Enhanced Driver’s Licence: Impact on Canada & U.s. Border Crossings

Canada and the United States have long been the world’s largest trading partners with over one billion dollars of commerce between the two countries on any given day. Both have long prided themselves on sharing the world’s “longest undefended border”, and rightfully so. Things have gotten tighter lately.

With the state of the world today and certain issues and insecurities hitting closer to home, making the quick trip across isn’t quite as simple as it used to be. It now requires some planning, as most people don’t like to carry their passport around everywhere they go, to ensure that you have what they need at the border checkpoint.

What began as the statement, “Everyone needs a passport to enter”, from the United States in the aftermath of 9/11 has slowly changed into, “OK, this is a big project. We need security, but the border areas of both countries depend on the flow of people and goods. How can we accomplish this and still allow this relationship to flourish as before?”

As of Jan 31, 2008 the requirements (non-commercial) for entry over land into the United States of America for citizen of Canada and the U.S. are:

• A valid passport; or

• A NEXUS card; or

• An Enhanced Driver’s Licence (EDL); or

• A Certificate of Indian Status (CIS); or

• Government issued photo ID, such as driver’s licence, PLUS a birth certificate or citizenship card; or

• For persons under 18, a birth certificate only

Eventually the photo ID plus birth certificate option will be dropped from this list as the Enhanced Driver’s Licence takes hold. The EDL program is currently only available in British Columbia, Canada and initial results are being tested on a group of 500 BC born Canadian citizens. What we are probably seeing with the EDL is the beginning of an “all-in-one” card that may eventually go on to become global and may include all kinds of information such as banking, health, insurance, in addition to licence and ID.

But first things first. What the government of both the United States and Canada have tried to do with the creation of the EDL program is to satisfy their need to have a secure form of ID that is practical to obtain, useful to the owner and that will allow for spontaneous travel. This last point is really the key. Day trips both ways are such a huge part of trade between these two partners.

Going from Windsor to Detroit for the casinos, major league sports, and big time entertainment; Niagara Falls to Niagara Falls, NY for the outlet stores; Vancouver to Washington state for coastal drives and camping; St. Stephen, NB to Calais, ME for Wal-Mart. There are many locals who will not go through the trouble of obtaining a passport just so they can do the above. But what about an Enhanced Driver’s Licence? Sure. Everyone needs a licence anyways and they always have it with them.

For those living near the border, the EDL is coming. Where it’s going from here is anyone’s guess, but it will be interesting to watch how this new form of ID continues to evolve.