RFID-enabled driver’s licences prove popular in Michigan
Six months ago, the Michigan state government announced that it would begin accepting applications for new RFID-enabled enhanced driver’s licenses. As of today, the Secretary of State’s office in Michigan has received more than 80,000 applications for the enhanced licenses, which can be used instead of passports when re-entering the United States from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and 17 Caribbean nations.
The enhanced licenses come embedded with an RFID microchip hooked up to an antenna that transmits a unique identifier when detected by an RFID reader.
An enhanced license costs $45 new and $38 to renew, $20 more than a regular license.
According to Ron Smith, spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a continued increase in the use of enhanced driver’s licenses would result in speedier border crossings and increased security.
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