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The Toronto Star reports that your provincial licence could get you over the border in the future:

New licence may double as passport Feb 22, 2007 The Ontario government plans to start issuing new "high-security" drivers' licences by the end of the year, the Star has learned. The government believes it can convince the U.S. to accept the new licences as alternatives to passports, which American lawmakers are saying must be used to cross the border by land as early as next January. The new licences will feature laser engraving, holograms, currency-like print quality and other security measures invisible to the naked eye, said a government source familiar with the project. Premier Dalton McGuinty will tout the effort in Washington next week as he joins Manitoba Premier Gary Doer and New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham to lobby members of Congress and state governors on the border issue. "There's a constant recognition you have to update these things and this is an opportunity to make our licences the most secure in North America," said the source. "The Americans seem open to alternatives to the passport," he added. A number of provinces and border states have echoed Ontario's concerns that cross-border trade and tourism will suffer, potentially costing jobs, if pending passport requirements under the U.S. Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative are not shelved. Air travellers heading into the U.S. are now required to have passports, a measure that will be required for anyone crossing the border on land by June 2009, but possibly as soon as next January. "We want to find a workable solution for families, businesses and governments," said McGuinty, who will talk with state counterparts at a meeting next week of the National Governors' Association. It is not yet clear whether the new Ontario licences will indicate the holder's citizenship, but talks on this front are now taking place with the federal government amid concerns about personal privacy issues. American officials have balked at continuing to use provincial drivers licences as ID because they can't be relied on for proof of citizenship, which is a federal responsibility. But the Ontario source said enhanced security measures would make it easier to detect forged drivers' licences and do a better job of safeguarding citizens' personal information at a time when identity theft is on the rise. There have been signs the American could back away from their insistence on passports. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff signalled earlier this month at a conference of the National Emergency Management Association that he is open to options for the looming passport requirement. "We're looking at the possibility of using drivers' licences, if they meet particular standards, that could be used to cross the border," he told the crowd. "We've got a pilot program in the state of Washington that's looking at that." The security measures being contemplated for Ontario drivers' licences are in line with requirements under U.S. legislation that requires individual states to revamp their computer networks so that information on people with a driver's licence can be stored and shared starting next year. The governors association has pegged the cost at $11 billion (U.S.), raising questions about how much high-security licences could end up costing Ontario taxpayers. There are 8.7 million licensed drivers in Ontario. Ontario government officials would not reveal a figure, saying a request for proposals from contractors has not yet been issued. Groups like Tourism Toronto have been pressing the province to take swift action to toughen security measures for drivers' licences to keep pace with American security requirements. "We see the real crunch coming," said president Bill Allen, noting that the land border passport requirement can be implemented with 90 days' notice starting next year. "Fewer people who cross the border by car have passports than people who fly," Allen said. It's been estimated that 40 per cent of Canadians have passports, compared with 28 per cent of Americans. The Conference Board of Canada estimates the requirement for passports at land border crossings could dissuade Americans from visiting this country. The board has estimated businesses could lose $3.6 billion in tourism revenue over five years.