You can renew an expired passport just like you can renew a non-expired one, if it was issued no more than 15 years ago.

For official passport info:
travel.state.gov/passport

Well, emd, if he doesn't get a passport on time you can go with your son and then at least he won't be disappointed - as the old adage goes "your lack of planning doesn't consitute an emergency on my part" - so maybe you should stasrt packing your bags !!

And if you don't have one, get one now also !!
Can you imagine, God forbid, if you needed to get to them in Ireland in an emergency and didn't have a passport??

This thread is a good reminder to ALL - whether you plan a trip or not - life happens - and you should always be ready to go if you need to or want to - as someone said, a passport lasts long enough and if you keep it current always, you won't have any worries.

I hope he gets one and can enjoy the father / son trip - or you can take your son - or send the son, who it appears has a current passport and let him visit relatives !!

Thanks for the thoughts, escargot. Actually, I don't think I can go in his place because airline tickets are not transferable and I don't look that much like a "Joe" (well, maybe on my bad days)...I'd have to buy a last minute ticket which would be way too expensive. Plus, I just don't have any desire to go right now; went to Japan for 2 wks in April and am laying low on travel til August. And the trip is only for a wk., way too short for me to consider traveling that far. And I am self employed and have work now. And I don't like "driving" vacations.

Yes, I have had a passport since I was 15 and have never let it lapse, always renew it 9 months before it expires. And I got them for each of our kids many months before I traveled w/them each internationally for the first time.

I love my husband very much but he does tend to push the time envelope in many ways. I do think he has learned a lesson on this one though.

AMIE--

I wouldn't try to travel in spring 2007 with a passport set to expire in July 2007. I have heard of cases where you had problems because, if you stayed out of country until past July, your passport would have expired. Not sure this is still the case, but I would renew in January 07 [IMHO]..just to be sure.

Debi

What an expensive lesson! I hope it works out for you.

The same can be said for a visa as well. I spontaneously decided to go to Rio last year, not realizing I needed to get a visa and it would take a while. I expedited it, but I was cutting it as close as your husband did with his passport. The visa agency was pretty confident that they could deliver it by the day I left, and they were true to their word.

Just a side note on that--the visa agency people were SO nice and even apologetic in case the visa didn't get here. I had to tell them, "Hey, don't apologize! If it doesn't get here on time, that's MY fault."

Looking forward to hearing some good news from you on the passport tomorrow!

Debi brings up a point about remaining validity on a passport. Some countries require 60-90 days validity from your departure date (not arrival date). I learned this before our trip to Costa Rica (from a poster on Fodor's Latin America board who saw the lady in front of him get turned away at the airport). I thought I could get one more use out of my kids' passports, since they had between 30--60 days validity, but CR required 90. Fortunately, I found that out in time to order expedited renewals for them.(DD is 13, and is on her 3rd :) )

It is important to check the State Dept. website, or the consulate web site or your destination country.

His passport came Fed Ex just now!!!! The trip is on!!

Thank you to the man at the passport number who took my husband's mistake under his wing and got the passport super-expedited by phone at the last minute.

I DO NOT recommend this to avenue anyone, but at least his trip is saved because someone took pity on him and did something to help him. It could just as easily have turned out the other way.

(And now my daughter and I get a week alone without the boys...)

WOO-HOO! CONGRATULATIONS!

Enjoy your girls' week. Plan to do a spa or a mani-pedi?

Wow emd, just reading this thread and soo happy to hear it was resolved! Hope they have an awesome trip and hope you and your dd also enjoy your week! :)

(i've been thinking of you so much too, with the Sedona fires :( Praying things are getting better each day...)

emd!! I'm so happy this worked out for you guys!!! Happy travels to your husband and son. Enjoy your peace and quiet. And What a Nice Man to help like that! :)

<b><font color="#00c000">
GREAT NEWS, EMD!!</font></b>
So happy for the boys, and the girls, in your family!!! ;-)

Hi ellen griswold. I've been thinking of you too. Please do a little trip report on your recent Sedona time and other western griswold adventures. I know it can be busy when you get back from a trip and I've been waiting so patiently...I'm sure you will get around to it. *-:)

Thank you seetheworld and starrsville. My daughter and I will be swimming, baking and trying out new vegetarian recipes for her, shopping, exploring D.C. in this wonderful weather we are having, and watching chick flicks. And the mani/pedi is a good idea too. ((Y))

Thank BayouGirl- I LOVE the green!

