To qualify for a SENTRI card you have to be considered a low-risk traveler who crosses the US Mexican border frequently. You must provide complete accurate information for the SENTRI card and you cannot have been convicted of a criminal offense, or have pending charges or warrants out. You must not have been found at any time in violation of immigration, customs or agricultural regulations when crossing the border. You will have to go through a thorough background check according to criminal, law enforcement and immigration regulations. Once that is complete you will have to give a 10-fingerprint record and then undergo a personal interview with a Customs Border Protection officer. Once authorized you are given a Radio Frequency Identification card and every time you cross the Customs Border Protection area your information is displayed as you pass. Your vehicle is also given an RFID decal. This type of card allows you to cross back and forth from the U.S. more quickly and through special designated lanes for SENTRI card holders.
If you travel to Mexico often but not so much as to need a SENTRI card then you may want to get a passport card. This is a wallet size card which is only used for land and sea travel from the U.S. to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean. It is less expensive than the passport and more convenient to use for people that travel frequently across the Mexican border by land. These passport cards cost approximately $20 and are valid for 10 years for an adult and 5 years for a child. If you already have a passport then you can apply for the card by mail.
If you are driving to Mexico from the US, make sure bring your passports because the US border agents will now be asking for passports, passcards or other enhanced forms of ID when you cross back into the US. If you have never applied for a passport then you have to apply in person and take the necessary photos and documentation required by Form DS-11. You can not sign the passport application until you are told to do so by an agent. You also have to show proof of citizenship. You can do this with a certified birth certificate and your SSN number. If you are renewing a passport then you can do so by mail. To find your nearest passport office, look in your local yellow pages.
