Washington state selects Digimarc for enhanced driver license

Many businesses along the U.S.-Canada border said that requiring U.S. citizens who cross in Canada and back to carry passports would have a chilling effect on local economies. Politicians representing the states on the border mounted an effective campaign against the idea and were able to persuade DHS to go with Enhanced Driver License (EDL) as an alternative to passports. Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) has now selected Beaverton, Oregon-basedDigimarc(NASDAQ: DMRC) to support the state in implementing their newly developed EDL. Washington DOL and DHS have agreed to run an initiative that allows the EDL to be used as an alternative travel document to re-enter the United States through sea and land border crossings. Digimarc will supply Washington DOL with applicant enrollment and screening solutions as well as production of the RFID-enabled EDL. The Washington EDL will use Digimarc applicant screening solutions to verify an applicant’s identity documents; data such as name and address; and facial biometrics.

Last year Digimarc launched ExianSmart, its chip-enabled driver license solution, in anticipation of something such as EDL. Recent legislation in Washington authorizes the use of EDLs, issued on proof of citizenship, identity, and residency, as a Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) alternative document to a passport for re-entry into the United States. The new licenses will cost $40.