RFID driving licences could be used for Canada-US border crossings
By Conrad Quilty-Harper 
posted March 26th 2007 3:39AM
posted March 26th 2007 3:39AM
Washington State drivers are soon to be subject to a pilot trial of RFID embedded driving licenses that will be used to facilitate the passage of Americans returning from trips to Canada. The new licenses will be issued from January 2008 and will look almost identical to traditional licenses, but will include information about citizenship and other unnamed variables. For now, the new cards will remain optional and will cost only $40 (compared to a $97 passport) but will require an interview in person along with proof of American citizenship. The underlying reasoning for the trial is the changes to federal security rules which make it a requirement for all citizens -- American or not -- to prove their identity when entering the US by sea or land. Accompanying the trial is the usual series of justifications by authorities like Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff who said "It is security for our nation and our state. But it's also security for the individual"; Stockwell Day, Canada's public safety minister, even threw in the obligatory 9/11 reference by reminding us that "Canadians also died in those towers". Oh, where were the insecure RFID tags on September 10?[Thanks, Samuel V]
Yes, Oh mighty Big Brother, please protect me. I'm a scared American and I think bad, dark skinned people from the Middle East will come and get me in my sleep. This new Driver's License will protect me and help me sleep better at night. Thank you Big Brother. Whenever you want Big Brother, just tell me to bend over and I will. Lube or no lube.
A better solution is to simply join the US and Canada under United North America.
Unfortunately if we fly, we'll still have to use passports to enter the USA regardless. The helicopter gun ships will catch us if we get over illegally anyway...but not the Coast guard! LOL
As a Canadian that doesn't travel much and when I do only to the States I welcome this. My family of 5 can ill afford ~$500 for passports to make 1 trip a year into the States.
Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's secure. I like to think that the RFID is about as secure as a 2D barcode. I think that sometimes people get a little over enthused with things that that appear "magically".
As a dual citizen who lives part time in each country, I welcome this.
However, the bigger issue is how ridiculous the screening is. The U.S. government hires mostly unqualified people, pay them poorly, and then wonder why there are problems and inefficiency at border crossings and airports. A private company should be doing this, not the government. No wonder "TSA" usually means "Thousands Standing Around".
Stockwell Day is a tool of the highest degree.
I'd just like to be the first to remind everyone:
The 9/11 terrorists had valid ID. RFID in passports and driver's licenses would have done absolutely nothing to prevent 9/11.
I think it's sad that the US government is willing to facilitate and encourage the theft of an entire state's worth of identities. They really should read Engadget. :P
There is already something similar in the US-Mexico border. It's not embedded in the Driver's License but it's a separate RFID embedded ID card that is used for a special access lane called SENTRI. Anyone can get it as long as you go through the investigation process and you are approved. Your car also gets an RFID tag on the windshield so by the time you approach the border agent he already has all your info on their screen. You hold your ID up at sensor right before you get to the booth, and another antenna reads the car sticker.
From what I've seen the only data being transmitted is a number and that info is co-related in their DB so that the only thing that someone can pull off the ID card or the car sticker is the Portpass ID.
Cloning would not work as your license plates are scanned right before you reach the border agent and shown to him on the screen along with the rest of the data in their DB (make, model, color, etc). Your picture is also shown to them on the screen and you show the ID to them.