New Border-Crossing Rule Takes Effect

A rule requiring U.S. residents to show a passport or other high-tech document to re-enter the country from Canada or Mexico took effect Monday, the Associated Press reported.

U.S. border officials will require that travelers have a passport, passport card, enhanced driver’s license, SENTRI card, NEXUS card or FAST card, USA Today reported. A standard driver's license or birth certificate is not sufficient.

Truckers are prepared for the rule, Clayton Boyce, vice president of public affairs for American Trucking Associations, told USA Today. Many drivers already have FAST cards.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection estimates that 80% of travelers crossing the Canadian border have the documents necessary to cross the border, USA Today reported. But travelers on the Mexican border are less prepared, the agency said.