Don’t use Delaware license to get into Canada

On a recent trip to Niagara Falls, Canada, my wife and I learned a lesson about our Delaware driver's license. It's not what we thought it was.

Remember when you had to go to DMV with your birth certificate, Social Security card and other proof of residency? During my discussion about the new license I was under the impression it was an enhanced license that could be used as ID for international travel to Canada and the Caribbean. Wrong!

It's understandable that I could get it screwed up, but my wife is much smarter and she also was under the same impression.

We entered Canada using our passports and breezed through security over Rainbow Bridge.

A couple days later, we decided to take a day trip to the U.S. side of the falls to Niagara Falls State Park, which happens to be the first state park in the nation.

I told my wife that we didn't need our passports because we had enhanced licenses that would get us into the U.S. with no trouble. Wrong again.

The U.S. Customs agent took our licenses and handed them back to us. “These are not enhanced,” he said sternly.

We argued for a minute or to. “Delaware was the first state to do this,” we said, but we realized our argument was going nowhere.

Luckily, he did let us pass after giving us a hard time and a major evil eye. After we pulled away it dawned on us we had to cross the border again to get back to our hotel in Canada.

Actually, that crossing was a more pleasant experience after we explained our situation. Somehow I think they had a scanned copy of our passports from a few days before.

When I got back to the hotel, I immediately pulled out my computer and googled enhanced driver's license. The only states that have a license that can be used to cross the border are New York, Michigan, Vermont and Washington.

Delaware's license is a federally compliant license – for what that's worth.