New laws require passports for entry

From Staff Reports

The U.S. State Department has adopted new regulations for travel between the U.S. and nearby countries.

Anyone traveling by air between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Bermuda and countries in Central and South America is now required to present a passport upon re-entering the country. Previously, citizens could use a birth certificate as identification when traveling to these areas.

The new regulations, which went into effect on Tuesday, are a result of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act. The act, passed in 2004, required the Departments of Homeland Security and State to develop regulations that would require all travelers to provide proof of identity and citizenship when entering the country.

The new rules will include travel by land and sea beginning on Jan. 1, 2008.