Driving Across Border Will Require Passport

Big changes in border crossing requirements are coming up June 1st, and travelers will now be required to show a passport or special ID card to cross the borders between the United States and Canada and Mexico.  A driver’s license or birth certificate will no longer be sufficient.  Air travelers have been subject to the passport requirement for over two years, but travelers by land and sea have been exempt.

If you don’t have a passport yet, it’s time to get one.  It’s a fairly easy process, and I outline the steps to get a passport in a previous post.

If you live in a border state, there is an enhanced drivers license option that features extra security features.  This options, however, is only available in a few states:  Washington, New York, Vermont, and Michigan.

The State Department is beefing up staffing in anticipation of a lot of passport requests, so plan early to allow enough time for processing.

Photo credit:  SXC