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Home / Washington Business - Current Issue / Policy: Enhanced ID: Coming to a border crossing near you |
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Policy: Enhanced ID: Coming to a border crossing near you |
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Written On: March/April 2008 |
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Written By: Paul Schlienz |
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Those planning a two-nation vacation between the United States and Canada should take note: The Washington State Department of Licensing is now offering an “enhanced driver’s license,” which serves as both a driver’s license and a travel document that will get you across the border.
The United States-Canada border has not been the same since 9/11. Long lines and more thorough ID checks replaced an easygoing atmosphere where oral declarations of citizenship and non-photo documents like voter registration cards were sufficient for travelers to cross the line that separates Washington from its neighbor to the north.
In 2004, Congress passed the voluminous Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act in response to recommendations from the 9/11 Commission. One section of the bill, known as the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, required U.S. and Canadian citizens to carry passports or other documents deemed secure by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security no later than Dec. 31, 2007.
That deadline has come and gone, and passports are still not needed to cross the United States-Canada land border, though they are required to fly between the two countries. Currently, Americans can cross the border with a valid U.S. driver’s license plus an official birth certificate, but the days when these documents will get you to into Canada and back are numbered. Homeland Security still plans to enforce the law requiring passports or other secure documents for border crossing as early as 2009.
Washington and other states on the northern border, who always enjoyed close ties and trade links with Canada, reacted to the new law with dismay and alarm. About one-third of all Americans, and only slightly more Canadians, carry passports. Officials feared that if passports were required for border crossings the number of short, spur-of-the-moment trips that characterized much of the cross-border traffic would greatly decrease.
Trade and tourism concerns
“In 2006, Gov. Gregoire met with British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell,” said DOL spokesperson Gigi Zenk. “They were talking about the upcoming 2010 Vancouver Olympics and how the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative might affect trade and tourism across the border.”
The idea for a driver’s license that would also serve as a citizenship document for border crossing was born out of the discussions between Campbell and Gregoire at this meeting.
In 2007, Homeland Security approved the idea, first as a pilot project and later as full-scale program. The Legislature quickly responded by passing a bill to allow DOL to produce the enhanced driver’s license, which finally made its debut in January 2008.
The license is unlike any other driver’s license ever seen in the United States. Embedded in the card is a radio frequency identification chip, as required by Homeland Security.
“There is no personal information on the chip,” Zenk said. “It is not constantly booming out any kind of information. What it does is transmit a unique number when you approach the border and a reader remotely accesses it. Your picture and other information then appear on the border guard’s computer screen after the number keys the computer system to retrieve the information from our database. The border patrol will then compare you to your picture before letting you in. It’s a quicker way to expedite people through the border.”
Combat identity theft
Zenk believes the licenses will help combat identity theft — a major problem in Washington state — because they are more difficult to reproduce than standard licenses. Additionally, DOL uses a biometric matching system, which measures physical characteristics, when registering enhanced driver’s license applicants.
“We want to make sure there isn’t anyone out there using your name,” said Zenk. “We’ll run your picture against our database of digital pictures, using facial recognition biometric technology in a one-to-many search to make sure there’s only one record for you.”
Those who are interested in an enhanced driver’s license need to make an appointment at one of 11 DOL offices equipped to handle applications for this new document.
“The reason we have only 11 offices is because we started out as a pilot, but we hope to expand as demand increases,” said Zenk.
Enhanced drivers license applicants must show proof of U.S. citizenship with a passport or official birth certificate. In addition, they must demonstrate residency in Washington, which can be established by showing evidence like utility bills.
The enhanced driver’s license costs $45 — more than a standard driver’s license, but considerably less than a U.S. passport.
According to Zenk, Arizona, New York and Vermont, following Washington’s lead, are planning their own enhanced driver’s license programs. In the meantime, British Columbia is issuing a similarly enhanced driver’s license through a much smaller pilot project.
“We’re thrilled with the reception we’ve gotten for this license,” Zenk concluded. “We have approximately 10,000 appointments on the books right now. The license is cost effective, it’s convenient, and — unlike a passport — it fits in your wallet. It gives you a lot in one document.”
For the location of the nearest Department of Licensing office equipped to handle applications for the enhanced driver’s license, call (866) 520-4365 or visit www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense and click on Enhanced Driver License.
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