Does my 13 year-old need a photo ID at all?

We are doing a loop in the caribbbean starting and returning from the same US port. Can we get by with just his birth certificate and maybe his school ID, which does have his picture but is not government issued?

We keep hearing we need to get a passport.

I don't know if you NEED a passport, but it would be advisable anyway. The birth certificate has to have the raised seal. A copy won't do at all.

He won't need a photo ID at all until his 16th birthday. A copy of the birth certificate is perfectly acceptable under the DHS regulations and according to the CCL FAQ. Since it's a closed loop cruise you do not need a passport, whether it's advisable for you to have one is dependent on your individual risk factors (how is everyone's health, both those traveling and those at home) and what are your future travel needs (you don't have any immediate plans for any international travel). Millions of people travel on closed loop cruises every year with something other than a passport with no issues at all.

I will say that I got my first passport at age 14, and it was a very big deal to have it at that age.

While you may not be required to get one, it would be an awfully nice gesture on your part to give that to your child.

I don't know if you NEED a passport, but it would be advisable anyway. The birth certificate has to have the raised seal. A copy won't do at all.

This is incorrect. A copy of the birth certificate is perfectly acceptable. What's NOT acceptable is the novelty paper the hospital gives when a baby is born. That is NOT a birth certificate. A photocopy of an actual birth certificate is perfectly acceptable.

I don't know if you NEED a passport, but it would be advisable anyway. The birth certificate has to have the raised seal. A copy won't do at all.

My official birth certificate does not have a raised seal. There is a seal, but it's just part of the document.

Look for the Seal

If you already have a copy of your own or your child’s birth record but aren’t sure if it’s an official one or not, one of the easiest ways to tell is to look for a seal on the certificate itself. Official birth certificates all have a government seal on them. Depending on which state, county or city issued the certificate, the seal might be raised or embossed, multicolored, or impressed into the paper. In addition to an official seal, the birth certificate should have the signature of the state, county or city registrar on it.

But to answer the original question... No, children under 16 don't need a photo ID, just the birth certificate.

From Carnival's website:

Photo Identification

A non-expired government-issued photo I.D. is required of all guests 16 years of age and older

We are doing a loop in the caribbbean starting and returning from the same US port. Can we get by with just his birth certificate and maybe his school ID, which does have his picture but is not government issued?

 

We keep hearing we need to get a passport.

FYI, if your son's school id is from a public school, it is indeed considered government issued.

As other have stated, those 15 and younger do not need an id.

He won't need a photo ID at all until his 16th birthday. A copy of the birth certificate is perfectly acceptable under the DHS regulations and according to the CCL FAQ. Since it's a closed loop cruise you do not need a passport, whether it's advisable for you to have one is dependent on your individual risk factors (how is everyone's health, both those traveling and those at home) and what are your future travel needs (you don't have any immediate plans for any international travel). Millions of people travel on closed loop cruises every year with something other than a passport with no issues at all.

This is a COMPLETE run-down of all you need to know.

no photo id needed for kids under 16