New York state residents who will be traveling, can now leave their passports at home and pick up an Enhanced Driver License (EDL) instead to ensure a more convenient and pleasant trip.
The EDL provides a less expensive, smaller and more expedient alternative to the passport for those who frequently travel by land and sea into the United States from Canada, Mexico and some nations in the Caribbean. It can also be used for domestic air travel.
“We are pleased that so many New Yorkers are aware of this popular new license and are seeking more information from our web site about EDLs,” said David J. Swarts, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.
The EDL was launched as a secure document that meets driving, identity and border crossing needs and was designed to fit in a wallet. The document is available to any New York resident who is a United States citizen.
Within the first ten weeks after the EDL was introduced, New York issued more than 10,000 new documents. Since then, more than 260,000 have been sold and in July of 2009, approximately 52,000 travels used an New York EDL to cross an international border.
The fee for an EDL is $30 in addition to any fees required for your driver license or non-driver photo ID card transaction, but is more economical than a passport, which can cost more than $100.
New York residents who obtain an EDL will only be required to carry this one document, as it is both a driver license and a travel identification document.
For more information and to view a detailed list of frequently asked questions, the application form and required proofs of identity and residency needed to apply, visit the EDL web page at www.nysdmv.com.
