NY approved enhanced US licence to meet border crossing rule
BUFFALO, N.Y. — "Enhanced Drivers Licenses" will be accepted from travelers entering New York State from Canada, rather than showing a passport.
For now, though, only U.S. citizens are eligible for the EDLs, and the New York EDL is available for commercial drivers.
Canadian authorities are close to securing agreements with U.S. Homeland Security officials, which allows Canadians to use EDLs as well.
Several provinces are already working on enhanced driver’s licences that would include advanced security features and contain citizenship information.
The move was approved by U.S. Customs and Border protection as part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which requires all visitors to prove their citizenship at the border starting June 1, 2009.
It’s expected that an EDL would add a $30 premium on top of the $130 cost of a standard U.S. CDL.
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