If you’re planning to fly to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the Caribbean during the spring or Passover breaks, don’t forget to bring a passport or you might face a rough re-entry.

As of Jan. 23, new passport regulations require all travelers entering the United States by plane to present a passport, according to the U.S. Department of State.

The recently adapted Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), which aims to strengthen border security, put an end to a long-standing loophole in the U.S. law that allowed American citizens to enter or re-enter the country using a driver’s license or a birth certificate.

WHTI will require all travelers to and from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, Bermuda, and the Caribbean countries to show a passport when entering the United States, but so far only air traveling has been affected.

American citizens can still travel without a passport throughout the Western Hemisphere by land or sea, but this will change in 2008.

So if you’re driving to Canada or taking a cruise to Bermuda during the breaks, your driver’s license will do.

Even if you’re flying, do not despair. Not having a passport does not mean that you’re going to be stranded on a Caribbean island wondering if you’ll ever see Binghamton University again.

Without a passport, travelers will be referred for secondary screening at the airport where Custom and Border Protection officers will evaluate on-hand documents and search various databases for evidence of citizenship.

However, to avoid delays the State Department encourages all U.S. citizens to apply for or renew their passports.

Only a quarter of the U.S. population owns valid passports, according to the Department of State, so chances are many BU students have yet to apply for one.

If you’re flying soon, here’s what you should do to get a passport:

‘ Fill out an application form. You can download it at http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/forms_847.html

‘ Obtain two passport-size (2-inch by 2-inch) photos.

‘ Have proof of identification, e.g., driver’s license, and proof of citizenship, e.g., birth certificate or naturalization certificate.

‘ Submit the materials with a $97 fee to a passport acceptance facility. In Broome County: Binghamton post office on 115 Henry St., Vestal Post office on 117 Rano Blvd., Endicott Post office on 200 Washington Ave. or Broome County’s Clerk office on 44 Hawley St.

You should receive your passport within six to 10 weeks of submission. However, to fly during the Passover break you will have to use expedited service ‘ for an additional $60 fee and overnight delivery costs, you will receive a passport in about two weeks.

There have also been many changes in U.S. regulations regarding items that are allowed on an airplane, so here are some other things to keep in mind when flying.

You CAN carry on:

‘ liquids, gels and aerosols e.g., lotion, toothpaste, beverages in three-ounce containers or less.

‘ Safety razors, plastic or metal scissors with blunt tips, corkscrews, nail cutters, tweezers, knitting needles.

‘ Cell phones, laptop computers, camera equipment.

‘ Umbrellas.

You CAN’T carry on:

‘ Liquids, gels or aerosols in containers over three ounces, e.g., regular-sized bottles of shampoo, conditioner, or mouthwash.

‘ Knives, scissors with pointed tips over four inches, lighters, matches, BB guns or other firearms.

‘ Baseball bats, golf clubs, ski poles.

‘ Snow globes.