The new rules apply to everyone entering the United States by land INCLUDING Americans returning home from Canada. I got my Nexus card quite a few months ago. It costs $50 which is less than a passport and it's only valid for travel between Canada and the USA in both directions. You have to fill in all the paperwork which takes a month or so to be verified and then you have to go for an interview at a customs office and be photographed and fingerprinted by both a US and Canada Customs officer all in the same office. All the rules are explained and you sign off on them. There are Nexus car lanes at all the border crossings which allows you to bypass the lineups and generally you're only stopped for a cursory look to see if you are in fact the person on the card. The card has a chip in it and their are scanners as you drive through the Nexus gates which instantly pops your picture and details onto the border guards screen. Every person in the vehicle using the Nexus lane/gates MUST have their own Nexus card including children. Failing to do so means the driver, who is responsible for ensuring his/her passengers have one, WILL lose their Nexus card permanently. Another little feature. If you are returning home to Canada from another country by air other than Canada or the USA you can use your Nexus card and avoid the long lineups at the airport. Not sure if this applies to Americans returning home or not. Oh and something else.. since you are basically bypassing Customs any purchases you make in the USA must be written down on a form and deposited in the drive-thru box re-entering your country. They have your credit card number on file and if there's any taxes or duties owing on the goods they will charge them against your credit card automatically. I buy plenty of groceries and other things in Michigan and have never yet been charged any taxes or duties on my credit card. It's very convenient and sure beats sitting in a lineup for hours some days. Since I'm only 1/2 mile from the border I can just drive over, do grocery shopping etc and be back home sometimes in less than 45 minutes whereas if I had to lineup it would be an all morning deal.

Posted by lynn_d: "Jannie, you were told correctly, they are making allowances but please be aware that they do not have to do so, and frankly I wish they would not." Can you point to a news article that says they are "making allowances" for those who have not complied with the final phase of the WHTI yet? People have known for years that this was coming into effect and have had plenty of time to go about getting their passport, passport card or EDL, or whatever other document that can also be used (Military ID, Tribal Enhanced ID, Sentri, ect.). June 1, 2009 was the final deadline. I would be curious to know for a fact, that the border guards were going against the law. --------------- The following summarizes information that appeared in the recent past on the Department of Homeland SecurityÂs website proclaiming the new rules for land and sea travel and has been copied from their website verbatim: * CURRENTLY: All U.S. citizens must show proof of identity and proof of U.S. citizenship when entering the United States from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the countries of the Caribbean by land or sea. Acceptable documents include: U.S. Passport Book, U.S. Passport Card, or other document approved by the Department of Homeland Security. U.S. citizens who do not have a single document verifying identity and citizenship must present both an identification and citizenship document; for example, a driverÂs license and a copy of a birth certificate or naturalization certificate. * LATER: On June 1, 2009, the U.S. government will implement the full requirements of the land and sea phase of WHTI. The proposed rules require most U.S. citizens entering the United States at sea or land ports of entry to have a passport, passport card, or other travel document approved by the Department of Homeland Security. http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html Right here on the PDF printout brochure linked here below from Customs and Border Patrol is shows photos of the accepted ID for all travelers coming into the US. It clearly notes that the two document option is only valid until June 1, 2009. http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/sea_travel/faqs/doc_reqs_poster.ctt/doc_reqs_poster.pdf These are GOVERNMENT WEBSITES that I am linking to, not some kid's blog. This is the official word on the matter. Here is a link that might be useful: June 1, 2009 Deadline

Typical government rip-off, you get cheated out of 6-9 months of a 10 year purchase. (Why not make it 11 years??) Book to your hearts content, travel people could care less if you have one or not. But they remind you that boarding can't be done without proper documentation. I got mine right before the last price hike. Some peoples travel qualifies them to use the Passport Card. Cheaper. You get your old one back, punched invalid, but keep it. It is still a vaild form of ID. Happy travels to some beautiful sunny beach.

Glenda- The passport card is faster because it has embedded information. I think some time in the future passports will have it too. But we also wanted the card to use as another means of identification - even when you're not traveling anywhere. It's a government issued ID card that you can carry in your wallet. I leave my passport at home unless I'm traveling out of the country. The passport card is easy to keep with you. This is from the USPS web site: Purpose of Passport Card The U.S. Department of State began issuing passport cards in July 2008. The new wallet-size U.S. Passport Card is a travel document that can be used to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry. Note that it cannot be used for international air travel. The passport card is more convenient and less expensive than a passport book. To increase speed, efficiency, and security at U.S. land and sea border crossings, the passport card contains a vicinity-read radio frequency identification (RFID) chip. This chip points to a stored record in secure government databases. There is no personal information written to the RFID chip itself. With RFID technology, Customs and Border Protection inspectors will be able to access photographs and other biographical information stored in secure government databases as the traveler approaches an inspection station. The passport card uses state-of-the-art security features to prevent against the possibility of counterfeiting and forgery. In addition, a protective, RFID-blocking sleeve is provided with each passport card to protect against unauthorized reading or tracking of the card when it is not in use.