Enhanced license or real id will be needed for domestic. Note that five states michigan, minnesota, new york, vermont and washington also issue an enhanced drivers license edl as a proof of identity and u. It denotes both identity and citizenship, per the western hemisphere travel initiative. Enhanced drivers licenses and real id enhanced drivers license and real id are two separate programs. Find out how to replace your enhanced driver license or enhanced id card if its lost or stolen. In washington state, an enhanced driver license edl or enhanced id card eid are real id act compliant, but arent marked with any special star.
Learn how to renew your enhanced driver license or enhanced id card. Enhanced drivers licenses, another option, have been issued by only four states. It is an optional travel document that also serves as a nys drivers license that will be accepted as an alternative to a passport for all land and sea travel between the united state, canada, mexico, bermuda and the caribbean. While it doesnt replace a passport, it is accepted in lieu of a passport for the purposes of tsa. Texas driver licenses and identification cards do not contain an electronic chip. An edl can be used for travel by land or sea between the united states and canada, mexico or the caribbean. In addition to acting as a drivers license, edls allow travelers to visit neighboring foreign countries, including canada, mexico and parts of the caribbean, as long as they are. An enhanced drivers license also contains a radiofrequency microchip that uniquely identifies a person in customs and border protection cbp databases. Complete the appropriate application for your situation. There are circimstances in which other documents will apply if you do not have one or more of the aforementioned items. It is a federally approved document that includes a machinereadable barcode an radio frequency identification rfid chip to speed border crossings. Edl are a state issued drivers license with an added security check and an additional fee in many border states. Some states issue an enhanced driver license or identification card that contains an rfid radiofrequency identification chip to assist with rapid identification checks at federal border. Requirements vary by state, but in all cases you must be a u.
The enhanced driver licenses and enhanced id cards edlseids can be used for all federal identification purposes, including. Effective march 24, 2020, we will suspend issuing, renewing and booking appointments for enhanced driver licences edl and enhanced id cards eic until further notice. The enhanced license is a passive, ultrahigh frequency rfid that will be activated by the scanners at a border crossing point. An enhanced drivers licence in canadian english, enhanced drivers license edl in u.
Enhanced drivers licenses and real id enhanced driver s license and real id are two separate programs. My state is planning an enhanced drivers license with an rfid chip in it. Youll need whats called a federal real id or an enhanced license if you dont want. Enhanced driver license edl erie county clerk michael. Enhanced drivers licenses what they are and where to get them. An edl is also in compliance with the new western hemisphere travel initiative whti security measures. Enhanced drivers licenses edl as the name suggests, an enhanced drivers license edl is a driver license with a few extra perks. Commercial driver license cdl instructional videos. English, or enhanced id in other common usage, is a card which. The expiry date is on the front of your edl other travel documents.
These allow a resident with the edl to cross an international border and to return to the us by car without a passport. Passports in new york motorists wondering what is the difference between a new york dmv enhanced license and a passport card should know that the edl like a cross between the two documents. Tsa wont be accepting standard drivers licenses to travel in 2020. English, enhanced drivers licence in canadian english, or enhanced id in other common usage, is a card which functions both as driving licence and id card with limited passport features issued in some states in the united states and some provinces in canada to people who are both citizens of the country. Edl abbreviation stands for enhanced drivers license. An enhanced drivers license edl is a drivers license issued by certain states of the us and is made to conform to the specifications set down under the western hemisphere travel initiative whti.
An edlid has a fee that is in addition to the standard fees for licenses andor nondriver id license fees vary by class, duration, and endorsement. They provide travelers with a lowcost, convenient alternative for entering the united states from canada, mexico or the caribbean through a land or. An applicant for an enhanced drivers license or personal identification certificate must submit a biometric identifier as designated by the department, which, notwithstanding any other law, may be used only to verify the identity of the applicant for purposes relating to implementation of the border crossing initiative established by this section. What is the abbreviation for enhanced drivers license. Do i need to pass the knowledge or driving tests to get an enhanced driver license. By december 2017, the new credential became available at all service centers throughout florida and online. An enhanced license permit, or nondriver id is a new york state dmv issued document that you can use instead of a passport to return to the us by land or sea from canada, mexico and some countries in the caribbean.
An enhanced drivers license edl is a governmentissued permit that, in addition to the standard features of a drivers license, includes an rfid tag that allows officials to pull up the owners biographical and biometric data. Austin, texas if your drivers license doesnt have a gold star on it, you. If youre planning to travel a year from now, you may need a new enhanced drivers license or a real id. New jersey started issuing enhanced drivers licenses in 2011 that contained over 20 overt and covert features to help meet the guidelines in a 2005 federal security law.
Stateissued enhanced drivers licenses edls provide proof of identity and u. Guide for first time dlid applicants dl100e drp surcharge repeal faqs. A stateissued enhanced drivers license edl provides travelers not only a license to drive but also a proof of identity and citizenship when exiting and reentering the united states borders. For example, an edl resembles a passport card in that it. California, arizona, and texas driver s licenses may soon be enhanced as well, which would make crossing the usmexico border easier for american citizens. Washington state residents can obtain an edl as long as they meet the requirements for a washington intermediate driver license, which is the license new drivers. A real id drivers license is pictured in this video still from the new york state dmv.
Starting in october 2020, youll no longer be able to fly in the u. Enhanced drivers licenses what they are and where to. If you have a valid edl, you can use it until it is expired or needs to be replaced. Enhanced drivers license edl department of motor vehicles.
My state is planning an enhanced drivers license with. Currently, in the united states, the states of minnesota, michigan, new york, washington, and vermont, offer edls. An enhanced drivers license is a special license that can be obtained by those who are entering the united states from mexico, canada or the caribbean. An enhanced drivers license edl is one that meets new guidelines from the u. The texas department of public safety has been issuing real id.
If you want an edl for your first wa driver license, you must pass both the knowledge and driving test if you already have a valid driver license from wa or another state, you dont need to pass the knowledge or driving test unless you have a medical or physical condition that indicates testing is required. A stateissued enhanced drivers license edl provides travelers not only a license to drive but also a proof of identity and citizenship when exiting and re. Beginning in october 2020, only real idcompliant drivers licenses. Meaning, these are the cost of the added feature on the drivers license on top of the drivers license price. Some states issue an enhanced driver license or identification card that contains an rfid radiofrequency identification chip to assist with rapid identification checks at federal border checkpoints. English, or enhanced id in other common usage, is a card which functions both as driving licence and id card with limited passport features issued in some provinces in canada, in some states in the united states, and for the people who are both citizens of the country and residents in the relevant region. New wa driver license and identification cards youtube. You may apply for other travel documents, such as a.
An american citizen with proper identification and the appropriate fee can obtain an enhanced drivers license edl at the state agency which issues drivers licenses in the states of. Enhanced drivers licenses or edl proof of date of birth. An edl is valid for 8 years, the same as a regular nys drivers license. What is an enhanced drivers license, and which states. It serves as a permit to operate a vehicle, an identification source and proof of citizenship in the us.
All texas driver licenses and identification cards, both compliant star and non compliant no star are valid until the expiration date shown on the card. What is an enhanced drivers license through the dmv. How much does enhanced drivers license cost in 2020. Since 20, the enhanced drivers license edl became available for some. Department of homeland security dhs and can be used as a border crossing credential into canada, mexico or the caribbean islands. This is a card under the western hemisphere travel initiative whti that has security features and technology that make travel a lot easier and safer. Does texas have a enhanced drivers license answers. The enhanced driver s license edl and real id are based on two different congressional mandates with divergent requirements.
All texas driver licenses and identification cards, both compliant star and noncompliant no star are valid until the expiration date shown on the card. Enhanced drivers license ask a cruise question cruise. Federal real id act txdps texas department of public. Beginning may 2019, the department began issuing modified credentials removing. Usually this means a state drivers license, passport or birth certificate. Enhanced drivers license this is a drivers license that can also be used as a crossborder travel document to enter the u. The enhanced drivers license edl is a special drivers license that allows michigan motorists to cross into the u. New yorks edl is compliant with the western hemisphere travel initiative whti. Applying for an enhanced driver license or enhanced id is on a voluntary basis.
Arizona, california, and texas are working on implementing an edl program. The enhanced drivers license edl and real id are based on two different congressional mandates with divergent requirements. As the name suggests, an enhanced drivers license edl is a driver license with a few extra perks. Each of these states is currently weighing the best options for supplying the cards and what it would mean for border control. An enhanced drivers license edl in minnesota is a credential that motorists can apply for in order to get additional benefits that a regular drivers license does not offer. In washington state, an enhanced driver license edl or enhanced id card eid are real id act compliant, but arent marked with any. See how to update your address or name on your enhanced driver license id card. An enhanced drivers license edl is equivalent to a u. Minnesota residents may obtain either an enhanced license or an enhanced id eid card through the division of driver and vehicle services dvs of the minnesota department of public safety mn dps. New york dmv get an enhanced driver license edl or real id.
The enhanced drivers licence edl was a travel document that acted as proof of identity and citizenship when traveling to the united states by road or water. An enhanced nondriver photo id card endid complies with whti. The additional cost for an enhanced drivers license edl or an enhanced nondriver id card endid is the same for both documents. If you have an existing appointment for an edl or eic, icbc will contact you directly.
Edl is an attempt to satisfy the mandate of the western hemisphere travel initiative, which was passed by. A class d license is a regular drivers license required to operate a vehicle weighing 26,000 pounds or less. A real id is required by october 2020 in order to fly domestically in the united states. Enhanced drivers licenses edls are stateissued identification cards that are issued after an extensive process that includes collecting certain biometric data. In canada, the provinces of british columbia, quebec, manitoba, and ontario offer.