Passport ???

[jewelmicky]

We just got back from Post Office to fill for our passports.

The woman said not to waste $$$ on expediting as the LONGEST it would be was 8 weeks.

I just hated the idea of turning over birth cert....and waiting. I guess I am due to get a new one anyway....if pp is not here within 6 weeks I may just go grab a new Birth Cert.

 

[safetymom]

It seems like passports are coming much quicker these days. I waited a very long time for mine.

 

[HappyHappy]

Mine came in less than 2 weeks. My birth certificate came 2 days later. (They did indicate it would arrive under separate cover.) I hated to send the certificate so I was thrilled I didn't have to wait longer.

 

[bumbershoot]

It's good to know things are going so much faster now!

But why is it so stressful to send your birth certificate? They are $18 and a phone call away, for me at least, and I'm two states away from the county of my birth! I think I'm on my third certified copy of my lifetime, they keep wearing out, but it's never been any problem to get another.

So why is it so worrisome? (assuming one is living in the country of one's birth)

 

[bdcp]

My DH's renewal took 11 days about a month ago. There is currently no backlog. The wait is currently 2 weeks or so for new passports.

 

[Dpell]

My passport arrived 11 days after submitting for it. Although they said my birth certificate would arrive under seperate cover it was actually in with the passport.

 

[jewelmicky]

I am actually not tooo worried about it (ya right)

My dad had to get his birth cert....the one he has been using his whole life was unacceptable....no water mark or seal. Mine is falling apart but they took it. I think I'll order a new one anyway. The only issue we are having is with my niece. We have court ordered physical custody, but dad it trying to get her back. The protective services worker says she will type up a court order to ok the trip...he will still have to sign (will look really bad for him if he won't)...He won't give us his copy of Birth Cert (says he lost it)....I think we can order one with the letter from court, and still get a passport....we'll see, if not we will just use the letter and birth cert.....always something to worry about.

 

[chamonix]

You can order more than one copy of a birth certificate. For my state, IL, all I had to do is go online or call the county of birth and request however many copies that I wanted (and was willing to pay for, lol). I never worry about sending off a copy of dd's birth cert because we have 5 copies anyway. (official copies with seal).

Once you have a passport, you will never need the birth cert anyway. To renew you only need the old passport. I did need a copy of my marriage cert due to my name change (I hyphenate with dh's last name), but again, I ordered several official copies, so never have to "worry" about losing one.

Now, dh, thank goodness he already has a passport, he was born abroad (to American citizen parents) and doesn't have a "real" birth cert, he only has a "Consular Report of Birth Abroad" that is ancient and crumbly and probably not official (I think we only have an ancient photocopy). You have to pay for the Library of Congress to research this to replace it, and can only be done once ever! (IIRC)

This is one of the reasons I suggest everyone get a passport, even if they have no intentions of traveling outside of the USA. It's the best ID you can have.