New advancement to speed up border crossing between Windsor and Detroit

A new technology that will enhance the experience for cross-border travelers is now available at the Canadian port of entry at the Ambassador Bridge.

The Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA) is adding Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to traveller lanes at select ports of entry across the nation.

The technology is able to read travel documents embedded within RFID chips on personal documents such as enhanced driver’s licences and NEXUS cards.

Once a traveller holds their enhanced driver’s licence to an RFID scanner, their information is retrieved from secure databases, assessed for risk and then displayed on the border services officer’s screen at the primary inspection line.   

The wireless technology saves time by eliminating manual entry of traveller information. The latest upgrade will help the CBSA officers meet the growing demand for fast and efficient traveller screening.

The CBSA can read all of these RFID-enabled travel documents, such as electronic Canadian Permanent Resident card, Canadian Enhanced Driver’s License from Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia, Enhanced Identification Card from Manitoba and British Columbia, NEXUS card and Free and Secure Trade (FAST) card.  

There is no cost to travellers if their travel documents are already RFID-enabled and no personal information is stored on the RFID chip.

CBSA reps say the RFID technology will likely be available at the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel by the spring of 2018.

Editor's note: A previous version of this story indicated the technology would be available at the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel, which is not yet the case.