SEATTLE — The state Department of Licensing expects that as many as 300,000 people will apply this year for a new “enhanced driver’s license” that is secure enough to use when re-entering the U.S. by land or sea.
Washington state began developing the new licenses, which are equipped with radio-frequency identification technology, about 18 months ago in anticipation of stricter documentation requirements at the Canadian border.
Previously, people could show a standard driver’s license and make a verbal declaration that they were a U.S. citizen. Starting next month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is asking that people begin providing proof of citizenship to re-enter the country, such as a passport or birth certificate.
Washington drivers will have to provide a Social Security number and proofs of residency and citizenship, and be interviewed by Department of Licensing staff, to get an enhanced license. At $40, it costs less than half the fee for a U.S. passport. Drivers can begin applying for the new licenses this month at 11 offices around the state.
State licensing spokeswoman Gigi Zenk said Monday that in a typical year, about 1.4 million people obtain or renew their driver’s licenses. The department is estimating that of those, perhaps 300,000 will opt for the enhanced licenses.
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