Tallahassee, Florida - September 21, 2011 -The state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles wants to offer drivers an 'enhanced driver license,' which would have security features allowing the card to be used instead of a passport when crossing some land or sea international borders. Several other states have such cards, particularly states that border Canada. That allows drivers to go back and forth across the border without having to carry a passport.
New Florida Driver's License Design
In Michigan, the licenses even have technology in the card that allow them to be scanned from a distance, speeding up border crossings. Drivers can simply hold up their card. One reason they could be useful in Florida is that re-entry into the United States from several Caribbean countries could be made with just the driver's license, allowing travelers to go on Caribbean cruises without the expense of having to get a passport, said Steven Fielder, legislative affairs director for DHSMV. Fielder mentioned that the agency is exploring the concept, and wants to offer the licenses, when he presented the department's legislative agenda Tuesday to the House Transportation and Highway Safety Subcommittee. The agency is still studying how much it would cost, but Fielder said officials think they could offer the card for around $75.
In Michigan, the enhanced licenses are $45.UPDATE: The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles says that the reason the Michigan licenses are only $45 is that they are only good for 4 years, while the proposed Florida license would be good for 8 years at a proposed price of $75.