17 year old need a birth certificate to travel?
 

My son is visiting his cousin in Berlin and is planning on taking a bus to Prague. He has a US passport and letter of consent to travel, but the bus company is asking for a copy of his birth certificate. I've emailed the bus company asking why, but no response.

I'm thinking they have enough info.
Thoughts?

It does seem odd but if the alternative is being denied boarding...well? If it bothers you, or him, he can take the train.

Why did the topic even come up? Did he book a discounted youth fare or something.

No. They are saying because is is a minor. The passport has his birthdate on it. He had to have a birth certificate to even get the passport, so it seems redundant.

I'd hate for him to be denied boarding for his trip , and don't want to get in a match with the bus company. Having been hit with identity fraud already I'm leery of handing out info.

Bus companies have Unaccompanied Minor policies.
I checked Flixbus' (the major intercity bus company here) FAQs on this issue, and they only mention rules for minors under age 16.
Which is in line from what other transport companies like airlines or train companies have in Germany. Just that Flixbus excludes UMs from international travels - even with parents' consent.

Travelwise, your kid won't be considered an UM in Germany if he/she is 16 and older. He also does not need any written letter of consent to travel (by law - what transport companies or hotels ask for on their own, often in ignorance of the law, is another issue).

So it's indeed a bit bizarre that the bus company is asking for a birth certificate copy - though I doubt it has anything to do with identity theft. If the company in question is not Flixbus, they might just have this odd rule in their T&Cs for whatever weird reason.

odd, but hey, Czechs have their own laws.

It does seem odd, especially since he's not claiming to be over 18 or something else that might require proof. Why would he lie about being age 17?

However, I don't think a birth certificate has information on it that would be sufficient to allow identity fraud.