Re-Entering the U.S.
When re-entering the U.S. by air from a foreign country, all U.S. citizens must have a Passport. Citizens re-entering by land and sea may use a passport or other accepted secure documents, such as a Passport Card, Enhanced Drivers License or Nexus Pass. Children 18 and younger may re-enter by land and sea with just a birth certificate.
First-time passport applicants must apply in person at a passport facility (the cost is $100 for ages 16 and older; $85 for those under 16). Passport regulations can be found on the State Department’s website.
You can get your passport photos taken at any AAA store.
Passport Card
The U.S. State Department offers a U.S. Passport Card to facilitate entry and expedite document processing at U.S. land and sea ports-of-entry when arriving from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. The card may not be used to travel by air, but will otherwise carry the rights and privileges of the U.S. Passport book and will be adjudicated to the exact same standards. The Passport Card costs $45 ($35 for children) for first-time applicants. For adults who already have a standard Passport, the cost is $20.
For more information, click here.
Enhanced Drivers License
Approved and developed with federal authorities, the Washington Enhanced Drivers License can be used in lieu of a passport (or the birth certificate/photo ID requirement) for land and sea travel to Canada — for example a driving trip or ferry to British Columbia — and other Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative countries. The Enhanced Drivers License is not valid for air travel. For more information on the EDL, visit the Washington Department of Licensing Web site.
Border Identification Regulations
For details, consult the Department of Homeland Security’s site.
Nexus Pass Program
For details, click here.
