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Save/ShareStarting yesterday, thanks to the Department of Homeland Security, all Americans will need more I.D. to re-enter the U.S. by car from Canada. (Until now, only a driver's license or birth certificate was required.)
You must now provide border agents with two forms of identification. (If you have a passport, you'll only need to show that.)
The two documents must be a proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, and a government-issued photo ID, like a driver's license. Details and fine print can be found at the State Department's website (travel.state.gov).
My wife and I went to Seattle last year, and took a side trip to Vancouver. We waited in line for over an hour at Customs. I wonder how much worse the lines will be if the border agents need to verify several documents now. (My wife and I sped through at the gate itself as we had our passports ready.)
A new rule is expected to go into effect by summer 2009. That rule is expected to require U.S. citizens present a passport or a passport card when crossing the Canadian border and when doing other land/sea border entries.
If you don't have a passport yet—and most of our fellow citizens don't—go to travel.state.gov for instructions and applications. The fee is $100, as of today..
Of course, a larger issue remains: Should you need a passport to visit Canada? Our blog readers recently posted more than 100 impassioned comments about this topic. Read the comments by clicking here, and feel free to chime in.
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I'm pretty sure that the passport or passport card won't be the only options - new high tech drivers licences or Native ID cards are coming too.
They aren't being too strict about the rules for the first couples of weeks...as long as by not strict you understand that you'll wait longer without the right documentation.
Posted By Jen on February 1, 2008, 2:42 PM
Last time I checked, Canada was a sovereign country and not the 51st state, so of course a passport should be required. If and when Canada,the U.S, and any other neighboring country decide to enter into a union like the EU then "intra" member nations won't require a passport :D
Posted By carlos on February 4, 2008, 12:40 PM
My husband and I are planning on getting passports. The thing is that the application asks when you are going to travel. The answer is sometime before the passport needs reissued. We don't have set dates that we are going anywhere, just wanted to get them for when we decide to go. So how do you deal with that? I don't understand the passport between Canada and the US. I can see picture ID. I can also see two forms of ID because it is so easy to get falsified ID's.
Posted By Gail Harris on February 4, 2008, 12:40 PM
Trekking over to Buffalo for some amazing outlet shopping or into Detroit to watch the Blue Jays take on the Tigers is something friends and I have been doing for years. And for years, with just a driver's license. I don't understand why the American government is constantly paranoid that they are under attack.... for the most part, people traveling BY CAR through the border are doing exactly what I'm doing. The ridiculously long lines and further ID requirements are not keeping away "suspicious behaviours", they are keeping away solid business from both sides of the border from people who are fed up and don't want to be treated as a criminal. Think of it this way: if someone REALLY wants to invade your country, getting a realistic looking passport will not be very difficult.
Posted By Joanna G on February 4, 2008, 3:48 PM
I think this is perfectly fine to ask for a passport becuase it is a uniform ID. With other kinds of ID they are no consistant from state to state. I feel everyone should have a passport. Every other country you visit you will need a passport, why not Canada? It is no different than going to anywhere else in the world it just happends to be connected to us.
Posted By Brandy on February 4, 2008, 7:48 PM
Can you say "fascist country" ?
HS or SS are pretty much the same.
Ve vill control you!!
As usual, excessive laws only inconvenience people, both honest and dishonest and do nothing to prevent crime.
When are the American people going to wake up and demand their rights back?
Posted By Rich S on February 5, 2008, 1:15 AM
I'm in favor of passport use at all Intern'tl X'ings. I'm totally AGAINST the $95 fee, and seriously question the government bean-counter's actual cost estimates in producing the darned things. They do NOT have a history of doing these things under real-world conditions,y'know!
Posted By IndyMo on February 5, 2008, 11:22 AM
First to Joanna G. - We are not paranoid and the comment is completely unjustified. It was OUR country that was attacked not yours. It was our citizens that lost their lives. Maybe you would see it differently if someone attacked your Canadian cities. Does Canada allow just anyone to enter from other countries, or do they need a passport or visa? Maybe when more U.S. citizens have a passport they will skip going to Canada and spend their money elseware.
Secondly - The cost of a passport went up effective Feb. 1, 2008. New passport is $100 up from $97, renewal is $75 up from $67 and the passport card is $45.
I recently traveled to Canada last year and found the wait to go through customs in both directions was approximately 30 minutes and all four of us had a drivers license and birth certificate as suggested by both governments to help speed the process of entry and reentry. We also plan on going back later this year, with a passport, as we had a wonderful time and everyone was very cordial.
Posted By Laird on February 5, 2008, 1:25 PM