Updated November 7, 2026

Documents to cross the US land border: passport, passport card, EDL or NEXUS (WHTI guide)

Crossing into the United States by car, ferry, boat or cruise? Since June 1, 2009, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) requires travelers entering at land and sea ports under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) to show a compliant document that proves both identity and citizenship.

Adult US and Canadian citizens can use a valid passport, US Passport Card, state or provincial Enhanced Driver's License (EDL), or a Trusted Traveler card (NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST or Global Entry), while US and Canadian citizen children under 16 can cross by land or sea with a birth certificate.

Which WHTI-compliant document do you need by traveler and mode?

The document you need depends on your citizenship, your age and whether you arrive by land or sea, on a closed-loop cruise, or by air. This table compares the accepted WHTI documents across every traveler group and mode of entry into the United States.

Once you know which card or passport fits your trip, check what the officer will ask when you pull up to the booth in our guide to what CBP officers ask at the US border.

Accepted WHTI travel documents by traveler type and mode of US entry (Source: CBP)

What is the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)?

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) is the joint Department of State and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plan that carries out a 9/11 Commission recommendation and the mandates of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. Before WHTI, US and Canadian citizens could state their citizenship orally at the booth or show any of more than 8,000 different documents. WHTI replaced that system with standardized, secure documents that prove both identity and citizenship.

WHTI applies to everyone entering the United States from within the Western Hemisphere: Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Bermuda. It rolled out in two phases: Phase 1 took effect on January 23, 2007 for air travel, and Phase 2 took effect on June 1, 2009 for land and sea ports of entry.

Travel directly between the US mainland and US territories is not affected by WHTI because you have not left the country. CBP lists six exempt US territories: Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. If you visit a foreign island on the same trip before returning to the mainland, you must show a passport.

What documents can US citizens use at land and sea borders?

Adult US citizens (age 16 and older) entering the United States by car, on foot, by ferry or on a pleasure boat must present one of the WHTI-compliant documents below. A standard state driver's license, even a REAL ID license, does not prove US citizenship on its own and is not accepted for adult border crossings.

Here is how the main wallet-sized cards compare with a passport book when you are choosing what to apply for:

• US Passport Book: Valid for all international air, land and sea travel worldwide.
• US Passport Card: A wallet-sized card issued by the Department of State for land and sea crossings within the Western Hemisphere and domestic air TSA checkpoints. It cannot be used for international air travel.
• Enhanced Driver's License (EDL): A state-issued license that proves both identity and US citizenship for land and sea entry from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean, plus domestic TSA checkpoints. EDLs include a Machine Readable Zone and an RFID chip that links to a secure DHS database without storing personally identifiable information (PII) on the chip. DHS states that EDLs are currently available only to residents of five states: Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, and Washington. You can use an EDL at any US land or sea port of entry nationwide, not only in the state that issued it.
• Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) cards: NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST and Global Entry cards are all valid WHTI documents for US citizens entering the US by land or sea. Each card includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip that pulls up your profile for the CBP officer as you approach the booth.
• Special categories: US Military ID card when traveling on orders (including leave orders), US Merchant Mariner Credential when traveling with an travel letter on maritime business, Form I-872 American Indian Card, or a CBP-designated Enhanced Tribal Card.

Passport Card vs EDL vs NEXUS vs Global Entry: which card fits your trip?

Many land border travelers want a wallet card instead of carrying a passport book. Two rules trip people up at the booth. First, CBP notes that a Global Entry card is a US entry document only and cannot be used to enter Canada, Mexico, or Caribbean islands. Second, to use the dedicated NEXUS or SENTRI vehicle lanes entering the United States, every single passenger in the car must be a Trusted Traveler Program member and present their card.

On the DHS Trusted Traveler site, NEXUS, SENTRI and Global Entry each cost $120 for a 5-year membership, and minors are free when applying with or linked to a parent. Commercial truck drivers pay $50 for 5 years for a FAST card.

If you are deciding between the two most popular frequent-traveler programs, read our comparison of NEXUS vs Global Entry to see how the interviews, air kiosks and border lanes differ. If you are driving north, see what CBSA officers ask when you enter Canada.

What documents do Canadian citizens need to enter the US by land or sea?

Canadian citizens age 16 and older entering the United States by land or sea (including ferries) can generally visit for up to six months and must present one of the following WHTI-compliant documents:

- Valid Canadian passport

- Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) or Enhanced Identification Card issued by a participating province (DHS lists British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec)

- Trusted Traveler Program enrollment card: NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST/EXPRES

CBP confirms that a Canadian citizen's passport does not need to be valid for six months past their intended departure date. It only needs to be valid up to the date they plan to leave the United States, and for the entire period of admission.

Native American Indians born in Canada with at least 50% American Indian blood are exempt from passport and visa requirements when entering the United States by land, and should present their tribal identity card to the CBP officer. If arriving by air, a passport is required.

Rules for children under 16 and youth groups (ages 16 to 18)

US and Canadian citizen children under age 16 arriving by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean do not need a passport. They can present any one of the following documents:

- An original, photocopy, or certified copy of a birth certificate issued by the Vital Records Department of the birth state or province

- An original or replacement Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240)

- A Naturalization Certificate

- A Canadian Citizenship Card (for Canadian citizen children)

For newborns of US citizens whose state birth certificate has not arrived yet, CBP allows travel by land or sea using the hospital-issued birth certification. Remember that this child exemption applies only to land and sea travel. Every infant and child flying internationally must have their own passport book.

