MASSENA, N.Y. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Massena Port of Entry recently implemented a pilot program providing officers the ability to scan the two-dimensional bar code from a non-enhanced U.S. state/Canadian provincial driver's license. Under current requirements, the nearby Akwesasne community in northern New York also presents tribal identification cards, which are non-machine readable. Before the pilot program, CBP lacked ability in the vehicle primary inspection area to automatically scan driver’s license or other identification documents that are not radio frequency identification-enabled, or lack a machine-readable zone.
“Presenting a state or provincial driver’s license with a tribal identification card will increase security at the border and allow officers to more efficiently and expeditiously process Native Americans,” said Port Director Robert Dwyer. “This is a win-win for the community of Akwesasne and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Travelers experience a faster inspection, and CBP has the ability to scan the information for increased accuracy.”
Further information on documents accepted for entry into the U.S. via land may be found at https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/western-hemisphere-travel-initiative.