Updated November 7, 2026

FAST Card for Commercial Truck Drivers: Eligibility, Fee and Application

The Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Trusted Traveler Program that gives commercial truck drivers from the U.S., Canada and Mexico expedited clearance for known low-risk shipments across the northern and southern borders. According to CBP and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the non-refundable driver application fee is $50 (U.S. or Canadian) for a five-year membership, while carriers and importers pay no fee.

To apply, you submit an online application through the DHS Trusted Traveler Programs portal at TTP.dhs.gov, pass a background risk assessment, and complete an in-person interview and fingerprint check at an enrollment center.

What is the FAST program for commercial truck drivers?

Started after 9/11, the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program is a commercial clearance program run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for known low-risk shipments entering the United States from Canada and Mexico. On the northern border, FAST is operated jointly by U.S. CBP and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). According to CBP, more than 75,000 commercial drivers are enrolled in FAST nationwide.

If you landed here looking for the Canadian immigrant career prep course called Facilitating Access to Skilled Talent (FAST Canada), that is a separate workplace training program. This page covers the U.S. and Canadian customs border clearance card for commercial truck drivers. If you want a personal border card rather than a commercial trucking credential, see our guide on <a href="/visas/nexus">how the NEXUS program and interview work</a>.

CBP and CBSA list several practical benefits for enrolled commercial drivers and carriers:

• Access to dedicated FAST highway lanes (where available) for faster border clearance
• Fewer border inspections and minimal documentation required to clear the port of entry
• Priority, front-of-the-line processing for CBP inspections, and access to CBSA's FAST-1st traffic-light priority system at select Canadian ports
• Passport alternative benefits: under the U.S. Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), U.S. and Canadian citizens can use a FAST card instead of a passport when entering the U.S. by land or water, and as proof of identity and citizenship when entering Canada in any highway lane or by water

FAST North vs FAST South and the C-TPAT carrier link

A FAST card on its own does not let you drive a truck into a dedicated FAST lane. Both CBP and CBSA require that every link in the supply chain be certified as low risk before a shipment qualifies for a FAST lane.

According to CBP's FAST Fact Sheet, participation requires that every link in the supply chain, from manufacturer to carrier to driver to importer, is certified under the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT). More than 10,000 companies worldwide are certified C-TPAT members, and CBP conducts onsite visits to domestic and foreign facilities to validate their security measures.

Because northern border crossings involve two countries' customs agencies and southern border crossings enter the U.S. from Mexico, the agency reviews and supply chain programs differ by direction.

FAST North vs. FAST South and supply chain requirements (CBP and CBSA)

FAST card eligibility and documents you need to apply

FAST enrollment is open to commercial truck drivers from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. To qualify, CBP states that you must satisfy the program's eligibility criteria, pass a risk assessment and fingerprint check, and be admissible to the United States (and admissible to Canada for northern border transit).

While your FAST card is valid for five years, CBSA reminds drivers that your underlying immigration status must remain valid at all times. You must carry your required immigration and identity documents, such as a passport, permanent resident card, birth certificate, or work permit or visa, in addition to your FAST card. Permanent residents of Canada or the U.S. cannot use the FAST card as a passport replacement and still require a valid passport and applicable visa to enter the United States.

Before you start the online application on the TTP system, CBSA advises having these items in front of you:

• Proof of citizenship and admissibility (one of the following): a valid passport, birth certificate, Canadian citizenship certificate (with photo) or card, or Certificate of Indian Status
• Proof of current place of residence (one of the following): a valid driver's license, other provincial identification card, or other federal identification card
• Vehicle registration information (CBSA notes this is not mandatory on the form)
• Your current FAST card number, if you are renewing an existing membership
• A valid credit card to pay the non-refundable US$50 processing fee

FAST card fee, validity and cost breakdown

The processing fee for a commercial driver's FAST membership is $50 (U.S. or Canadian), according to CBP's FAST Fact Sheet. CBSA notes that the US$50 processing fee is non-refundable and can only be paid by credit card during the online application.

Once approved, your FAST membership is valid for five years. By our calculation from CBP's published $50 fee and 5-year validity period, a FAST card costs $10 per year of membership. There is no FAST application form or fee for carriers or importers.

If you are weighing whether to get a commercial FAST card or a personal Trusted Traveler card, check our comparison of <a href="/nexus-vs-global-entry">NEXUS vs Global Entry</a> to see how personal traveler programs work.

How to apply for a FAST card step by step

CBSA no longer accepts paper application forms for the FAST program. Every driver must submit a separate online application through the U.S. CBP Trusted Traveler Programs (TTP) System at TTP.dhs.gov, which replaced the older GOES portal.

