Interest brisk in enhanced driver's licenses
Peninsula Daily News
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At least 40 people had booked appointments in the Port Angeles office by 3 p.m. Tuesday, said Brad Benfield, media relations manager for the state Department of Licensing.
"You've had a bunch," Benfield said.
An enhanced driver's license will work like a U.S. passport to re-enter the United States by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the Caribbean as of Jan. 31.
At least two specially trained agents will be in Port Angeles on Wednesdays and Fridays to process applications for the licensees, Benfield said.
They will see about five people per day at the Port Angeles licensing office in Armory Square at 228 W. First St.
The Port Angeles licensing office is the only location in Clallam and Jefferson counties where applications will be taken for enhanced driver's licenses or enhanced state ID cards.
But appointments can't be made at the Port Angeles office.
To make an appointment, phone 866-520-4365, a toll-free number that rings in West Seattle.
The application process, which includes an interview, will take from 45 minutes to an hour.
It is necessary to bring proof of citizenship — a birth certificate or other proof of citizenship such as a passport — and of Washington state residency.
A current driver's license, utility bills, mortgage and insurance documents are among the qualifying items for the residency requirement.
Applicants will need to give their Social Security numbers, too.
Holders of valid licenses will pay $15 for the enhanced license features.
But, when a standard license is renewed with the enhanced features, it will cost $40 for a license that will be good for five years.
It will take from one to two weeks to get the license by mail.
The state licensing office expects that as many as 300,000 people statewide will apply this year for the new license.
Eleven offices throughout the state will take applications.
State developed idea
Washington state began developing the new licenses, which are equipped with radio-frequency identification technology, about 18 months ago in anticipation of stricter documentation requirements at the Canadian border.
Previously, people could show a standard driver's license and make a verbal declaration that they were a U.S. citizen.
Starting on Jan. 31, the federal Department of Homeland Security is asking that people begin providing proof of citizenship to re-enter the country, such as a passport or a driver's license accompanied by a birth certificate.
An enhanced driver's license will fulfill the requirement for land and sea travelers returning from Canada or other U.S. neighbors.
State licensing spokeswoman Gigi Zenk said Monday that in a typical year, about 1.4 million people obtain or renew their driver's licenses.
The department is estimating that of those, perhaps 300,000 will opt for the enhanced licenses.
An enhanced license or ID card will also meet the stronger requirements expected in June 2009, when Homeland Security has said that all international travelers arriving by land or sea must carry passports.
The enhanced driver's license is not enough for air travelers.
Residents returning to Washington state by airplane from any country, including Canada, must have a U.S. passport to satisfy federal Homeland Security workers at airports.
Last modified: January 22. 2008 9:00PM