Congrats, emd.....I know that feeling of relief! Did you turn to him and say, &quot;...and what have we learned from this?...&quot;

no, I just said, &quot;start packing, and don't forget your wallet&quot; (because he did forget it when he went on the football trip to NJ this week, and had to turn around and drive home to get it!)

What a good wife.

Well, I try. After 20 yrs, it still hasn't gotten boring w/him, that's for sure, although I could live without the anxiety like the passport deal.

What a relief, emd! I hate when things like this happen so I was stressing along with you &amp; DH!! Happy to read the good news. :-)

Wishing you and your daughter a beautiful week together emd, my daughter and I use to take advantage of &quot;girl time&quot; when my husband was gone for a week or so. We were always glad to have him return home of course!

And I am so glad your DH got his passport, isn't life fun? Take care and thanks for reporting back that all is well in your life.

Whew! I didn't realize I was uptight and holding my breath as I read through this thread....and then was SO relieved when that Fed Ex truck arrived!!!! Hope they have a great trip and the at-home/girls time is good too.

And Sparkerlaw - good luck to you in your quest! Fingers crossed.....

Hey, this is the sh*t you get for marrying a younger man emd! hee hee..... So glad it all worked out for him and for YOU AND DD! Enjoy!

amwosu, there are also major advantages to having a younger man, but I won't go there, at least not here.

Happy weekend everyone! tgif!

hmmmm... some day on a hike in AZ you'll have to give me the dirt.

I am relieved to hear the good news. I have thought about you several times today. I would have been a wreck.

Sunshinesue - I tried, I really tried, but unfortunately, Ancester.com didn't come up with any info about my husband or any members of his family. My husband has resigned himself to never traveling outside of the U.S. This also has dredged up all the old bad memories of what happened to Black people in the deep South during those bad old days. He says that he had heard that records of Black births had been burned. He tells me that is what he brother was told. However, his brother was married to a travel agent and he got his passport before 9/11 but his brother has now died.

I'm so happy for you, emd and that your husband had his chance to travel to Ireland. I have followed your posts about Sedona and share your love for that marvelously beautiful city. I thank you Tuckerdc and Loveitaly for their good wishes. I'm just really upset now for my husband. Perhaps I'll be able to use some influence on the senator, but right look, it's discouraging, it looks like I won't be returning to my love of overseas travel 'cause I won't go without my DH.

How wonderful that no one will be disappointed!! So glad that all's well that ends well.

<b>Sparkerlaw</b>,
School records are also acceptable forms of age verification for people born prior to 1950 in rural areas. If your husband can remember the names of all the schools he attended as a child, there may be archived records that would have his birthdate. Hope this helps!

Sparklerlaw, this just doesn't seem to be the &quot;right answer&quot;. I just googled and found the following -

Liberty County Georgia website -
http://www.libertyco.com/passport.htm

IF NO BIRTH RECORD EXISTS, submit registrar's notice to that effect. Also submit an early baptismal or circumcision certificate, hospital birth record, early census, school, or family Bible records, newspaper or insurance file knowledge of your birth (preferably with at least one record listed above). Evidence should include your given name and surname, date and place of birth, seal or other certification of office (if customary) and signature of issuing official.



and from http://www.chriscamera.com/south/passports.htm

If you do NOT have a previous U.S. passport or a certified birth certificate, you will need :

1. Letter of No Record

Issued by the State with your name, date of birth, which years were searched for a birth record and that there is no birth certificate on file for you.

2. AND as many of the following as possible:


baptismal certificate
hospital birth certificate
census record
early school record
family bible record
doctor's record of post-natal care

NOTES:

o These documents must be early public records showing the date and place of birth, preferably created within the first five years of your life.

o You may also submit an Affidavit of Birth, form DS-10, from an older blood relative, i.e., a parent, aunt, uncle, sibling, who has personal knowledge of your birth. It must be notarized or have the seal and signature of the acceptance agent.

BUT TO TALK TO A REAL PERSON, CONTACT -
http://www.visalady.com/

I've used this International Visa Service before and they work with passports and visas everyday. They are based in the Atlanta area and will be familiar with Georgia issues. I bet they can help you get started on a resolution of this problem.