If you mailed a paper application more than three months ago and have not received a processing notice, CBSA instructs you to contact the Canadian Processing Centre. All new and renewing drivers follow these four steps online:

• 1. Create a TTP System account: Go to TTP.dhs.gov (or follow the link from the CBSA FAST page after reviewing the privacy exit notice) and register in English to create a password and receive an identification number. Each driver needs a separate account and application.
• 2. Fill out the online FAST application and pay the fee: Sign in, complete the FAST driver form using your citizenship and residence documents, and pay the non-refundable US$50 fee by credit card. When you submit, your application goes to both U.S. CBP and CBSA.
• 3. Wait for conditional approval: Both agencies run a background risk assessment. CBP states that online review generally takes 2 to 3 weeks. CBSA lists a current estimated processing time of 30 business days (and notes the overall process to determine eligibility takes 6 to 8 weeks). In the April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022 fiscal year, CBSA reported informing 8,186 applicants within its 30-business-day service standard 100% of the time.
• 4. Schedule and complete your enrollment center interview: Monitor your TTP account for a conditional approval notice, which invites you to book an in-person interview at a convenient FAST enrollment center. CBP and CBSA have resumed interviews at land enrollment centers in both the U.S. and Canada.

What happens at the FAST enrollment center interview?

Once your online application is conditionally approved, you book an appointment through the TTP scheduler to finalize your enrollment in person. Processing times do not include interview scheduling, which depends on appointment availability at your chosen enrollment center.

At the enrollment center, a CBP officer (and a CBSA officer for northern border transit) conducts an interview, verifies your original documents, and completes a fingerprint check. CBP advises bringing proof of identity, proof of address, and your citizenship and admissibility documents.

Be ready for the officers to verify every detail on your TTP application, including your citizenship, current residence, commercial driving employment, and admissibility to both the U.S. and Canada. For a closer look at how dual-agency land border interviews run, read our guide to <a href="/nexus-interview">NEXUS interview questions and what to bring</a>, or review <a href="/us-border-questions">what CBP officers ask at the US border</a>.

If your application is denied during the risk assessment, your TTP account will notify you of the denial and the reasons why. CBP states that applicants denied membership can make an appointment at an enrollment center to discuss the denial, or consult CBP Appeals / CBSA Recourse if a membership is rejected or revoked.

[PRACTICE_BOX]

Dedicated FAST lanes and rules for crossing the border

CBP states that the majority of dedicated FAST vehicle lanes are located at northern border ports in Michigan, New York, and Washington state, and at southern border ports from California to Texas. On the Canada-U.S. border, CBSA lists five ports of entry with dedicated FAST lanes:

• Sarnia, Ontario / Port Huron, Michigan
• Pacific Highway, British Columbia / Blaine, Washington
• Fort Erie, Ontario (Peace Bridge)
• Emerson, Manitoba
• Windsor, Ontario / Detroit, Michigan

How to use your FAST card and the FAST-1st option

Having a card in your wallet is only one part of a legal FAST crossing. CBSA outlines strict procedures for using dedicated FAST lanes and regular highway lanes:

Check every link before entering the lane: Let's walk through a quick scenario written by our team. Suppose you hold a valid FAST card and are hauling auto parts from Ontario into Michigan for a C-TPAT approved carrier and importer, with your spouse riding in the passenger seat. Even though you, the truck, and the freight all qualify, you cannot use the dedicated FAST lane unless your spouse also holds a valid FAST commercial driver card. If anyone in the cab lacks a FAST card, or if you are carrying personal purchases over your personal exemption allowance, you must use the regular commercial lane.

When your shipment and cab meet every requirement, follow these border procedures:

• Dedicated FAST lanes: Stop and hold your FAST commercial driver card(s) in front of the card reader (where available), then pull forward and stop at the inspection booth to complete processing.
• Ports without a dedicated FAST lane: Present your FAST card(s) directly to the border officer in the inspection booth each time you cross.
• CBSA FAST-1st ports: At select Canadian ports of entry, traffic lights control the dedicated FAST lane. When you get a green light, you can pick whichever open inspection booth has the shortest line instead of waiting for a single designated FAST booth.
• Declaring goods: You must declare all commercial and personal goods every time you cross into Canada or the U.S. If your personal goods exceed your personal exemption or allowance, you must use a regular lane.
• Qualifying goods into Canada: To use streamlined FAST clearance into Canada, the freight must ship directly from the continental U.S. or Mexico, must not be prohibited, controlled, or regulated under federal or provincial law, and must not require release from another government department.

How to renew your FAST card before it expires

You can renew your FAST membership up to one year before your current expiration date, which is printed on the front of your card just to the right of your photo. CBP confirms that renewing early does not cause you to lose any time on your current card. Your new five-year renewal period starts the day after your old card expires and ends on your subsequent birthday.

To renew, sign in to your account at TTP.dhs.gov, click the Renewal button, update your address or document details if anything has changed, and pay the $50 fee. Just like a first-time applicant, renewing drivers must continue to meet all eligibility and admissibility rules and pass CBP and CBSA risk assessments.

Visaful is an AI mock interview app for US visa interviews: an AI officer asks your visa's questions out loud and shows what to fix.

This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or any government agency.