entry requirements into Canada for children

DrewE wrote:
A birth certificate is all that is required for a minor in terms of ID for land crossings for children under 16. A passport would also be fine, of course, and is needed if one wishes to travel to, say, Europe, or to fly to or from Canada.

A letter of authorization from the child's mother will also be required (unless she is also traveling with you). There's no specific form for this, that I know of, but some google searching should yield several reasonable examples.

Accurate answer above.

Hand written authorization by the parent NOT present is satisfactory. Authorization should have a recent date, accurate contact phone number and printed name and a signature of the parent giving authorization.

Simple process that will make crossing easier.

Lakeside

classctioga73 wrote:
I have my 12 years old son that I share 50/50 joint and legal custody with his mother.
I saw on the state.gov website that children under 15 do not need a pass port but only need a birth certificate. is that true?

also i will be traveling in our RV with a toad, any special requirements needed for that?

on the west coast which is the best point of entry into Canada?

You might want some document that says you have the mother's permission to take your son out of the country. They pay attention to this stuff and don't surprised if the officer asks the boy some questions that he won't want you answering for him.

Good Source of Information

This link should help you.

Get a passport, get a passport, get a passport.
Take the high road, the view is far better.

DrewE wrote:
.
A letter of authorization from the child's mother will also be required (unless she is also traveling with you). There's no specific form for this, that I know of, but some google searching should yield several reasonable examples.

^^This! Have a notarized letter drawn up to avoid hassles at the border and protect you. My wife takes the kids to stay with her parents in Florida for March break. She and the kids were grilled by border patrol the first time, until they got a hold of me and I confirmed that it was ok. She has brought a letter with her since then.

Wouldn’t an official source...Canadian and US...be a better source than us?

A birth certificate is all that is required for a minor in terms of ID for land crossings for children under 16. A passport would also be fine, of course, and is needed if one wishes to travel to, say, Europe, or to fly to or from Canada.

A letter of authorization from the child's mother will also be required (unless she is also traveling with you). There's no specific form for this, that I know of, but some google searching should yield several reasonable examples.

Yes will return two weeks after entering, so the children need passports to re enter or just birth certificates?

Do you plan on returning to the US?
That's what you should be worried about.
Make sure you have all your papers, passports in order.
Get in touch with the proper authorities, both sides of the border.