Which U.S. states currently issue Enhanced Driver’s Licenses or Enhanced IDs and how do their application requirements differ?
Executive summary
Five U.S. states currently issue Enhanced Driver’s Licenses (EDLs) or Enhanced IDs (EIDs): Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington, and those cards are accepted by federal agencies for travel and REAL ID purposes (DHS; TSA) [1][2]. While the core purpose—proof of identity and U.S. citizenship for land/sea border crossings—is consistent, application details differ in where and how applicants must appear, which documents are required (citizenship, identity, Social Security number, residency), and fees or renewal rules vary by state (DHS; state DMV pages) [3][4][5][6].
1. Which states issue EDLs today — a short inventory
Federal and state sources list Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington as the only U.S. jurisdictions currently issuing EDLs/EIDs; DHS and the archived REAL ID guidance explicitly name those five states [1][2], and multiple policy summaries and DMV pages reiterate the same roster [7][8].
2. What an EDL/EID does and why federal agencies treat it specially
An EDL/EID functions both as a driver license and a limited passport alternative for entry at U.S. land and sea ports under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative; DHS and TSA treat EDLs as acceptable alternatives to REAL ID for boarding aircraft and entering federal facilities because they are designed to meet federal identity and citizenship verification standards [3][2][1].
3. Common application requirements across the five states
All issuing states require stricter document verification than a routine license: applicants must prove U.S. citizenship or lawful presence, identity, Social Security number, and state residency—documents that are typically presented in person at first issuance—so first-time EDL/EID applicants should expect an in‑person appointment and to supply birth certificate/passport, SSN evidence, and proof of address (DHS; Vermont DMV; Michigan guidance summaries; MOST Policy Initiative) [3][4][5][7].
4. State-by-state practical differences (what the reporting shows)
Washington’s Department of Licensing emphasizes that its EDL is REAL ID‑compliant, is used for land/sea re‑entry, and has specific in‑person steps for getting, renewing or replacing the credential [9][10]; Vermont’s DMV requires an in‑person first issuance and specifically lists “Proof of Identity and Date of Birth” among the mandatory documents [4]; Michigan’s program requires in‑person appointments and documentary proof of citizenship, identity, residency and Social Security number to upgrade to an EDL [5]; New York’s DMV allows conversion to an enhanced license when renewing but sets rules about renewal windows and acceptable residency documents, reflecting an administrative path that differs from a straight first‑time in‑person application [6]. Reporting for Minnesota in these sources confirms participation but provides fewer state‑level procedural snippets in the supplied set [2][7].
5. Privacy, technology and objections — the contest around RFID and data
DHS states that no personally identifiable information (PII) is stored on the EDL’s RFID chip and the chip only signals a secure system to pull up biographic/biometric data for a CBP officer, but concerns about radio‑frequency technology and privacy have driven political pushback historically—California abandoned a proposed EDL over privacy concerns, illustrating the persistent debate between convenience at the border and data‑security worries [3][11].
6. Costs, renewals and practical caveats — what remains unclear in reporting
State sites and secondary guides note application and technology fees (Washington’s fee elements are referenced and Michigan lists a mix of fees), but detailed, comparable fee schedules and exact processing times across all five states are not fully compiled in these sources; similarly, Minnesota’s operational procedures receive less detail in the supplied reporting, so a complete side‑by‑side table of fees and step‑by‑step requirements cannot be fully produced from the available material [5][10][7].
7. Bottom line
For travelers and residents who need a single card that serves as a driver license, a REAL ID alternative and a limited border‑crossing document, only five states—Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington—offer that option today, and applicants should expect in‑person verification of citizenship, identity, Social Security number and residency with state‑specific rules about renewal, fees and conversion [1][2][4][6]. Those weighing convenience against privacy should consult their state DMV for precise document checklists and fee schedules because the federal summaries confirm program existence but leave fine procedural differences to the states [3][9].