I think you misunderstand. It’s normal in US to carry IDs, usually driver licenses. But those are state-issued IDs. They are becoming unreliable when dealing with federal authorities, however, because they don’t prove citizenship. For example, my permanent resident wife has a state ID, she also has a social security card, and other documents, but she is not a US citizen, so her ID she carries does not verify her right to be here. (She has another card for that, which until recently she likewise did not carry regularly since for 99% of needs the state ID is sufficient.)

A passport is one of the few federal IDs we have that also prove citizenship, and probably most Americans, or a very significant number of them, do not have one or did not have one until semi recently. It was about 12 years ago the US stopped accepting state ID to enter the US from Canada, which meant most people could cross that border without passport. Plenty of Americans have either never left the country or only traveled to Canada thus never needed a passport. (Kind of a big country.)

So yes, it is new for them to have to carry passports, which aren’t nearly as convenient as the existing state IDs which fit in a wallet, as well as, kind of a pain in the ass to replace if lost or stolen – it can take months to get a replacement. (Ditto for PR cards; last time she renewed her it took 14 months(!).)

As of a few years back you can now also get a “passport card” which is a federal ID (it is also a REAL ID, for you statesiders). I have both, and I do carry the card version with me.

I’m Canadian. I don’t drive but I have a government ID. I lost it once and didn’t get around to replacing it for like two years. I got along fine without it and was never stopped by police demanding I prove I’m a Canadian citizen. Couldn’t buy liquor though. There was no election during that time and it was before i started using weed. You need ID to drive, board a plane, buy certain products, and vote but you’re not expected or required to carry it everywhere you go.

I hope you run into some officer treating you like how ICE would, acting like your papers are fake

I am from other country. The only ID I am required to carry with me is driving licence while driving. And in most cases it won’t be a problem if you do not have it. It is advisable to have ID with you while crossing a border, and it is required when taking a plane.

Besides that, I’m not required to carry any kind of ID with me at all. I am required to tell the police who I am when asked, and I am required to provide them with the ID if they need it. If they need it and I don’t have it, I can walk back home and give it to them or they can give me a lift back at home to get it.

Now, if you’re a visiting foreigner it is still advisable to have some kind of ID on you. But that’s mainly to avoid the hassle of explaining where you left it and having to go get it with the police.

Hey neighbour, Canadians don’t have to carry ID everywhere we go. We have actual freedom here.

Most other countries don’t have police violently attack you and send you to some jungle prison for not carrying an ID.

You explicitly do not while traveling between countries in the EU

well i am from “other countries” and I assure you, as a citizen, I dont need to carry my passport. ID card? sure but only if you need to do stuff that inbolves using the ID e.g. paperwork at gov office, driving license stuff…etc. So most of the time I just leave it at home.

Good for you. Here in america we are supposed to have rights. You do not need to identify yourself unless you are suspected of a crime.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_and_identify_statutes

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