There HAS to be a relatively simple solution to this.

Another thought Sparkerlaw, if your husband is receiving social security and has medicare benefits didn't the government have to have some kind of paperwork that proves he is who he says he is etc? Maybe a stupid thought, but it just flitered through my mind. No doubt starrsville advice to you is the best. Best wishes to you and your husband.

Sparkerlaw,
It sounds like Starrsville has some great information. I sure hope it pans out for you. Please keep us posted. We have our fingers crossed for you!

And if worse comes to worse, try to get help from your boss. You don't have to actually ask him. You can always just mention your problem in passing and see if he offers to help.

I am sending renewal application this week, but we will be having our mail forwarded for 5 or 6 weeks and was wondering if new passport is sent by certified mail etc.needing a signature, or if it shouldn't be a problem (post office...the leaders in &quot;dreaded glitches&quot;!)forwarding it.

Loveitaly, he got his Social Security card when he was 14 and he says all he had to do was go to the Social Security Office and apply. Apparently, he didn't need any documents; and he just showed his Social Security Card to get Medicare. Interesting note: not so long ago, one of my clients (who was here on a visitor's visa) told me that he got a social security card with just a driver's license that he had received soon after he arrived in the States. He just went to a motor vehicle office showed his Social Security card and got one. Even tho the Social Security Card specifically stated that he couldn't work, he did anyway, because how many people ask to see SS cards before hiring day laborers (he didn't pay any taxes either). However, as they say, &quot;times they are achanging&quot;. Aside from that, my husband has no other records - born at home, no baptism, bible, or school records, blood family gone, doctor's are now dead, (if his family even had one in those days), etc., etc. I'm trying to get census records from the government, hopefully that will pan out. I have a feeling that even a State Senator won't have the clout to fix this. But I'll try that avenue anyway. Again, thanks so much to everyone for their kind help and advice.

I didn't read all of the previous 71 responses so I am sorry if this was already suggested:

This is a good example of why any person who plans to ever travel in the future should get their passport and have it on hand! Who knows when an opportunity to travel abroad on short notice might come your way!

Hi sparkerlaw, I sure hope you and your husband get this worked out. I like the idea of mentioning this to your senator/employer, or maybe one of the senator's top employees?

Hopefully the census record will show his name.

I am confused though about the SS card. My grandson has lost his SS card and I thought he had to get his birthcertificate from him mom in order to get it replaced, but guess not.

Do let us know the outcome!!

LoveItaly - I lost my SS card several years ago, and had to have a notarized copy of my birth certificate, or my original birth certificate in order to get a new card.

Wow, emd, this one was a nail-biter. I only read about it this morning after it was all over. You are a good egg for not blowing up about it.

My DH is similarly travel-challenged. He and our oldest son were scheduled--months in advance---to go on a medical mission to El Salvador in 2000. I wasn't going and kept out of it. Most of the arrangements were already made, as it is a well-organized group from Florida that has been going for several years to the same villages. This time they were taking several surgical teams and my husband's presence was critical, as many support personnel were going based on his need for help in the makeshift OR's.

He completely forgot that his passport had expired. Not only that, our older son didn't even have one at the time. When I mentioned it to him when I was helping him make a packing list about a WEEK before travel, he actually said, &quot;I thought you didn't need a passport for Central America.&quot; !!!!

Well. We paid hundreds of dollars and fed-exed everything to a company in San Francisco that got a renewal and a new passport in 3 days. You couldn't even do that now, probably, after 9/11.

Lesson learned, though. Now, whenever we start talking about a trip, he asks if our passports are up to date! The mission was a wonderful experience for them both, and was nominated that year for the Nobel Peace Prize by the Salvadoran government. And it <i>almost</i> didn't even happen!

O.k. so this is off topic completely. But I simply must know :)

Hey BayouGal
How did you get that green? My <font color="green"><b>GREEN</b></font> looks different than yours

<font color="lime"> green
<font color="green"> green</font></font>

<font color="blue"> blue
<font color="navy"> blue
</font></font>

<font color="red"> This <font color="violet"> opens <font color="lime"> a <font color="green"> new <font color="turquoise"> world!</font></font></font></font></font>