Enhanced driver's license

An enhanced driver's licence in Canadian English, enhanced driver's license (EDL) in U.S. English, or enhanced ID in other common usage, is a card which functions both as driving licence and ID card with limited passport features issued in some provinces in Canada,[1] in some states in the United States,[2] and for the people who are both citizens of the country and residents in the relevant region, compliant with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.

Examples of enhanced driver's licenses from the United States

An EDL is a combined driver's license and passport card, meaning it allows for international land and sea travel, but not air travel, to countries that recognize it. The card includes machine-readable RFID and barcode for automated identification of the card and its holder.

As a Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative-compliant travel document, an EDL may be used for "official purposes" (such as boarding a domestic flight) covered by the U.S. REAL ID Act.[3] However, a U.S. state that issues only EDLs, but does not issue any other REAL ID-compliant driver's license, is not deemed compliant with the REAL ID Act unless granted an extension.[4] Likewise, REAL ID-compliant licenses alone are not sufficient to cross international borders, even if a state gives its REAL ID-compliant licenses a similar name.[5]

EDLs are available to U.S. citizens who reside in the states of Michigan,[3][6] Minnesota,[3][7] New York,[3][8] Vermont,[3][9] and Washington.[3][10]

EDLs are available to Canadian citizens residing in British Columbia[11] and Manitoba,[12] and formerly in Ontario [13] and Quebec.[1][14][15] After running it for five years, Quebec discontinued the EDL program, citing low demand as the reason. Current EDL (Driver's Licence Plus) identification cards will remain valid until their expiration dates. British Columbia announced in early 2021 that the province will be phasing out EDLs.[16] Driver's Licence Plus documents have not been issued since 30 September 2014.[17]