If you are planning on crossing a border into either Canada or Mexico, make sure you have the proper identification to get back into the country.

Starting yesterday, U.S. citizens returning home from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda, by land or sea, are required to present certain identification to be allowed entry into the United States.

Part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which was partially implemented in 2007 when all air travelers coming into the US were required to show a passport, the full program was put into place requiring either a passport, passport card, or enhanced driver’s license to drive back into the country or on a ship.

The passport card, which is a credit-card sized ID that costs less than a regular passport, can not be used when flying back into the US.

Ohio does not participate in the enhanced driver’s license program, which includes birth information in its data. The new licenses, which Ohio has started to implement in the last few weeks and which will be fully distributed in the coming year, will not be sufficient for reentry into the US.

Failure to show proper ID at borders can result in the refusal to allow entry.