How to get a new passport or renew an old one in a few simple steps

When I was but a wee child, my otherwise remarkably responsible, extremely talented, professorial parents forgot my passport in a bank deposit box. That meant that rather than visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa, I visited my grandparents for a week. To be fair, I wasn't nearly sentient enough to be traumatized by the missed opportunity of expanding my cultural horizons, but the incident did instill in me an undying fear of forgetting my passport in future travel situations. But as it turns out, going to the airport sans passport isn't always the end of the world, or more saliently, of your trip. In fact, there are a few ways that you can travel without a passport, so you can stop waking up in a cold sweat in the days before you big vacation (or is that just me?).

Let's be clear — it is not always the case that you can travel without a passport. But similarly, it is not always the case that you need this official document in order to board a plane. In fact, as I recently learned when I forgot my driver's license (apparently even waking up in a cold sweat doesn't help me much), you don't even need government-issued ID when traveling within the United States. But we'll get to that later.

First, we should clarify where you can go if you're an American traveling without an American passport. If you're going to any US territory (American Samoa, Baker Island, Howland Island, Guam, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands (St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas), and Wake Island), you can forego your passport as long as you have valid photo identification. That can either be a driver's license or another state-issued ID card (like an NYC ID for New Yorkers). Non-drivers can also go to their state's motor vehicles department in order to obtain such identification. If you're traveling to another country overseas, however, all bets are off — you'll almost certainly need a passport (and sometimes a visa) in order to enter another nation.

If you're traveling to Canada, preapproved individuals will be able to travel to our northern neighbor if they have a Trusted Traveler Program Nexus card. Obtaining this card requires an application, so it's not necessarily the easiest workaround.

Should you be traveling with children or are yourself under 18 years of age, there's good news. As long as you are or your child is accompanied by someone over the age of 18 who has proper identification, you won't need any ID at all in order to travel within the US and its territories.

Now, let's say that you've forgotten all forms of government ID altogether. Should you sob as you wave your well-earned trip to the beach goodbye? Not necessarily. As per the TSA website, you'll "most likely" still be able to travel. You'll need to budget extra time to get through security, but you should be able to chat with a TSA representative, who should ask you to complete a form that includes your name and current address. You may also be asked to provide items with your name, like a credit or debit card. The agent will then ask a few additional questions in order to confirm you are who you say you are, at which point you should be permitted to go on your merry way.

One thing to keep in mind: while you shouldn't count on being able to travel with just a copy of your passport, it's always smart to keep one on you. Should you lose your passport while you're out of the United States, having a copy of this document will be key in helping you re-obtain the necessary identification to get back home. If you misplace your passport abroad, bring the copy of your passport and any other identification you may have to the nearest embassy or consulate in order to expedite the replacement process.

• US passport card
• DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
• US military ID (active duty or retired military and their dependents, and DoD civilians)
• Permanent resident card
• Border crossing card
• DHS-designated enhanced driver's license
• Airline or airport-issued ID (if issued under a TSA-approved security plan)
• Federally recognized, tribal-issued photo ID
• HSPD-12 PIV card
• Foreign government-issued passport
• Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
• Transportation worker identification credential
• US Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
• US Merchant Mariner Credential

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