Border Crossing Documents
 

To cross border from Vermont to Canada is a certified birth certificate and driver's license (birth certificate only for kids) sufficient? I've searched online and it says those documents will suffice but now somewhere else I've read says a passport will expedite the process. Appreciate your help with this.

Yes - birth certificate and photo driver's licence -- that's all you need.

We had our passports with us and started to hand them to the Canadian official at Niagra. He waved them away and asked for our drivers licenses instead. That's all he wanted to see.

Living close to the border of Canada (in Montana) I cross over frequently. A passport is best but two forms of ID, one with a picture is all you need. A psssport will NOT speed up the process. On my latest crossing this Labor Day the Canadian official ask for ID going INTO Canada which is the first time that has happened.
Crossing back into the US of course takes a little longer with lots of simple questions. Answer promptly and courteously and you will have no problem.

You don't mention it but just in case...if you are taking kids and they are not with both parents I was told to have something in writing from the parent or parents not present allowing you to take the kids out of the US. I typed up something and my husband signed it and had it notarized when I took my son to Canada without my husband. Of course nobody asked but it was worth the peace of mind to have it.

Thanks so much - so glad to have final confirmation. Thanks also for the tip on travel with kids! Cheers!

Just wanted to add, we went to Canada w/ kids, w/ passports... at teh border at NY87, our car was selected for "random x-ray" !!It was kind of cool, large 18 wheel truck with x-ray arm went down a row of 5 cars.. but when teh agent asked my son to open the door of my van and crackers, toys, socks, games and CDs fell out at his feet.... he realized we were OK. (It only took 20 minutes extra)

Elmom - glad to know our vehicle isn't the only one like that!

Now my kids are hoping we get picked for the x-ray!