Enhanced Driver Licenses

There's a lot of guff floating around about the new EDLs and Enhanced Identity Cards as illustrated by this article: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/607859

As far as I can see there are no privacy issues, the same information is disclosed to CBP as when you use a passport or NEXUS card. The RFID chip only contains a unique identifier and it works the same way as a NEXUS card. There is (or was at any rate) a plan to put RFID chips in passports too. They give you an envelope to keep the card in that prevents the chip from being read, and even if it was all they would get is the ID code. There's no way of accessing the database, because only CBP have access to it - the risk is the same as your passport information being stolen.

A lot of incorrect information floating around as well, currently only BC and Québec actually issue EDLs, and BC will only issue them to people born in BC (this will be expanded eventually). This guide explains how they work in Québec: http://www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca/publications ... _guide.pdf

Manitoba issues an EIC, but not an EDL, they plan to around the end of the year. Ontario does not currently issue either one, they plan to start next year.

The real snag with these things is that you can only use them to enter by land or sea at properly equipped POEs. A lot of POEs aren't properly equipped yet, they're concentrating on the big ones between BC/Washington, Manitoba/Minnesota and Québec/New York/Vermont/Maine for obvious reasons.

Various US States have started issuing them as well, Washington and Vermont being the main ones on the northern border.

Another piece of information they don't tell you - these things can only be issued to US and Canadian citizens (maybe Mexican citizens at some point) and currently a State or Province will only issue them to citizens of that country although they could issue them to citizens of the other country but there's no signs of that happening yet.

Personally I think the NEXUS card is the better option, because you can use it for air travel too (although you still have to use a properly equipped POE).

I think the big problem is the cost. My understanding is that the Quebec EDL costs an extra $40 in addition to the regular cost of a license. If you're going to spend that kind of money, you might as well get a passport. It will cost a little more, but at least you can use it on flights as well (unlike the EDL). For this reason I really don't see the benefit of getting an EDL over a passport.

Which is also why a NEXUS card makes more sense, it's the cheapest option usually. The idea of the EDL is convenience, the Ontario Govt. commissioned a study and a lot of cross-border travel is spontaneous, so people don't have their passports with them. Say you want to go to Buffalo for dinner.

Really the whole thing is a dog-and-pony show to prove to the Americans that it can be done and encourage them to issue them, because Ontario doesn't really benefit by making it easier for people to shop in the US, they want people to come in from the US. But I suspect the price will put a lot of Americans off anyway. The hope is that if the option is provided to you at the DMV, people will be more likely to take it up.