At the U.S. border entry point in Nogales, Arizona, RFID readers are being installed to read new travel documents that will be required for entry. One of those documents is the recently produced U.S. Passport Card, which features an RFID tag. The tag can be read wirelessly by the RFID readers at distances of up to 30 feet. To protect privacy, each passport card will contain a reference number that must first be matched against the Homeland Security Department’s secure database before the cardholder’s personal information can be obtained.

The RFID readers are the first of their kind to be installed along the U.S.-Mexico border in preparation for the new travel document requirement set to take effect in June. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is handling the installation process. RFID readers will also be integrated with the Sentri and Nexus trusted traveler programs at both the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders. These programs provide ID cards to prescreened Canadian and Mexican residents who frequently travel across the border.