You do not need a passport. You do need to be able to prove you are eligible to return to the continent. That usually means a drivers license and a birth certificate.

It is a lot less hassle when you have a passport, especially with the new regulations and whatnot.

totally concur. our friend traveled without and regretted the way back. missed his flight he was a little late for anyway, b/c he was hung up on the passport.

All that is true, but do you NEED one? No.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html

Here's the link to the Dept of State website.

My $.02 FWIW - take the time to get the passport. It's so much easier and you'll avoid the hassles some have had when using the Driver's License/Birth Certificate route. They can scan the passport to determine if it's real and you'll get thru pretty quickly. With the other documents they'll look at them more closely since there's no standard driver's license or birth certificate format. So it just takes longer for them to look at both, determine in their mind that they're valid and then enter you in the system. Another plus, your passport is good for 10 years and easy to renew.

You do not need a passport to travel between the mainland U.S. and the United States Virgin Islands. That answers your question.

However, I also advise that folks go ahead and make the $100 or so investment in travel joy. The last thing you need is someone on hand who didn't get the memo (or interpret it properly) as you are trying to move about. Or, as woogawooga states, it's hard to verify the many versions of driver licenses from all over in comparison with birth certificates...

We U.S. Virgin Islands residents still occasionally struggle with people who do not know that we have been part of the United States since 1917.

Laurie:

Too much confusion here.......

This is from the U.S. State Department:

Beginning January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551, if applicable.

As early as January 1, 2008, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), may be required to present a valid passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security. While recent legislative changes permit a later deadline, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working to meet all requirements as soon as possible. Ample advance notice will be provided to enable the public to obtain passports or passport cards for land/sea entries.

The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory. U.S. citizens returning directly from a U.S. territory are not considered to have left the United States and do not need to present a passport. U.S. territories include the following: Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

So your answer is NO. You do not need a passport.

F.I.

Correct---presently US citizens do NOT need a passport to travel to and from a US territory. They do, of course, need proof that they actually are a citizen. Thus they need more than just a drivers license.

Also correct----in this increasingly security-conscious world, a passport is a valuable document to have and does make travel go smoother. And a passport is increasingly being required more and more. I've had one for years and renew it even if I don't have any particular trip planned.