LANSING – Michigan residents will be able to get driver’s licenses next spring that will also get them back across the Canadian and Mexican borders, Secretary of State Terri Land announced Monday.
Land and U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials signed an agreement Monday in Detroit that will allow the department to issue licenses that comply with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.
The federal law requires the new licenses, or a passport or federal passport card, beginning June 1, 2009, for return from Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
Officials expect the new enhanced driver’s license, which will be optional, will cost more than a standard license, though state law limits that fee to $50 maximum.
“This is a victory for Michigan families and job providers,” Land said. “It offers motorists an affordable, single-document option that meets their driving and border crossing needs. Equally important, it allows commerce between Michigan and Canada to continue uninterrupted.”
“With this agreement, Michigan’s leadership has shown both its innovative spirit and its commitment to national security,” said DHS Assistant Secretary for Policy Stewart Baker. “The state enhanced driver’s license will bolster security through advanced technology, and at the same time it will make travel faster and easier.”
Land first proposed the enhanced license in 2005 shortly after the federal law was first enacted. The proposal initially got some resistance from federal officials, who were concerned about adapting state IDs to meet the federal requirements, but the deadlines for enacting the law have since been pushed back.
Michigan is the fourth state to sign an agreement with Homeland Security to implement the enhanced licenses.
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