Driving into Canada without a US Passport?

Hi,

I'm an 18 year old American citizen planning to drive from New York into Canada next week. I know with the new regulations and all, everything is a tighter. My passport is being processed right now, but I'm not sure if it'll arrive in time. Can I cross into Canada without my passport (I have my birth certificate and driver's license) and then have my passport be mailed to where I'm staying in Canada so I can cross back over? Thanks.

I just got off the phone with Canada Border Services and for an adult US citizen, all they would need is an original birth certificate and some form of valid government issued identification, like your driver's license for example. What I do need a passport for is for returning to the states.

I live 10 minutes away from the Canada/USA Tunnel and Bridge. It takes us 3 minutes to cross the bridge and we are in USA. Canada and USA are separated by a 1 mile wide river but we are two separate countries. Because of 9/11 it is definitely necessary to have a passport to cross the border for the protection of both countries. As for coming into Canada on a Birth Certificate and have your passport mailed to canada, they won't do that. Your Passport has to be mailed to the address where you permanently reside.
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