WPCNR WESTCHESTER COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Department of Communications. (EDITED) January 24, 2007: Westchester County has summarized the new regulations that went into effect yesterday on flights out of the country. The county reports:

All Americans flying to and from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will need to carry a passport or similar document proving their citizenship. Other approved forms of identification include the Air NEXUS card, U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551. Similar rules regarding travel by land and sea will take effect at a later date - as early as January 1, 2008. The changes, which are part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, result from recommendations made by the 9-11 Commission. Birth certificates had been a leading form of identification for travel to Canada and the above named areas. But the new rule is expected to make entering and leaving the U.S. faster, because it will dramatically reduce the types of documents presented to inspectors. Flights to U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are considered domestic travel, meaning the new requirement will not apply. For more information, please visit: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html