On 2010-08-11 21:24:55 -0700, John Higdon said:

Returning from a diving trip to Cabo some years back, I carried nothing
with me other a simple photocopy of my birth certificate. I was assured
that was all I needed (and in times past didn't even need that for
automobile border crossings) for the air trip to Baja. Upon return, I
was stopped by immigration at the airport of entry back into the US. I
was told that the photocopy wasn't certified (and hence worthless). They
didn't even want to see my CDL.

Sadly, CA issues two kinds of COLBs ... an "official" copy of the COLB,
and which requries a sworn statement in order to get one, and a
"non-official" copy of the COLB, and which DOES NOT require a sworn
statement.

Of course, no sworn statement is required if you are the so-called
"registrant" (the person for whom the COLB is being requested).

But, for other, related persons, such as children of the "registrant",
spouse or former spouses of the "registrant", grand-parents or
grand-children of the "registrant", a sworn statement is required.

(You are required to swear, under penalty of purgery, that you are
entitled by statute to receive a copy of the COLB of the "registrant").

Anyway, upon the recent death of my father, in Germany, the German
officials would not allow him to be burried unless and until they had
in their hands a COLB. His passport was not acceptable for this purpose.

The State of California took precisely THREE MONTHS and three days to
issue to me an "official" COLB.

Immigration officials undoubtedly expected an "official" COLB, as this
document has all kinds of special features which makes it nearly
impossible to counterfeit. For their purposes, an "non-official" COLB
is worthless, as you discovered.

As you do, John, I also always travel with my passport.