Headed To Canada? Pack Your Passport

Sept. 29, 2007 — -- Beginning Monday, every American will need a passport to enter or leave the United States by air, even those traveling to or coming from Canada, Mexico or Bermuda -- where a driver's license or a birth certificate used to be enough.

The new passport rules were announced last November and went into effect in January. But the State Department was flooded with more passport applications than it could handle, so in June it announced a grace period through the summer, allowing people to travel with government-issued ID plus proof they had applied for a passport.

The government says it has now eliminated the backlog of applications and the grace period ends Monday.

If you arrive at the airport without a passport, it does not necessarily mean you won't be able to travel. But you will be subject to much more careful scrutiny. It will be up to the individual security officer to decide whether or not you pose a risk and the delay could mean you'll miss your flight.

There are some important exceptions to the new rules:

U.S. territories Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands still require no passport for travel

Here are some tips for travelers: