Just to make it clear upon this post - The US Government enacted the WHTI (Western Hemisphere Travel Inititive) which requires that ALL United States Citizens returning to the United States obtain a passport or passport equivalent -
Enhanced Driver License is a passport equivalent -
The last I knew if memory serves me right, only four US states participate with the enhanced driver license program (Washington, Minnesota, Michigan, New York) with a 5th US State later on applied to participate in the program (Vermont)....
There are four differences between a :
1 -real ID or real ID driver license
2 -enhanced driver license
3 -passport card or equivalent
4 -passport book
1 - The purpose of the real ID or real ID driver license is maintaining a central federal database for permitting domestic US air travel, access to US federal gov't buildings and installations...it has no bearing what so ever for international travel....
2 - The enhanced driver licenses are only allowed to be issued from Continental US states that directly border with Canada, with the option to participate....
When the program first started under the WHTI (Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative managed under the US Dept of Homeland Security), only four US states first optioned to participate (WA, MN, MI, and NY)...and later on I believe VT joined to issue enhanced driver licenses....
Enhanced driver licenses that are issued from these 5 US states are both equivalent with the same characteristics as a valid passport card while also real ID compliant....
3 - A passport card (also managed under WHTI), permits entry to all land and sea ports of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean Islands only....To my knowledge it cannot be used for air travel, however the last I knew there was an added exception a couple years ago to start permitting restricted air travel to only four int'l airports in Canada with the US passport card to and from the United States via Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and I think either Edmonton or Montreal....
4 - A US passport book's purpose is designated for all forms of air, land and sea travel at all ports of entry (international) while it is also domestically real ID and passport card compliant....
The last I knew, Real ID's and passport cards are valid for 5 to 7 years (unless recently changed) as US passport books are still valid for 10 years at a time....
The one factor upon real ID's, enhanced driver licenses, passport cards or equivalent, and passport books all have in common are :
They all establish both proof of identity and proof of citizenship.
For the record, I first obtained a US passport in 2006 to be future compliant when the US government announced their new required travel rules between countries, and since they added the real ID initiative in the mix later on - a US passport book supersedes any restricted real ID and passport card compliant measures as there is no need for me to obtain any other form of ID as I have a US passport book (valid for 10 years) and a standard driver license (now valid for 7 years)....
Here is a twister in the mix upon the WHTI rules strictly between 'typical' United States and Canada citizens .....
Only citizens of Canada can enter the United States without bearing a passport, as all US citizens and other foreign citizens are required to bear a passport or equivalent to enter or re-enter the United States....
A citizen of Canada that wishes to enter the United States without a passport must show established :
-proof of citizenship (a birth certificate or equivalent) AND
-proof of identity (a government issued ID or driver license if operating a vehicle)
Not under the WHTI rules :
Only citizens of Canada and the United States can enter Canada without bearing a passport....
A citizen of the United States that wishes to enter Canada without a passport must show established :
-proof of citizenship (a birth certificate or equivalent) AND
-proof of identity (a government issued ID or driver license if operating a vehicle)
However, any US citizen when entering Canada will always be asked to present a passport or equivalent mainly because the government of Canada fully knows that US citizens are required to bear a US passport or equivalent when re-entering the United States....
If a US citizen wishes to enter Canada with just a gov't ID and proof of citizenship - there are some exceptions depending the circumstances that a CBSA or immigration officer of Canada will determine at their discretion, however if one declares that they are taking a long vacation in their RV to Alaska while planning to return to their origin destination in the states - I wouldn't really count on any Canadian official permitting entry as more likely they will inform that US citizen to obtain a travel document.
Not under the WHTI rules (which is US law) :
Citizens of the United States that re-enter the United States without bearing a passport or equivalent CANNOT BE DENIED ENTRY....
-One will automatically be referred to secondary inspection and...
-One will be going thru additional screening measures until CBP officers are satisfied establishing -proof of identity and proof of citizenship on an individual....
More likely when it comes to dealing with CBP re-entering the United States under those circumstances, one will wish they had a passport.
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