Passport to nowhere

September 11, 2009 9:18 AM

UnitedStatesIDfilter: I've damaged my passport which was my only means of identification. Replacement takes around 6 weeks. Is there any state-approved ID I can get(for domestic travel, immediately) that will not involve using this passport as a required document.

I'm a non-resident alien on an H1B visa. I'm in Massachusetts.

I have an old passport that is expired but in perfect condition. Can I use them in conjunction somehow to make one valid document? The extent of the damage, by the way, is such that every bit of text is legible, the cover is a bit frayed...but the photo is totally obscured.

posted by prufrock to law & government (8 comments total)

Massachusetts issues residents (note "residents," not "citizens") non-driver IDs and liquor IDs, the latter of which is equivalent to the former but exclusively for persons 21 years of age and up.

The RMV says if you don't have a Social Security card, you will need to show "proof of acceptable visa status, an I-94 (Record of Arrival and Departure), and a current non-U.S. Passport." It doesn't specify what condition the passport must be in, so you may be OK.

If they accept your application, they'll print out a temporary ID on paper for you to use until you get the real one in the mail.
posted by letourneau at 9:25 AM on September 11

If this guy is to be believed, you might not even need one.
posted by nostrich at 9:26 AM on September 11

Hmm, just noticed you wrote "non-resident alien," so maybe that complicates things, but I don't know whether non-residency in visa terms disqualifies you from having any ID issued by the RMV. Can't hurt to call up and ask, though.
posted by letourneau at 9:28 AM on September 11

Perhaps call your country's embassy in Washington or consulate in NYC and ask them how to proceed. They may get inquiries of this nature all the time from fellow citizens in the US on your type of visa.
posted by dfriedman at 9:40 AM on September 11

Yeah, if you were an American abroad the consulate would issue you an emergency passport. Call your own consulate and see what happens.
posted by lockestockbarrel at 11:14 AM on September 11

If you're from Ireland or the United Kingdom, there are consulates in Boston/Cambridge.
posted by oaf at 11:31 AM on September 11

I have traveled by air domestically in the US without ID. It was maybe 3 years ago. They put my carry-on bags through additional screening, meaning that they hand-searched them at security. But otherwise everything was fine. Of course, I wasn't in the US on a visa, but you could always call the airline to confirm whether you can travel without ID.
posted by sesquipedalian at 12:48 PM on September 11

I would think your consulate/embassy should have advice for you in this situation (either in what types of American documents you can get as well as if there is an expedited service for your passport). I would think there would have to be the possibility of getting an expedited passport.
posted by mmascolino at 3:45 PM on September 11