If you think that travelling on a damaged U S passport won’t get you into trouble but you are not correct. You are far better off storing it in a bank vault or a fireproof safe in your own home. There are alternatives to your passport when you need to prove your identity on a routine basis. These alternatives include a state identification card, a driving license or a military ID.
Protect It
Passports are very important federal documents. It is important that they are protected properly in order to maintain their integrity as well as keep them from theft. Many people keep passports with other important documents such as birth certificates and bonds, some even put them in safe deposit boxes until their needed.
No Danger
While you may know full well that you are not in danger in the nation you are about to visit, the people sworn to protect their fellow countrymen from harm must be assured you pose no danger. Having a passport that is acceptable will be part of the clearance process. This assures a country that the people they let in are law abiding citizens in their own respective countries.
Wear and Tear
Just like there are fake IDs to allow those under 21 into bars, there are also fake passports. Because passports allow someone the ability to enter or leave a country, they’re often stolen or forged. Officials are trained to find forgeries, which may include looking for small inconsistencies within the passport. These may include discolorations, tears, mislabelling. These are all issues that can arise if a passport is damaged as well. Attempting to offer a damaged passport is risky, and may be more trouble than getting a replacement.
The Recovery
Even seemingly innocent cases of passport damage can cause great amounts of headache for travelers. Officials are generally very unforgiving in these matters. People can even be put on a plane back to their hometowns if their passports don’t look right. This is another reason why traveling with a passport that has significant damage is dangerous. Get a U.S. passport renewal.
Foreign Rules
You won’t get very far obtaining a visa to enter a foreign country with damaged documentation. Some nations in the eastern bloc, for example, issue visas that are separate from the traveller’s passport and a passport that has suffered damage is disallowed.