Need a quick way into Canada? Get in line

The rush is on to get the state’s new driver’s licenses that act somewhat like a passport.

More than 2,600 people called this week clamoring to get the enhanced driver’s licenses, said Gigi Zenk, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Licensing. People filled up appointments through March at most offices around the state with the first appointments beginning Monday.

Estimates are 300,000 of the 1.4 million people who renew their driver’s licenses this year will get the enhanced license.

The new license will allow state residents to travel by vehicle or boat to Canada and Mexico without a passport, Zenk said. A passport is still required to travel to another country by airplane.

Jerry Olsen of Everett was one of those who rushed to make an appointment.

“Once in a while I get a wild hair and go up (to Vancouver, B.C.),” he said. “This license is supposed to take care of the passport business.”

His appointment isn’t until Feb. 29.

Olsen said his main goal was to get a license that is more secure, explaining that he worries about people trying to steal his identity.

“I don’t think it hurts to have good ID on you at any time,” he said. “If I can get something better than a driver’s license, then, damn right, I’m going to go for it.”

Buying an enhanced license will cost an extra $15, pushing the cost of renewal to $40. Those who want the enhanced license before their current one expires can get the new license for $15.

The new program was put in place so state residents can travel to and from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean more freely when new regulations requiring a passport for international travel kick in. That deadline has been pushed back several times and now sits at summer 2009.

“People are coming out (to get the new licenses) because of the convenience of them,” Zenk said. “You get a two-for-one document that fits right in your wallet.”

The enhanced license is considered the most secure in the country, Zenk said. An image of the person’s face is filed on a computer chip imbedded in the license. Using biometric scanners, border agents will be able scan a person’s face and match it against the image on the computer chip, allowing them to confirm identity.

Washington is one of the first states in the nation to offer the passportlike IDs and developed them with the approval of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The state spent $8.9 million to launch the new program, Zenk said.

While all available appointments are booked into March at most of the state’s 11 offices that offer the new licenses, she said, some spots in February are still available at the Smokey Point office.

Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, chairwoman of the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee, said hundreds of people move across the border every day. Others visit up north often, for recreation, to visit friends or to shop. Many of them don’t want the hassle of getting a passport, she said.

Making it easier to cross the border also is crucial for commerce between the two countries, she said.

The Legislature appropriated money to develop the new license so people traveling across the Canadian border are not unduly restricted, especially during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Haugen said.

“Could you imagine what it would be like if the Olympics came and the only way you could get up there was with a passport?” she asked.

Reporter Lukas Velush: 425-339-3449 or lvelush@heraldnet.com.

License info

The state Department of Licensing is offering an enhanced driver’s license that can eliminate the need for a passport to travel by boat or vehicle to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the Caribbean.

A regular driver’s license costs $25. The enhanced license costs an extra $15, for a total of $40, and is offered at 11 Department of Licensing offices. To make an appointment to apply for one, call 866-520-4365.

Local offices that offer the enhanced license and identification cards are at:

n 3704 172nd St. NE, Suite K-1, Arlington

n 18132 Bothell Way NE, Suite B-6, Bothell