Originally Posted by
bseller
Someone will be along shortly to correct me if I'm wrong, but I understood that the passport of a US Citizen could be expired and they would STILL be allowed entry.
Dave
That sounds right (or at least sensible). A passport is a request from the US government to allow you to enter other countries and an (implicit) guarantee that you are a reputable person and should be admitted.
For purposes of reentering the U.S., it is proof of identity and citizenship. Neither of those things should expire.
That said, just like TSA thinks an expired driver's license means you no longer are the person depicted on the license, it would not surprise me to learn that CBP takes a similar view with respect to expired passports. Indeed, a previously issued passport is not sufficient to prove entitlement to a new passport if you are a minor--you need a birth certificate each time.