The United States and Canada once had an easygoing border. Lineups were rare, and motorists sometimes didn't need to show any identification when traveling between the two countries.

But thanks to the United States' ever-tightening security since the Sept. 11 attacks, Americans will be required to have passports to drive across the border by the end of 2007. Air and sea travelers will need passports even sooner.

American citizens who travel to parts of Mexico, the Caribbean and other areas where security/ID requirements have been more relaxed — requiring only a birth certificate or other documents, not a passport — also will need a passport to re-enter the United States.

Only about 20 to 25 percent of Americans currently have a passport, according to the U.S. State Department, which announced the new regulations today. For those who will need to get a passport, here's information on applications and the new rules.

When do the changes take effect?

The changes are being phased in:

• Americans must have a passport for all travel to or from Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda by Dec. 31 this year.

• A passport is required for all air and sea travel to or from Canada and Mexico by Dec. 31, 2006.

• Americans must have a passport for all land travel to Canada and Mexico (as well as air and sea travel) by Dec. 31, 2007.

Who and what's affected

All U.S. citizens (including children) and foreigners who currently don't need a passport to come to the United States, including Canadians and Mexicans, will need them.

However, some travelers who are pre-screened to use international frequent-traveler lanes can continue to use ID cards issued by those programs, including the Nexus lanes for U.S.-Canada border crossings (at the Peace Arch and Pacific Highway crossings in Blaine, for example). And the Border Crossing Card, the so-called "laser visa" used by some Mexican citizens instead of a passport, likely will continue to be accepted.

When to apply for a passport

Expect a rush for passports as the deadlines become closer. Even now, it can take six weeks to get a passport, especially as the peak summer travel season nears. August to December is a slower period, and you'll get a passport more quickly then. There is an expedited/emergency service that can get you a passport quickly — within days — but it costs extra.

What it costs

For a person 16 and older, a first passport costs $97; under age 16 is $82 for a first passport. That includes security surcharges and processing fees. Renewals are $67 for children and adults.. Expedited service costs an additional $60 per passport.

A passport is valid for 10 years if you were 16 or older when it was issued; for 5 years if age 15 or younger when issued.

Applying in person

For your first passport, you must apply in person at a passport-acceptance facility, which include many courts, county and municipal offices and some public libraries. There are about 6,000 nationwide.

You'll need two photos of yourself, proof of U.S. citizenship such as a birth or naturalization certificate and a photo ID such as a driver's license. There are strict rules on the type and size of photos for passports.

For details on applying for a passport, phone the National Passport Information Center at 877-487-2778 or go to the U.S. State Dept. Web site, www.travel.state.gov/passport

The Web is the easiest way to get all the information and find passport facilities (go to iafdb.travel.state.gov/ where you can search by ZIP code or your address for the closest one). In Seattle, they range from King County District Court to neighborhood service centers. (The downtown Seattle Passport Agency office, 206-808-5700, is open by appointment only for people traveling within two weeks or with other urgent passport issues.)

Getting forms

You can get passport-application forms by downloading them from the State Department site, picking them up from passport-acceptance facilities or from some travel agents.

Children's applications

All children under 14 must apply in person for a passport and both parents/legal guardians must appear together and sign the child's form. Or one parent can appear as long as a notarized letter of consent is submitted from the second parent. There are exceptions for parents with sole custody, widowed parents, etc.

Applying by mail

Passport renewals can be done by mail providing you can submit your most recent passport, which must have been issued within the past 15 years; you were 16 or older when your last passport was issued; you have the same name or can legally document a name change.

Passport tips

• Safeguard you passport at home, as well as traveling; be sure you have a copy of its photo page stored separately. That will make it easier if you need to replace a stolen or damaged passport, especially when traveling abroad.

• Fill in the emergency-contact page of the passport and take along the phone numbers and addresses of the U.S. embassies in areas you're visiting in case you need help.

• Be aware that some countries require a passport be valid for a minimum of six months beyond the intended date of departure (so there's no chance of people with expired passports remaining in the country).

Sources: Passport Services Office, U.S. State Department

Kristin Jackson: 206-464-2271 or kjackson@seattletimes.com