They scan your passport at land ports of entry now?

I recently came down for a quick trip to SLC from BC, to visit with family and friends. One of my friends drove up to BC from Utah to visit with me, and I drove back down with her. When crossing the border, they scanned my passport? I thought they only did that at airports?
Usually if you just show your DL and Birth Certificate they pass you through without scanning anything.

Anyone know the reason they are scanning passports at land ports of entry now? By the way I have one of the ordinary passports, not one of the new e-passports.

Welcome to the board extreme.

But where have ya been love? This is what all the hoopla has been about, requiring passports to cross the borders. Although it isnt a requirement yet, I'm sure they are "practicing" now.

Oh maybe you looked dodgy

Thanks for the good ol' fashionned hospitality! I love it!You know, I just thought I'd make a guest appearance.

Anyway, yeah, I'm just looking to see if anyone knows if scanning a passport at the US border is new policy, and if so, what are they doing it for, and what are they tracking precisely?

Your welcome!

Hey Extreme.


No, scanning is not that new of a policy. I think I have been scanned for the last couple years now. By scanning, border guards have to do less work and it shows that the identification is legitimate. I guess it's a faster way of trying to figure out if you are really you.

They have the technology, they might as well use it. They're tracking the same info that they track when they scan your passport at an airport. Your date of entry and exit and your status.

That's the thing.they didn't scan me when I went back over the border into Canada, but scanned me when I came to the US a week later. So how can they be checking your date of entry vs. exit, when they don't scan you on the way back, and only scan you on the way in?
It must be for the reason of legitimacy.

What you'll notice is that sometimes they will scan you and some times they won't. I know a lot of people, including myself, have gone over the border and realised they didn't scan us, thinking if they don't scan then they technically don't know how long you have been gone or if you have overstayed. You will also notice the US will scan more than Canada. We are a little bit more care free at the border.

They don't keep track that consistently to be honest but it's always good to obey the rules. And yes, they are definitely checking to see if your identity is legit.