The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The US government on Thursday tightened access to US territory from Canada, requiring that both US and Canadian travelers entering the country present proof of identity and citizenship, the Department of Homeland Security said.
US Customs and Border Protections agents began requiring US and Canadian travelers — who once were routinely waved through at border checkpoints — to present government-issued proof of identity, such as a passport, driver’s license or birth certificate.
The new rules, which apply to travelers entering by land and sea ports, are part of an ongoing US effort to beef up its northern border, which has been deemed by some security experts vulnerable to incursions by terrorists and criminal elements.
The rules change affects US and Canadian citizens, not those of other countries, who already must present a valid passport to gain entry to the United States.