US and Canadian citizen minors ages 16 through 18 (under age 19) can also use a birth certificate, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, Naturalization Certificate, or Canadian Citizenship Card by land or sea when traveling with an adult-supervised school group, religious group, social or cultural organization, or sports team. Use the checklist below to prepare the mandatory group letter.

Checklist: what a youth group consent letter must include

If you are a teacher, coach or youth leader taking 16-to-18-year-old US or Canadian citizens across the land or sea border on birth certificates, CBP requires the group to carry a written statement on organizational letterhead. Check off every item below before you leave:

• Printed on the letterhead of the school, religious group, social or cultural organization, or sports team
• The full name of the group and the full name of the supervising adult(s)
• A complete roster of all children on the trip
• Each child's primary home address and phone number
• Each child's date of birth and place of birth
• The name of at least one parent or legal guardian for each child
• A written and signed statement from the supervising adult certifying that he or she has obtained parental or legal guardian consent for each participating child

Do you need a passport for a closed-loop cruise, ferry or small boat?

A closed-loop cruise is a cruise that begins and ends at the exact same US port and travels only within the Western Hemisphere. Under WHTI, US citizens on a closed-loop cruise can re-enter the United States with two items: a government-issued photo ID and proof of citizenship (an original or copy of a birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Naturalization).

There is an important catch. While CBP allows you back into the US with a birth certificate and photo ID, the foreign countries your ship visits or your cruise line itself may still require you to carry a valid passport book. Check with your cruise line before sailing.

Ferries and small pleasure boats do not qualify for the closed-loop cruise rule. CBP processes ferries and recreational vessels just like land border crossings, so every passenger needs a standard WHTI-compliant document. Boaters applying for or using a Canadian Boat Landing Permit (Form I-68) or Local Boater Option registration must also hold a passport, NEXUS card or other WHTI-compliant document, as Form I-68 is a vessel registration and not an identity document.

Requirements for Green Card holders, Mexican citizens and other non-citizens

WHTI did not change the rules for US Lawful Permanent Residents or Mexican citizens, and non-citizen residents of Canada follow standard visa or Visa Waiver Program rules. Check your category below before heading to a land or sea port of entry. For a full walkthrough of the inspection process itself, see arriving in the US and what the CBP officer checks at entry.

• US Lawful Permanent Residents (Green Card holders): Present a valid Permanent Resident Card or other valid evidence of permanent residence status (or Form I-512 Advance Parole if a Green Card is pending). CBP does not require LPRs to present a passport to enter the US. If an LPR parent is traveling with US citizen children, those children still need their own US passport or WHTI document.
• Mexican citizens (including all children): Present a valid passport with a US visa, or a Border Crossing Card (BCC / Form DSP-150). A Border Crossing Card works as a stand-alone document only when entering from Mexico by land, pleasure vessel or ferry. If a Mexican citizen enters from Canada or travels by air, the BCC must be presented together with a valid passport.
• Bermudian citizens: Present a valid passport issued by Bermuda or the United Kingdom for all modes of travel.
• Canadian Permanent Residents (Landed Immigrants): Canadian permanent residency does not grant WHTI document exemptions. Landed immigrants need a valid passport and a US nonimmigrant visa, unless they are citizens of a country eligible for the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
• Visa Waiver Program (VWP) travelers at land borders: Since October 1, 2022, VWP-eligible travelers entering the United States by land must have an approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) in addition to a valid passport. CBP encourages applying at least 72 hours before arriving at the land port. As of September 30, 2025, the ESTA application fee is $40.

What happens if you arrive at the border without WHTI documents?

If you are a US or Canadian citizen who is otherwise admissible and you arrive at a US land or sea port of entry without a WHTI-compliant document (for example, your passport was lost or stolen, or you brought only a standard driver's license), CBP states that US citizens will not be refused entry into the United States.

Instead, you will likely be referred to secondary screening and delayed at the port while CBP officers evaluate any evidence of identity and citizenship you have and verify your information against government databases. CBP also handles unforeseen medical and non-medical emergencies, humanitarian situations, and first responders on a case-by-case basis.

What the CBP officer may ask at the land border

Having the right WHTI card gets your profile on the officer's screen, and then the officer asks a few brief questions to confirm your citizenship, your trip plan and anything you are bringing across. Here are common questions at US land ports, what each one checks, and what to have ready:

- "What is your citizenship, and where do you live?", Checks that the person handing over the passport, EDL or birth certificate matches the record and resides where claimed. Have every passenger's WHTI document out of its shielded sleeve and ready to hand over.

- "What is the purpose of your trip, and how long will you be in the United States?", For Canadian citizens and foreign visitors, the officer checks that the visit fits tourist or business rules and does not involve unauthorized US employment. Know your destination address and return date.

- "You spend several months a year in the US. How do you support yourself, and where is your primary home?", CBP notes that the burden of proof is always on a Canadian visitor to show they are not an intending immigrant or de-facto US resident if they spend more time overall in the US than in Canada. Carry proof of significant ties to Canada, such as employment records and proof of residency.

- "Are these your children, and do you have permission from the other parent to travel?", Prevents international child abduction and verifies the under-16 or under-19 youth group birth certificate exemption. Carry the child's birth certificate (original or copy) and, for youth groups, the signed letter on organizational letterhead.

- "Are you bringing any food, plants, alcohol, tobacco, firearms, or goods you purchased abroad?", Checks customs and agricultural rules. Keep purchase receipts in one envelope and declare every agricultural item or purchase honestly.

[PRACTICE_BOX]

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.