Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
Overview
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) fulfills the requirements of section 7209 of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA). WHTI requires all travelers to present a passport or other document that denotes identity and citizenship when entering the U.S., and is being implemented in phases for both land & sea and air travel. The goal of the initiative is "to strengthen U.S. border security while facilitating entry for U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign visitors by providing standardized documentation that enables the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to quickly and reliably identify a traveler."
To facilitate WHTI compliance among travelers, DHS is promoting the development of Enhanced Driver's Licenses (EDLs) at the state level to provide a low cost, convenient alternative to passports. The EDL is not to be confused with the Real ID program, which shares a similar mission of identity security. The principal difference between the two is that one must be a U.S. citizen in order to obtain an EDL -- allowing it to serve as a limited-use international travel document -- whereas the Real ID only requires legal status in the U.S. and does not permit international travel. According to its website, DHS is coordinating efforts to ensure that state EDLs adopt standards that Real ID requires, as defined through the Real ID rulemaking process.
The following are useful websites for further details on WHTI and EDLs:
For more information on WHTI and EDLs, please contact Paul Snow or Jeremy Meadows. For more on Real ID, see www.ncsl.org/realid. For more on border initiatives such as the Security & Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP), see www.ncsl.org/standcomm/sclaborecon/NAFTA_expansion.htm
Updated: March 31, 2008
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