So when the federal Department of Homeland Security announced two years ago that it would soon require all those entering the U.S., including American and Canadian citizens, to have a passport, Washington’s governor and British Columbia’s premier took action.

Working with Homeland Security, their jurisdictions are both developing a kind of super driver’s license that will meet Homeland Security’s need to screen out noncitizens and at the same time save time and money over the passport procurement process.

Homeland Security already requires all air travelers arriving in the U.S. from abroad to have passports. It could require all travelers arriving by land or sea to have them by January, though that might be postponed because of bottlenecks in the passport issuance system that in some cases have tripled the time it takes to get a new or renewed passport.

Meanwhile, Washington state’s Department of Licensing is on track to roll out an “enhanced driver’s license” beginning in January. That document, if everything goes as planned, will be accepted by Homeland Security as a substitute for a passport at all land or sea entry points to the U.S.

The News Tribune recently talked with Becky Loomis, assistant director of state and federal initiatives for the DOL, who heads the enhanced driver’s license effort, about plans for the pilot program’s implementation.

What does Homeland Security want in a license to allow it to be used as a passport substitute?

What they are looking for is a document that will provide them with the same level of information and confidence of citizenship status and technology similar to the passport. What they were looking at is what they call the MRZ – that’s a Machine Readable Zone – which is similar to the hashmarks on a passport as well as the RFID (radio frequency identification) technology.

What information will these computer-readable marks contain?

The information in the MRZ is the same information as is on the front of the license. The only number there is the number that associates you with a record in our database. There is no other number on the card. What it will allow them to do at the border is to pick up that record from the DOL and be able to pull it up on-screen for the Customs and Border Patrol staff to verify that it’s a valid document that the individual is using.

What are the advantages of an enhanced driver’s license over a passport?

One of the advantages is cost. Our fee will be $15 above the normal cost of getting your driver’s license or ID card. Your children will also be able to get an enhanced identification card so you won’t have to obtain a passport for the kids. Again, $15 above the cost of obtaining an ID card, so $20 plus the $15 for enhanced ID for a total of $35. For a license renewal now, the cost is $25 for an adult plus $15 if you want the enhanced driver’s license or a total of $40 for an enhanced license. Passports now cost $97 plus any additional express fees if you need it in a hurry.

What documents will I need to get an enhanced license?

You’ll need documents to establish your identity, documents to establish your citizenship, and you’ll have to establish that you’re a state resident. The key one is that you’ll have to establish your citizenship. The documents would be, for instance, a passport or a certified copy of your birth certificate or it can be a naturalization certificate or it can be a certificate that you are a citizen born abroad.

What documents can you use to establish you’re a Washington resident?

We’ve not got those finalized yet, but we typically look at documents that establish your intent or that you have a residence here. Typically those could be mortgage documents or banking documents.

Once I’ve gathered up the documents, what next?

We are starting off with 12 offices across the state. We’ll conduct a separate interview with an individual who will look at the documents and ask questions to authenticate the documents. Once that takes place, we’ll take a photo just like a regular driver’s license and issue you a temporary license. When you get your actual license in the mail, it will have a header on it that says “Enhanced Driver’s License.”

How long will it take to get that enhanced license in the mail?

We believe it should take no more than a couple of weeks.

If my driver’s license isn’t due for renewal yet, can I upgrade it to an enhanced license?

Yes, if you do that, the fee will be $15. When it’s time for your regular renewal, you’ll pay your regular renewal rate.

Will the enhanced license be good only at the Canada-U.S. border?

No. We’ve been told that it should be good anywhere you enter the U.S. by land or sea, say from Mexico or from a cruise to the Caribbean.

John Gillie: 253-597-8663

john.gillie@thenewstribune.com

Washington’s enhanced driver’s license

When: Beginning in January

Where: 12 Department of Licensing offices across the state

Cost: $15 more than a regular license or ID card, a total of $40 for a normal license renewal

Processing time: Two weeks or less

Documents needed: Proof of citizenship and Washington residency

Good for: In lieu of a passport at land or sea border crossings into the U.S.

Suspended enhanced licenses: Not good for driving but will work for admittance to the country