New ID requirements to enter U.S.A.

As part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), on June 1, 2009 Canadian citizens
entering the U.S. by land or water must have one of the following:

Passport;

NEXUS card;

Free and Secure Trade (FAST) card;

Enhanced driver's license or enhanced ID card from a province where a US-approved program has been implemented;

Secure certificate of Indian status (when this certificate is available and approved by the US).

Canadian citizens 15 years of age or under are only required to present proof of Canadian citizenship (an original or a photocopy of a birth certificate or a citizenship card). Canadian citizens 18 years of age or under who are traveling with a school or other organized group, under adult supervision with parental/guardian consent, may also present proof of Canadian citizenship.

US citizens traveling by land or water from Canada to the US must have a passport, passport card, state "enhanced" driver's license or a trusted traveler ID like the NEXUS card.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted a video on its Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) website to show US and Canadian citizens travelers how to benefit most from their new WHTI-compliant documents.

Washington State Ferries in Anacortes, WA from Sidney, BC on Vancouver Island. Photo by Sue Frause.