they have to find someone who does. I've never heard of one.

EDLs have been around for a good number of years and are easily recognizable. Even if the person checking you in doesn't recognize it then their supervisor will. You may never have heard of one but you are looking at thousands of documents a month;).

I would also take my birth certificate just to be on the safe side. The person checking you in may not recognize an enhanced license for what it is! Then they have to find someone who does. I've never heard of one.

I second this. While the EDL is acceptable ID for your trip, I've read threads about people with these being asked for additional documentation at customs. Even though you are 'right', I'd rather be safe than sorry.

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OP, when checking your other posts to see if I could figure out your itinerary - in case it's an odd one that might have a Visa requirement - I noted that you mentioned this a 'bucket list' cruise as you have a life-threatening condition. With that in mind, I would advise in the strongest possible terms that you secure both a passport and good, medevac-inclusive, travel medical insurance.

Even without the concerns related to hurricane damage, at the best of times a lot of the places you visit will have much worse medical care than you're used to in the US. If your condition declines or complications set in and you need to leave the cruise, a delay of even a day or two in securing emergency passports to allow flying home could literally mean the difference between life and death for you... and even if you're willing to risk it from a health perspective, the costs could cripple your family finances unless they're covered by insurance in all your ports of call, the ship itself, and whatever emergency transportation might be needed potentially from the ship at sea to a shore hospital and then another medevac flight home.

So we have our enhanced license and we are brining BC do we need the original?

Birth certificates must be the original or a copy from the county you were born with a raised stamp. A hospital birth certificate or anything from a hospital about the birth is not acceptable.

So we have our enhanced license and we are brining BC do we need the original?

You don't need a birth certificate with an EDL. The EDL itself is proof of citizenship. If you're going to bring it anyway, it has to be an official government-issued birth certificate, not a hospital birth certificate. While government regulations technically allow a copy to be used I recommend bringing the "original" (which isn't really an original anyway...the original birth certificate is actually a digital record in your birth state's data base of birth certificates).

Birth certificates must be the original or a copy from the county you were born with a raised stamp. A hospital birth certificate or anything from a hospital about the birth is not acceptable.

Not all states use a raised stamp or seal on their birth certificates and there's nothing in the government regulation that requires the birth certificate to have exclusively a raised stamp or seal as the indication it is an official BC.

Gee folks: get a passport and forget about which DL and/or BC (w/wo a seal) may or may not work.

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Gee folks: get a passport and forget about which DL and/or BC (w/wo a seal) may or may not work.

 

 

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Here's the deal its to late now sailing on Jan.3, my husband friend told him that's what they did I was just double checking I wish I got a passport now but live and learn. I was thinking of taking photocopies of our BC's. Mine never had a raised seal when my Mom got it from the state of California 60 years ago. But really I should have to worry since the EDL is suppose be ok

Gee folks: get a passport and forget about which DL and/or BC (w/wo a seal) may or may not work.

 

 

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My EDL worked just fine when I used it, the OP's will also.

An Enhanced Driver's license is, for purposes of international travel, exactly equivalent to a US Passport Card. It goes through all the same Department of State checks to be issued. It's good for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, just like a passport card. And like a passport card, it's not good for international air travel.

The only difference between an EDL and an actual passport card is that an EDL also shows that you have driving privileges.

It's fine for a Caribbean cruise, with the caveat that, should you have a need for emergency return via air from outside the USA, you'll need to get a conventional passport book.

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/1269/~/what-is-an-enhanced-drivers-license-%28edl%29%3F

An Enhanced Driver's license is, for purposes of international travel, exactly equivalent to a US Passport Card. It goes through all the same Department of State checks to be issued. It's good for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, just like a passport card. And like a passport card, it's not good for international air travel.

 

The only difference between an EDL and an actual passport card is that an EDL also shows that you have driving privileges.

 

It's fine for a Caribbean cruise, with the caveat that, should you have a need for emergency return via air from outside the USA, you'll need to get a conventional passport book.

 

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/1269/~/what-is-an-enhanced-drivers-license-%28edl%29%3F

One glaring omission in your overview:

EDL is not fine for a Caribbean cruise if the cruise line itself requires a passport.

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Ive sailed 3 times with just my EDL and had no issues. Heck I travel to Canada frequently with it. It is proof of citizenship.

