Posted by DonR_NYC on 6/4/08 3:28pm
Msg #249995
No Passport Needed to Enter NYS
NYS NOTARIES TAKE NOTICE
Enhanced Driver Licenses for U.S. Citizens Who are Residents of NYS
A WHTI-Compliant enhanced driver license (EDL) or non-driver photo ID card will be available to drivers who can prove U.S. citizenship and NYS residency, and can be used instead of a passport at US land and sea border crossings between Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean.
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is a federal rule that regulates which documents US citizens can use when they travel in the Western Hemisphere. You can read more about this initiative at the web site of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
A NYS EDL would be both a driver license document and a travel identification document for land and sea border crossings between the US and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean. The NYS EDL would not be acceptable for air travel between these countries.
Only those who can provide proof of identity, NYS residency and US citizenship would be eligible for a NYS EDL. Enhanced Driver Licenses will also be available to those who qualify for a commercial driver license (CDL) or a motorcycle license. Enhanced versions of non-driver photo identification cards and other types of NYS documents will also be available.
NYS plans to issue Enhanced Driver Licenses by the end of late summer 2008.
An EDL would allow a NYS resident to travel by land and sea between the US and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean without a US passport, would speed border crossing, and the fee for an EDL would be less than the cost of a passport.
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Reply by MikeC/NY on 6/4/08 5:54pm
Msg #250006
Thanks for posting this, Don. I read about it in the local paper about a week ago. My guess is it will be more useful to those up on the border who cross over on a fairly regular basis and who were raising a stink about the new regulations. Every so often, our dysfunctional legislators actually do something to help us...
As far as cost is concerned, if I recall correctly the EDL will be $90 as opposed to $50 for a standard DL, and both are valid for 4 years; I think a passport is good for 10 years (unless that's changed recently), so that option would be cheaper. My numbers may be way off base, so please correct me if I'm wrong.
I'm curious whether any other border states are doing something similar.
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