Oh and Welcome to the Sailboat Owners Forum. Come back after your trip and post some pictures. We like pictures on sailboats.
Do you have to have a valid ID when sailing in the USA
- Thread starter glockgirl
- Start date
If you are well within US waters you should not worry about personal ID. I've been stopped on the water near the US/Canadian border and ICE just wanted to know where I was going they didn't ask for ID.
If for some reason you are boarded, USCG will be looking for a valid boat registration more than personal IDs, at least the time that I was boarded.
Getting boarded is a low probability event if you are operating the boat in a safe manner. The USCG, at least in my waters, don't like to board sailboats especially if they are sailing. So relax, enjoy the trip.
There were some sage insights in this 50 year old video:
If for some reason you are boarded, USCG will be looking for a valid boat registration more than personal IDs, at least the time that I was boarded.
Getting boarded is a low probability event if you are operating the boat in a safe manner. The USCG, at least in my waters, don't like to board sailboats especially if they are sailing. So relax, enjoy the trip.
There were some sage insights in this 50 year old video:
Hey, I was only 14 and I know it wasn't about Kent State but is was about excessive use of force in controlling crowds and young protesters in a decade of social turbulence.
Ohio and Find the Cost of Freedom by CSNY were about Kent State. Saw them perform both songs at the Fillmore East a month after Kent State. Made an impression on a young man with a draft number of 35.
I just renewed my license in Hawaii, and I had to show my current license, my passport, and two current bills with my address on them. I was issued a temporary license and told that I could use my passport to fly domestically if I left before the permanent license was issued. I think the poster here meant that those things are required to obtain an enhanced license, not that you need to have all of them with you when you fly.
It is not a special license. In 2005, as a result of the 9/11 attack, a law was passed to require a set of standards for state issued IDs, including drivers licenses. You can read more about it here: https://www.dhs.gov/real-id-public-faqs States have typically implemented the changes rather seamlessly as licenses were renewed. At this point most states have complied. NY was one of the last states to comply in part because NY issues 10 year licenses, so it has taken a while to reissue the licenses.
Should be a great sail -hope you have a ball.
Oh and the west coast of Florida has some of my favorite cruising waters
Oh and the west coast of Florida has some of my favorite cruising waters
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To clarify that, you won't need an enhanced driver license to board a domestic flight or enter a government building if you have your passport, passport card, green card or one of various other documents.
I just renewed my DL and the CaDMV asked if I wanted a "Real ID". This is a new thing, maybe several years old now, that is equal to the "enhanced" license being discussed. I believe it was part of the Patriot Act enacted after 9/11. I declined because I already have a Federal ID card.
Now to the OP question, it is always (as mentioned already) wise to carry some kind of picture ID to prove who you are. Consider this the norm now. I always carry two forms of ID and my Federal ID trumps my DL, but here in California, my Federal ID means nothing. Go figure.
Anyway, welcome aboard. Enjoy your trip and we do not want to read about you in the news or see a movie made about your adventures.
Safe sojourns!
Now to the OP question, it is always (as mentioned already) wise to carry some kind of picture ID to prove who you are. Consider this the norm now. I always carry two forms of ID and my Federal ID trumps my DL, but here in California, my Federal ID means nothing. Go figure.
Anyway, welcome aboard. Enjoy your trip and we do not want to read about you in the news or see a movie made about your adventures.
Safe sojourns!
Of course that's what I meant. It never occurred to me that there'd be any other way to interpret it.
The enhanced drivers license proves US citizenship or legal residence in the US.
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Never asked, boarded a few times, did CG Auxiliary inspections, never asked, in Brookings, Oregon I requested an inspection from the CG station, never asked.
What are the chances of your actually getting boarded? Have you ever before?
With your 27 cards, somewhere you must have a record of them. If not actual photocopies, which Mark correctly suggested.
You don't need a drivers license to sail a boat.
While I applaud your concern, I think it's a bit over the top and not something to worry about.
Bring your boat registration and title (or documentation). They're more concerned about whether or not the boat is yours, not so much who you are.
Bring a couple of household payment stubs, like for your internet and electrical service at home.
Make a note in your log book before you cast off your lines. Maybe including the fact that you called the CG and their lack of answer. Did you get the name of the officer you spoke to? Always good to include.
If you have any copies of what you sent to your credit card companies, bring that, too.
You most likely have a computer that has all that stuff, too.
Good luck, better to be concerned and thinking ahead, but in the whole scheme of things, not so much. This is what I'd do. Life goes on, and, for you, you should go and enjoy your cruise, have a great time, don't sweat it.
If they do haul ya off to the hoosegow, tell them to read this thread. I'll post bail, I promise.
An interesting conundrum.
CG Officer: "The registration says this Catalina 34 belongs to Stu Jackson. Are you Stu Jackson?"
@LeslieTroyer: "Yes Officer, I am."
CG Officer: "Good, your boat looks to be in good shape and the registration is in order. Have a good sail, Stu."
A photo copy probably won’t be accepted today. Lots has changed since 9/11. Especially if you are outside of the USA.
Greg
I think is a little far fetching.....anyone with a valid or had a valid state DOL can be verified by many different means available to LE. You comment paints a picture of WWII in Germany.......
Well, yeah, it is special. I could have gotten a regular license, called "restricted" here in HI, but then I would need a passport to go with it to fly come 2020. The restricted license is only good in the state of HI, and does not require the additional ID's.
NY presents this a slightly different manner. It does not appear that the standard DL is only good in NY, it appears to be a regular DL good in any state, however it is not valid for boarding a plane. The RealID License meets TSA requirements for boarding a plane and is available at no extra cost, but you do have to go to the DMV to show proof of identity documents. Finally there is the enhanced DL which works for crossing the border from certain countries without a passport and costs extra money.
Here's the links: https://dmv.ny.gov/which-id-right-me
I would say that you are fine... If on the off chance that you do get boarded and they really want his identification (which is doubtful most of the time the cg boards is just to make sure you have all of the safety regulations in place) they may detain him until they can prove who he is. If I remember right the coast guard has no standing right to arrest people it has to be local law enforcement. But again take this with a grain of salt as I have no experience with being boarded I just used to be an mp in the national guard and I know that the coast guard has to follow a lot of the same rules and regulations.
I've never been asked for ID by the CG, but I'll bet that would change if they found contraband onboard, or suspected some kind of "irregular" activity.
