Most North Dakotans are used to bringing their birth certificates and driver’s licenses with them when driving to Canada.

Those two forms of identification aren’t enough, however, as of June 1. That’s when passports or passport cards are required to travel to Canada by land.

Because it typically takes four to six weeks to get a passport, people who don’t have them yet but frequently travel to our northern neighbor should get the ball rolling soon.

U.S. passport books cost $100 for adults ages 16 and older, and $85 for anyone under the age of 16. You also have the option of purchasing passport cards at $45 for adults ages 16 and over and $35 for anyone under that age.

The passport card is designed to meet the specific needs of U.S. border resident communities. It facilitates entry and expedites document processing at U.S. land and sea ports-of-entry when arriving from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda, states information from the Williams County Treasurer/Recorder’s office. Although they’re less expensive than passport books, the cards can’t be used for international air travel. Applicants have to go through the same process to obtain passport cards as they do for passport books, said Patti Ogurchak, deputy treasurer.

“It’s more of a money issue,” Ogurchak said as to why passport cards have gained in popularity.

If people plan to go through the process of getting their passports, they might as well get their books so they can travel internationally by air, she said.

It’s also a matter of convenience, said Kyle Stebleton, passport clerk at the Williston Post Office. People who often travel back and forth to Canada by land such as ranchers and truck drivers, like passport cards because of their credit-card size that easily fits in their wallets, he said.

Some people choose to buy passport books and cards in case they want to fly at some point.

Passport cards became available July 14, 2008, states the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs’ Web site. The wallet-sized card comes equipped with a vicinity-read radio frequency identification chip so customs and border protection inspectors can access photographs and other biographical information stored in government databases before the traveler reaches the inspection station, the Web site states.

Like passport books, passport cards are renewed every 10 years for adults and five year for everyone under 16 years of age.

The Williston Post Office encourages people to make appointments to be certain an employee is there to help with the application process. The post office allows about 15 minutes per person to apply for a passport, Stebleton said.

For more information, contact the Williams County Treasurer/Recorder’s Office at 577-4540 or 577-4530, or the Williston Post Office at 572-2408. Information also can be found at www.travel.state.gov