Passport card or SENTRI? Passing customs faster when coming back from Mexico
 

I have a quick question on above.
Last year I was passing through customs at Otay Mesa and we saw people going through fast on another lane.
When we stopped at the border agent we asked what is required to use the fast lane and the border agent told us if all parties in vehicle have "passport card" then we can use the faster processing lane. Now I looked up on the internet it shows a card or program called SENTRI and it looks like that is what's required to use the fast lane (nexus lane)
Which is true? Do you just need to have passport card or need to enroll in SENTRI program?
Thank you for your help!
45

There are two kinds of passports the book and the card. The card I believe is only for entering Canada or Mexico by foot or car. The book is for air travel.

The Sentri pass is entirely different you have to fill out forms and have an interview. Not sure what it costs now.

If you get the Sentri pass that lets you go into the fast lanes entering the US.

Thanks for a quick one!
That what I thought. I need to tell my friend to just get passport card
45

No I edited my message.

The Sentri Card is what gets you through to the fast lane.

Without the Sentri pass, I find it fastest to cross through Tecate, even on Sunday afternoons. In the last 4 trips mostly 1 hour, 15 minutes. MUCHO quicker than TJ or Mexicali.

I know last time we went thru the border I was the only one with a passport card. The border officer told us that if everyone in the vehicle had a passport card like me...we would be able to use the express lanes. I didn't even know that at the time.

Do you have a sentri card or just a regular passport?

That's what we were told too..
Still confused haha :p
45

This like Who's on First!

Everyone has to have a passport to enter the US. Either the passport card or the book.

The only "card' that gets you into the fast lane is the Sentri Card.

Just like I said "PASSPORT CARD".

I didn't even know that either, but I asked him just to make sure and the officer confirmed that the passport card is ok to use in the express lanes. Ask Jim, and Greg they were in my truck with me...they heard it too.

Where I work there as several employees that live in Mexico and the Sentri pass is what they got to enter quicker. It required filling out paperwork, interviews, background check and a fee. It is only worth it for people who have to cross the border several times a week.

To me that is very suspect. Everyone that comes back to the US has to have a passport. The passport card is actually the lesser form of the passport as you can only enter by car or foot.

I fail to see how a passport card is special since everyone has to have a passport.

I had two friends drive to the border and one of them had the Sentri card and one had the passport card. The one with the passport card had to get out of the car and stand in the walking entry while the one with the Sentri card was allowed to go through the fast lane. Unless both have the Sentri card you can not go through the fast lane.

Exactly!

Crossing easy
 

I've had a SENTRI card for about 6 years. It's about $140 with a transponder decal for one vehicle, good for 5 years. Yes, you need to go for an interview and a quick vehicle inspection. I figure if you go south more than 2 or 3 times a year it's worth it, as the wait at San Ysidro or Otay can be brutal, and a friend with family in Tecate says that line sucks when the soldiers let people take cuts in front of you for a quick $20. I also have a passport card and noticed that there's an expedited pedestrian line at Otay. When I asked if San Ysidro was similar they said no. Also, no SENTRI lane in Tecate. I haven't heard of the passport card being good for SENTRI lanes, and I know that use of SENTRI vehicle lanes requires all riders and the vehicle to have SENTRI cards and stickers. The longest I've ever waited in a SENTRI lane was 20 minutes, when regular lanes were taking 2.5-3hrs to get across. The new border crossing at San Ysidro boosted the number of SENTRI lanes. There was zero wait after Valentine's dinner at a killer restaurant in TJ. I head down several times each year for some good kitesurfing, fishing, eating out, etc. so it's worth it for me. TJ has burgeoning restaurant, art, and music stuff going on, wineries worth checking out in Guadalupe Valley between Tecate and Ensenada, so fun to be had if you're into that kind of stuff as well.

I cant say that i tried it yet, unless the border officer didnt know what he was talking about...told me very clearly that it was ok...I even remember asking about the sentri card so we wern't confused...and he even told the guys to get one so we could go in e express lanes...

Im telln you what he said...

Next time somebody crosses the border make sure to ask again for everyone.

Went to the homeland security web site and found this.
I guess we can use them in the "ready lane", what ever that is. Is that not the express lane.

What documents can I use to enter the Ready Lane?


WHTI-compliant, RFID-enabled cards approved by the Department of Homeland Security include: the U.S. Passport Card; the Enhanced Driver's License (EDL); the Enhanced Tribal Card (ETC); Trusted Traveler Cards (NEXUS, SENTRI, Global Entry and FAST cards); the new Enhanced Permanent Resident Card (PRC) or new Border Crossing Card (BCC). Ready Lane locations can be found here.

SENTRI and NEXUS lanes are reserved strictly for the use of SENTRI, NEXUS and Global Entry card holders.

All travelers in the vehicle over the age of 16 must have an RFID-enabled card to use the Ready Lane. Children 15 years old and younger may travel in the Ready Lane with adult travelers if all adults in the vehicle have an RFID-enabled travel card.

U.S. Passport Cards can be obtained through the Department of State.

NEXUS/SENTRI/FAST cards can be obtained through the CBP website.

Enhanced Driver's Licenses (EDL) can be obtained from a local DMV or government office in the states of New York, Washington, Vermont, and Michigan, as well as in the Canadian provinces of Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, and Manitoba. Note: If you applied and are waiting for the EDL, the receipt or temporary notice you may have received is NOT a valid travel document.

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I have never heard of a ready lane.

I thought there was the sentri lane and then everyone else.

If it is faster than the regular lines then great but it won't be as fast as the nexus or sentri lanes.

So last July when I was coming back from Bahia de Los Angeles, my friend had a passport card and I had a passport book. We saw a line that was going considerably faster but it was not a drive through fast however they had to flash their card (not transponder) at this machine then proceed to border agent then drove off.. Way faster than passport book lane. So my friend asked the border agent why the other lane was faster and we were told the same thing as ful-rac was told.
And I looked up passport card and I found out about SENTRI..I guess I will wait for someone's report back from baja as my planned trip is not until July.
45

I guess if you go down to Mexico a few times a year it is worth it to get the Sentri card. It seems like the "ready lane" is 30-50% faster than the regular lane. Not a bad idea to get a passport card also and use it when you enter by car or walking in.

I accidently ended up in the centri lane and was Told I screwed up and got sent to Secondary inspection... They gave me a warning and said next time I screw up I could end up with a fine of UP to $5000... Anyway he said he knew how bad the signs were on the mexico side and said just get a sentri pass....

I was through everything in about 25 minutes and the wait in the normal lanes was over 3 hours... All in All totally worth screwing up... ha ha With that said I am getting a Sentri pass! Its like the Car Pool lanes before they added Hybrids and Prius POS's and 2 riders...