The U.S. States and Canadian Provinces have worked very closely with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to develop a secure, highly tamper resistant Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) that includes vicinity radio frequency identification (RFID) capability, a machine readable zone – optical character read (MRZ-OCR) and contains multiple layers of overt, covert, and forensic security features.

The EDL is an acceptable stand alone Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) compliant document for entry into the United States at all land and sea ports of entry.  The State EDL is only available to United States citizens legally residing in the state of issuance and the Provincial EDL is only available to Canadian citizens legally residing in the province of issuance. When the EDL is presented by a United States or Canadian citizen traveler, no other documentation is required for purposes of proving identity and citizenship.

Four U.S. States and four Canadian Provinces are currently producing EDLs, or are taking applications and conducting interviews to move to production by May 29, 2009. 

As of May 12, 2009: 

Ø  New York State has produced over 73,000 EDLs; 

Ø  Washington State has produced over 56,000 EDLs; 

Ø  Michigan State has produced over 1,600 EDLs; 

Ø  Vermont State has produced over 2,400 EDLs; 

Ø  Quebec Province has produced over 5,900 EDLs; 

Ø  Ontario Province has booked over 2,000 interviews; 

Ø  British Columbia Province has conducted 1,500 interviews and booked another 3,000; and, 

Ø   Manitoba Province has conducted 1,800 interviews. 

 

Radio Frequency Identification Technology (RFID)

Ø  The WHTI document requirements will close a substantial vulnerability.  At the same time, WHTI implementation poses operational challenges particularly in the land border environment.  To balance effectively the security imperative and the continued facilitation of legitimate trade and travel, DHS decided to expand the use of vicinity Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. 

Ø  RFID technology refers to systems that allow a device to read information contained in a wireless device or “tag” from a distance without making any physical contact or requiring a line of sight between the two.  It provides a method to transmit and receive data from one point to another.  

RFID Technology in Border Management
Ø  The United States government uses two types of RFID technology for border management—vicinity and proximity.  RFID technology has been commercially available in one form or another since the 1970s.  It is now part of our daily lives and can be found in car keys, employee identification, medical history/billing, highway toll tags, and security access cards. 

Ø  Vicinity RFID means that an RFID-enabled document can be securely and accurately read by authorized readers from up to 20 to 30 feet away.  

Ø  Proximity RFID means that an RFID-enabled document must be scanned in close proximity to an authorized reader and can only be read from a few inches away.  

Ø  Vicinity RFID technology is a proven means of speeding travelers through land border entry that has been used successfully in DHS trusted traveler programs since 1995--the NEXUS, SENTRI, and FAST programs. 

Ø  These trusted traveler programs currently have more than 575,000 participants.  Participants benefit from expedited processing, and security is enhanced through the ability to affirmatively identify the individual and conduct admissibility checks. 

Ø  In utilizing vicinity RFID technology, DHS adheres to the most stringent requirements for safeguarding personal data.  No personal information is stored on the card – only a number, which points to the information housed in secure databases.   

RFID in EDLs and Other WHTI-Compliant Documents

Ø  CBP will either maintain the information from the documents in its secure database or ping the secure database owned by the agency that issued the RFID-enabled document, if the agency can meet CBP’s performance and response requirements.   

Ø  CBP will need real-time access to the biographic and biometric data that allows a CBP officer to make a rapid and thorough admissibility decision when an individual presents the document at the border.   

Ø  The RFID chip is read as the vehicle queues for inspection at the border.  It signals the database so that biographic information, a photo, and the results of terrorist/criminal checks are displayed to the CBP Officer as the vehicle pulls up to the inspection booth.  The CBP Officer can look at the results quickly and focus on the individuals in the vehicle – better for officer safety and faster processing. 

Ø  No Personally Identifiable Information (PII) will be transmitted from the card.  The chip sends a number that has meaning only to the secure DHS database, where the issuing information is held.   

Privacy Protection

In leveraging technologies for border security and facilitation of legitimate global travel, DHS is mindful of privacy concerns, and is committed to adhering to strict privacy standards.  As most privacy and security professionals recommend, the vicinity RFID enabled WHTI-compliant documents will incorporate several layers of privacy mitigations. 

Ø  The first layer will be that no personally identifiable information will be stored on the card’s RFID tag or be transmitted by the card.  The card will use a unique identification number which will link to information contained in a secure database.   This number will not contain or be derived from any personal information. 

Ø  Even though the RFID tag will only contain an identification number, not personal information, additional mitigations will be employed to minimize any privacy issues – these include awareness education and security shielding. 

Ø  Because RFID is still relatively new, educating individuals who have a vicinity RFID enabled document – on how to use, carry, and protect the document – is essential and will be aggressively pursued in our public relations campaign as well as directly provided to individuals during the enrollment process. 

Ø  Appropriate radio frequency shielding (a Faraday cage) will be available to travelers as an effective way to prevent any issues with skimming and tracking. 

Ø  Together, these protections provide a significant level of security and privacy. 

Ø  DHS has published a privacy impact assessment on the use of RFID technology that is available to the public on www.dhs.gov.

REAL IDs and Enhanced Driver’s Licenses

Ø  DHS has worked to align REAL ID and EDL requirements.  EDLs that are developed consistent with the requirements of REAL ID can be used for official purposes such as accessing a Federal facility, boarding Federally-regulated commercial aircraft, and entering nuclear power plants. 

Ø  Although the goal of enhancing identification security is shared by both programs, there are some distinctions.  While the REAL ID requires proof of legal status in the U.S., the state issued EDL will require that the card holder be a U.S. citizen.  The EDL will also serve as a limited-use international travel document. 

Ø  The purpose of REAL ID is to establish minimum standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards to be accepted for official purposes.  When presenting a driver’s license for official purposes such as accessing Federal facilities, boarding Federally-regulated commercial aircraft, or entering nuclear power plants, it must be a driver’s license that is compliant with the REAL ID regulation. 

Ø  A REAL ID will not necessarily include RFID technology, whereas an EDL will in order to facilitate border crossing and verification by CBP at a port of entry.  REAL IDs are not prohibited from including this technology, but it is not a requirement. 

Ø  An EDL will also include an MRZ to allow CBP officers to read the card electronically if RFID is not available.  A REAL ID will include machine readable zone (MRZ) technology, though not the international travel document standard MRZ.  REAL ID includes a 2D barcode primarily to allow State and local law enforcement to verify that the document is valid. 

Ø  The Canadian Provincial EDLs, follow the same guidelines as the state EDLs and do include process and security measures outlined in REAL ID as well as the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America.       

For More Information

Ø  For more information about Customs and Border Protection’s trusted traveler programs and changes in international land and sea travel document procedures, please visit www.cbp.gov and click on the “Travel” tab. 

Ø  For more information about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative please visit www.dhs.gov.