If you’re traveling between the U.S. and Canada, remember that as of today, June 1, new passport rules are in effect.

Gone are the days when you could simply drive between the U.S. and Canada with only a driver’s license to flash to the border agent.

Under the U.S. government’s Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, American citizens re-entering the U.S. need to present a passport, a U.S. passport card, an Enhanced Driver’s License, or a NEXUS “Trusted Traveler” card. The same rules apply to Canadian citizens heading south of the border.

Enhanced Driver’s Licenses are available in the U.S. to residents of Michigan, New York, Vermont, and Washington, and in Canada to residents of British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec.

These ID requirements previously applied only to air travelers, but beginning today, the new rules affect land and sea border crossings as well.

For more background about the passport requirements, have a look at our earlier “Passports Required” blog post. You can also learn more at the U.S. “Get You Home” web site.

And if you want to see how these new rules are affecting line-ups at the border crossings, check with the Canada Border Services Agency or the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency.

Photo by alex-s (flickr)