One glaring omission in your overview:

EDL is not fine for a Caribbean cruise if the cruise line itself requires a passport.

 

 

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I am sure that is open for discussion as the EDL is a government issued compliant document for land and sea travel.

Here's the deal its to late now sailing on Jan.3, my husband friend told him that's what they did I was just double checking I wish I got a passport now but live and learn. I was thinking of taking photocopies of our BC's. Mine never had a raised seal when my Mom got it from the state of California 60 years ago. But really I should have to worry since the EDL is suppose be ok

More than likely your EDL is fine. Although I would verify it is acceptable in case of an emergency flight if you have not confirmed this already. And not with a friend. I would contact the cruise lines and your airline as those are the two who would be in a position to be required to know the laws.

As far as being too late for a passport actually you can get one in 24 hours by making an appointment and taking your normally required documents to the passport office nearest you. My spouse went in without an appointment since his trip was still six months away and was out in less than 20 minutes. He wasn't in a hurry so had it mailed to him. He was there on a Friday and received it in the mail the following Tuesday but those with imminent trips can pick them up the next day.

You can only make an appointment if you then bring proof of imminent travel. I think the website says within 2 weeks? My husband said they were seeing people with appointments first and then taking care of the drop ins like himself in between. You can pull up the passport documents online and fill it out then print it all ready to go. That's what my husband did. Remember you need to sign the documents in front of the clerk at the passport office. ;)

I went on a closed loop cruise with Carnival where I met the requirements to travel with my ID, birth certificate, and marriage license. I even printed off the regulations that showed I was following the rules. I still got detained and yelled and because “all cruises require passports,” it was a nightmare that made me feel like a horrible person even though I did nothing wrong. Interestingly enough, the cruise I went on not long before that, my husband forgot his birth certificate and we worked out a plan where it was mailed to the hotel and I would go retrieve it if needed and he just had a photo copy. The customs agent saw my husband’s military ID and didn’t hardly look at either of our birth certificates and I didn’t have to go and retrieve and his real birth certificate from the hotel in order to leave customs. That was 9 years ago and even though we’re probably only going to travel this one time in the next 10 years, we still got passports for this next cruise after what happened.

I have found it depends on the agents mood what entails at the "window" what documents he/she will examine. Bad mood, will demean, demand, detain you, good mood....send you on your way.

I went on a closed loop cruise with Carnival where I met the requirements to travel with my ID, birth certificate, and marriage license. I even printed off the regulations that showed I was following the rules. I still got detained and yelled and because “all cruises require passports,” it was a nightmare that made me feel like a horrible person even though I did nothing wrong. Interestingly enough, the cruise I went on not long before that, my husband forgot his birth certificate and we worked out a plan where it was mailed to the hotel and I would go retrieve it if needed and he just had a photo copy. The customs agent saw my husband’s military ID and didn’t hardly look at either of our birth certificates and I didn’t have to go and retrieve and his real birth certificate from the hotel in order to leave customs. That was 9 years ago and even though we’re probably only going to travel this one time in the next 10 years, we still got passports for this next cruise after what happened.

Who yelled at you and how long were you detained for? You should have filed a complaint with that person's supervisor. When the new regulations were first published CBP was having their officers tell those traveling without passports that they should obtain one for the future but I don't think they are doing that any longer. I've only had one CBP officer say anything at all and that was our first cruise after the regulations were published and he just suggested that we get them.

I have found it depends on the agents mood what entails at the "window" what documents he/she will examine. Bad mood, will demean, demand, detain you, good mood....send you on your way.

And travelers should remember that those officers are Federal employees who have supervisors and codes of conduct to follow. Demeaning travelers and detaining them unnecessarily is not ok.

I am sure that is open for discussion as the EDL is a government issued compliant document for land and sea travel.

It's not really open to discussion- some cruise lines do impose a higher standard than the government does and do require all passengers to have passports regardless of itinerary. The only lines I'm aware of that have this requirement are the premium and luxury lines.

I am sure that is open for discussion as the EDL is a government issued compliant document for land and sea travel.

No it's not open for discussion. Cruise lines can, and luxury cruise lines normally do require a higher level of documentation than the minimum government requirement. To give you a couple of examples Oceania and Regent Seven Seas require all passengers to have a passport with at least six months remaining validity even on a cruise where government regulations would permit a US citizen to use only a birth certificate and photo ID.