INSIDE

Enhanced driver licenses
confusing on both sides of border

By Meg Olson

With enhanced drivers licenses now available on both sides of the border many travelers are leaving their passports at home, or at least in the glove box.

Washington Department of Licensing began accepting applications for the new licenses January 22 and has now issued 3,026 to U.S. citizens living in Washington state.

On January 21, the Insurance Corpor-ation of British Columbia (ICBC) announced their own enhanced drivers license program, open to an initial 500 B.C. born and resident Canadian citizens. ICBC has confirmed the initial 500 applications were filed in two days and will begin issuing EDLs in March. After evaluation of the program the new document is expected to be available to all B.C. residents who are Canadian citizens by January 2009.

Officials from U.S. and Canadian border agencies confirmed that EDLs from both Washington and B.C. are acceptable as proof of identity and citizenship, which all travelers are required to document when they cross the border.

“You have always needed proof of citizenship and photo ID when seeking entry to Canada, and EDLs are acceptable,” said Canada Border Service Agency representative Paula Shore.

“State or provincial issued EDLs are acceptable documents as of January 31,” said US Customs and Border Protection chief Tom Schreiber. NEXUS and FAST cards are also acceptable to CBSA and CBP as proof of citizenship and identity, Schreiber and Shore confirmed.

Some travelers are reporting the information has not trickled down to the booths, with both CBSA and CBP officers not accepting EDLs as proof of citizenship. Shore said this was the exception. “Surely this is new but all our officers should have been advised by now,” Shore said.

“He should have,” was Schreiber’s response when asked about an officer at the Peace Arch port of entry who did not accept an EDL as proof of citizenship.

“With very few exceptions 100 percent of our officers have completed the initial Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative training which includes EDLs,” said Schreiber.