LAX Departure Passport Control

[onlycopunk]

Hi All quick question for anyone who has gone in and out of LAX recently.

I am a dual national AUS/US, I have to dash back to the states quickly this weekend in and out of LAX for a family emergency.

When I go to check my passport, my US Passport is expired (only recently - just my luck). I've been assured that I can enter the US with an expired passport, but the question remains when I leave the US.

I know it won't be an issue for the airline (Qantas) as I will have to show them my AUS passport to check in, but are there any other customs or border control leaving LAX where I would need to show my US Passport?

It's been so long since I've been through, pandemic and all, so really can't remember - but I remember it being pretty loose, but don't know if there's now an official customs exit after security like we have in AUS. I'm also not going to be around any major cities where a passport agency is located, and frankly don't really have a spare minute while I'm there if I were.

Thanks

 

[Matt_01]

My memory is hazy however I think the US just let you leave.

 

[blackcat20]

My memory is hazy however I think the US just let you leave.

Last time we left LAX there was some sort of processing at the gate.

 

[Daver6]

My memory is hazy however I think the US just let you leave.

This is my memory of leaving the US as well.

 

[clifford]

My memory is hazy however I think the US just let you leave.

Possibly help you on your way.

 

[justinbrett]

The US doesn‘t do outbound passport control. It’s done electronically via your airline.

You will need to show ID at the TSA but I’m assuming you don’t have a current US drivers license, so you’d have to show a passport. I very much doubt they’d accept an expired ID of any type, so you might have to use your Australian passport. In fact if you use that to check in you probably use the same one at the TSA.

Last time we left LAX there was some sort of processing at the gate.

It’s just a quick passport / boarding pass / photo check before boarding as happens in many countries.

 

[DC3]

Why wouldn’t you just travel with your valid (Oz) passport? Have I missed something in your post?

 

[Anna]

US citizens are not allowed to enter the US on any other passport so it's good it sounds like they will accept an expired one.

As to leaving, the only time I can imagine you might need to show the US passport is if you get a question at checkin or emigration about how you entered the US. As a dual citizen (not of the US though) I do from time to time get asked about how I came into the country when I am leaving on a different passport from the one I entered on.

 

[blackcat20]

The US doesn‘t do outbound passport control. It’s done electronically via your airline.

You will need to show ID at the TSA but I’m assuming you don’t have a current US drivers license, so you’d have to show a passport. I very much doubt they’d accept an expired ID of any type, so you might have to use your Australian passport. In fact if you use that to check in you probably use the same one at the TSA.


It’s just a quick passport / boarding pass / photo check before boarding as happens in many countries.

It was an electronic gate, we had trouble as we had Miss TomCat with us and babies couldn’t use the machine so we had to wait for someone to process us. I’ve never had to go though an electronic gate at the departure gate in any other country.

 

[onlycopunk]

Thanks for the replies everyone,

Yes I've been reading that LAX now have electronic boarding - which is really just verifying a photo I think, but who knows what all Uncle Sam is collecting.

I'm thinking the whole warning about not being able to leave is single passport holders, obviously you can't go to another country with one passport that's expired.

I've spoken to two different people at the consulate and both have said it's a grey area - and for obvious reasons are not making recommendations either way. One even said if I could try entering on my Aus passport, but then I'd have to lie on an ESTA visa form which I'm pretty sure is a federal offense.

 

[DC3]

… I've spoken to two different people at the consulate and both have said it's a grey area - and for obvious reasons are not making recommendations either way. One even said if I could try entering on my Aus passport, but then I'd have to lie on an ESTA visa form which I'm pretty sure is a federal offense.

An unfortunate situation. Pity about having to use a US passport as a US citizen, rather than being able to use a valid Oz passport. And false statements often have poor outcomes, as we appreciate.

 

[blackcat20]

US citizens definitely can’t use an ESTA. We looked at it before we got Miss TC her US passport. Now trying to organise one for Master TC before we go but consulate appointments are very hard to come by.

 

[justinbrett]

It was an electronic gate, we had trouble as we had Miss TomCat with us and babies couldn’t use the machine so we had to wait for someone to process us. I’ve never had to go though an electronic gate at the departure gate in any other country.

Yeah I looked it up - these are very new and only at LAX (I just returned from the US and there were none of these, but I didn't leave from LAX. I also left LAX in 2020 and there were none of these).

But looking into it, it seems this is just replacing what the airline was doing manually (matching passport, boarding pass and traveller).

This is not outbound passport control - this is an airline thing.

If you checked into your flight with your Australian passport you need to be using this one through the gate otherwise that would surely cause problems. So I don't think it makes much difference. It would be a much bigger issue if you entered on your Australian passport and exited on your US passport as they would assume you've overstayed your visa. In this situation, they think an American entered and an Australian departed, neither is cause for followup.

 

[ayebee]

Yeah I looked it up - these are very new and only at LAX (I just returned from the US and there were none of these, but I didn't leave from LAX. I also left LAX in 2020 and there were none of these).

But looking into it, it seems this is just replacing what the airline was doing manually (matching passport, boarding pass and traveller).

This is not outbound passport control - this is an airline thing.

If you checked into your flight with your Australian passport you need to be using this one through the gate otherwise that would surely cause problems. So I don't think it makes much difference. It would be a much bigger issue if you entered on your Australian passport and exited on your US passport as they would assume you've overstayed your visa. In this situation, they think an American entered and an Australian departed, neither is cause for followup.

Intriguing situation.
Have not experienced the new LAX procedures, and I can't comment on how it works for US citizens re expired passports and the vagaries of entering on one passport and leaving on another - good luck there.

Agree there is no desk / booth with an officer checking your passport, but there is still effectively outbound passport control via the airline check-in process. There is certainly data matching happening.

In days when I needed a visa, and then the visa waiver days, you would have the stub of the entry document which the airline would collect at departure check in. With ESTA that is all electronic and I would assume the APIS data also plays a part when visiting from Australia.
I experienced an arrival where it seemed the outbound data of a previous trip was not correctly recorded. The US immigration officer quizzed me about my visits. He quoted a number of arrival and departure dates and then asked about the most recent, which had been maybe 6 mnths before, where no departure had been recorded. I was able to provide a departure port and date, plus there were more recent entry stamps from other countries in my passport, so it all turned out be a pleasant and professional exchange with the officer.

 

[justinbrett]

Agree there is no desk / booth with an officer checking your passport, but there is still effectively outbound passport control via the airline check-in process. There is certainly data matching happening.

Key difference is the data matching is happening AFTER the pax have departed and is not a pre-requisite for departure.

If there is a need for them to know you've departed (ie, Australian on a visa), yes, this is very important.

Is it important for a US citizen? I don't think so.

 

[ayebee]

Key difference is the data matching is happening AFTER the pax have departed and is not a pre-requisite for departure.

No reason to stop a non-US citizen departing unless there were other factors involving US laws, and for that reason I would suggest these days the data matching is happening in real time.

 

[DC3]

I hope that the OP can make some sense of our thoughts and hopes.

 

[justinbrett]

No reason to stop a non-US citizen departing unless there were other factors involving US laws, and for that reason I would suggest these days the data matching is happening in real time.

I'm pretty sure those checks are done by the TSA and occur on both domestic and international flights.