Michigan to Offer Enhanced Driver’s License for Trips to Canada - Expedited Passports

Michigan has decided to offer an Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL), which its citizens can use instead of a passport for quick trips into Canada. Like the newer passports, the enhanced driver’s license has a radio frequency identification chip to provide stronger identification, so it is WHTI-compliant for land and sea trips to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean. The final phase of the WHTI goes into effect June 1, 2009. After that date, you will need a passport or an enhanced driver’s license to cross the border. Currently, Michigan is one out of only four states to offer the EDL.

However, it’s important to remember that, like the new passport card, the EDL won’t work for air travel.  That’s why it’s best to only use it in place of a passport for quick jaunts across the border by car.  For extended stays, a passport is still best, even if you’re driving.  After all, if something were to come up and you needed to fly home quickly, you would want to have a passport, wouldn’t you?

Remember, the new rules for border crossing go into effect on June 1, so if you’re a frequent international traveler, you’d better apply for passport, quick!

If you apply for a passport with regular processing,  you should allow 2 to 3 months for it to arrive, just to be on the safe side. If you order through the government with expedited processing, expect to wait at least 3 weeks. However, faster passport processing service is available through private passport expediting companies.  These companies hand-deliver your passport to the US Passport Agency for processing-it’s basically the equivalent of being whisked to the front of the line, so you can get your passport processed in as little as 24 hours.

Need a passport? Apply with us today to get a passport quickly and conveniently!

For many years, crossing the Canadian/American border was hardly more difficult than crossing from one state to another. In the “good old days,” all you had to do was verbally declare your citizenship at the border and you were good to go. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) put an end to that practice.

Under the WHTI, Passengers on US/Canada flights have been required to carry passports since 2007, but the rules remained more relaxed for land and sea crossings. American citizens crossing by land were only  required to bring photo ID and a birth certificate or other proof of citizenship with them before driving across the border.

On June 1, 2009, the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative will take effect. After that date, Americans will need a US passport, a US Passport Card or another “WHTI-compliant” document to cross the border. This disturbs advocates for an open border between the US and Canada, who believe that it will  affect trade and tourism.

For example, in this article from GlobeandMail.com, New York Congresswoman Louise Slaughter predicts that after June 1, “There will be pure chaos. Lines will lengthen, people will be denied entry, tourism and business will suffer. And with the addition of the Olympics it’s going to be even more so.”

During a March 24th symposium sponsored by the Brookings Institution, US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano had a clear message for open-border advocates like Congresswoman Slaughter: Get over it. The GlobeandMail.com article quotes Secretary Napolitano telling the symposium, “It’s a real border, and we need to address it as a real border.” She also asked citizens of both countries to accept a  “change of culture” at the US Canadian border. (more…)

On June 1st, the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative will begin. That means that almost all travelers crossing into Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean will need to have a US passport or a US passport card. However, starting February 17, Vermont will begin issuing enhanced drivers’ licenses, which can take the place of passports for a quick jaunt over the Canadian border.

What makes these Enhanced Drivers’ Licenses so special? The new licenses contain a radio frequency identification chip  which can be read up to 20 feet away. To reassure Vermonters concerned about the privacy of their personal data, the chip only contains a number. The government can use the unique number programmed into your chip to bring up your picture and other information in a government database, ensuring that the license you’re carrying belongs to you.

Citizens of Vermont will pay an extra $25 for the enhanced IDs, which will undoubtedly be worth it for people who don’t have a passport but make frequent quick trips over the Canadian border. However, the Enhanced Drivers’ License can only be used in place of a passport for trips to countries covered by the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which includes Canada, Mexico, and some countries in the Caribbean.  You will still a need a passport for any other international trips.

If you need to get a passport quickly, the easiest way to get one is to use a passport expediting service like RushMyPassport.com. An expediting company whisks your passport application form through the application process, significantly cutting down on processing time.  In fact, with the help of an expediting service, you can have your passport issued in as little as 24 hours!