Really, OP, you are stupid on so many fronts.

And what this teaches us is...don't come into a site like this for these kinds of answers. Go the the state department website which would take approximately 2/10 of a second to give you the correct information needed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^ This is a good point. Can OP go to a passport center when she doesn't have the birth certificate yet?

I'm fairly certain you need the birth certificate.

You can pick up birth certificate from county baby was born in. At least in MD. I went to pick mine up in Annapolis for an Anne arundel county birth.

On my goodness OP, please do not listen to these people, who I can only assume have NEVER driven into Mexico.

First, Mexico does not routinely stop cars coming into their country from the US, so you certainly will not be prevented from entering.

Second, while the "rule" is that every person, even an infant, needs a passport to re-enter the US, the reality on the ground is different. Customs does not tell US citizens with passports that they cannot bring their infant without a passport back into the US. That is just ridiculous. It may take longer to screen you through customs, which is horrid because the lines already take hours and hours during peak times, but they will not stop you from bringing your baby back into the US.

My 9 year old doesn't have a passport and has been routinely let back into the US, without so much as a second look. We bring his birth certificate and our (mom and dad) passports. It has never been an issue.

Anonymous wrote:If you are traveling by car to Mexico from California, you DO NOT need a passport for a child under 16:

U.S. and Canadian citizen children under age 16 arriving by land or sea from a contiguous territory may present an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Naturalization Certificate, or a Canadian Citizenship Card.

http://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/whti-program-background/docs-land-sea

But the SS Card will not be enough.

Op here - This is what I understood. The passport is new knowledge so Mexico would definitely be out. I expedited a birth certificate and it might get to us in time while in CA. If it arrives in time, we'll take a trip to baja

If you are traveling by car to Mexico from California, you DO NOT need a passport for a child under 16:

U.S. and Canadian citizen children under age 16 arriving by land or sea from a contiguous territory may present an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Naturalization Certificate, or a Canadian Citizenship Card.

http://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/whti-program-background/docs-land-sea

But the SS Card will not be enough.

OP, I'm really sorry, but it doesn't appear that Mexico is in the cards this year.

Anonymous wrote:^^^ This is a good point. Can OP go to a passport center when she doesn't have the birth certificate yet?

I'm fairly certain you need the birth certificate.

^^^ This is a good point. Can OP go to a passport center when she doesn't have the birth certificate yet?

But you need the birth certificate!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can get a passport in a few hours. Not sure this time of year though.

In the U.S., really?

If you have imminent travel, you can try to get an appointment at the passport agency downtown. Assuming you can get one early enough and have everything you need with you, they can turn it around same day.

This is only an option is you live near a passport agency, though. We're fortunate to have one in DC.

At a passport center.

Anonymous wrote:You can get a passport in a few hours. Not sure this time of year though.

In the U.S., really?

You need a passport. No Mexico for baby.

You can get a passport in a few hours. Not sure this time of year though.