Enhanced Drivers' License Eases Border Crossing for Washington State Residents. Since early this year, American drivers returning home across the United States- Canada border have been required to show a passport every time they pass.
Washington state enhanced driver’s Licenses vs. U.s. What is an enhanced driver’s License? Washington’s proposed EDLs will not have built-in.
In Washington state, though, officials have given their residents another ticket across the border: an Enhanced Driver License (EDL) that meets new federal requirements for proof of citizenship. With extra security features and a radio- frequency identification (RFID) tag that's read remotely as drivers approach the border, the state license lets Washington residents re- enter the United States by land and sea at a fraction of the cost of a passport, and without carrying extra paperwork, making for a quick trip across the border into British Columbia. From a management standpoint, the project is remarkable not only for its quick turnaround from early planning to issuance of the new licenses, but also for the close cooperation between state, federal and Canadian agencies.
Over an 1. 8- month period, at a project cost of $8. Washington state developed the nation's first state license that's also approved for land and sea border crossings, said Washington Department of Licensing (DOL) Spokeswoman Gigi Zenk.
(c) The enhanced driver's license or identicard must include reasonable security measures to protect the privacy of Washington state residents, including reasonable. WAC 308-105-020. Application for. An applicant for an enhanced driver's license must be eligible for a standard. United States citizenship may be established by.
State-issued enhanced drivers licenses (EDLs) provide proof of identity and U.S. citizenship, are issued in a secure process, and include technology that makes travel. Frequently asked questions: EDL/EID. the Enhanced Driver License Program is completely. you must be a resident of Washington State and show us proof of. Enhanced Drivers License. compliant with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative as well as the United States REAL ID Act. An Enhanced Driver. and Washington. Requirements for re-entry into the US at land & sea crossings. Advantages of U.S. Passport Card & Enhanced Driver License & how to obtain them.
- What is an Enhanced Driver License? States Offering an Enhanced Drivers License (EDL) The following US states currently offer. New York; Vermont; Washington.
- Enhanced Drivers' License Eases Border Crossing for Washington State Residents RFID-enabled drivers' licenses help residents cross the Canadian border.
- How to get a Washington enhanced driver license (EDL) or enhanced ID (EID) card. Plus, information for other states and EDL/EID office locations.
The EDL is a model for similar programs in a few other states, some of which plan to roll out their own EDL programs in mid- 2. Washington DOL and the U. S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Maintaining a Smooth Crossing.
Until February 2. American drivers returning to the United States could re- enter with a driver's license or other government- issued photo identification.
The long- anticipated change requires printed proof of citizenship - even for children - for re- entry into the United States by land or sea. The change is just one piece of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, a blanket policy change Congress enacted in 2. Commission, according to the DHS. The deadline for the proof- of- citizenship requirement has been pushed back repeatedly in recent years, with passport offices around the country struggling to keep up with spiking demand for new passports. The new law is expected to tighten security along the United States- Canada border, but many are concerned the inconvenience of carrying the necessary documents - such as passports or birth certificates - and the $9. In Northern states, where business and tourism draw many people to and from Canada every day, the new requirements threaten to make the greatest impact. Anybody who's grown up here is used to going across the border," Zenk said.
Washington state and British Columbia are particularly concerned about a barrier to travel along the border when Vancouver, just across the Canadian border, hosts the 2. Winter Olympics. To maintain the smooth border crossing to which Washingtonians have grown accustomed, the state spent a year and a half working closely with the DHS, British Columbia officials and the company that manufactures the state's identification cards, to develop a state- issued driver's license that also serves as proof of citizenship at the border. Zenk said the state expects about 3. EDL in 2. 00. 8. "All our research indicated that most people would be interested in doing this on renewal of their driver's license," Zenk said. An EDL costs $4. 0 - $1. Inside the EDLThe EDL looks like a regular Washington driver's license, but it has a red banner across the top of the card and a machine readable zone (a more advanced version of the bar code) that officers can scan at the border, according to the Washington DOL.
The licenses also include more subtle security features, said U.