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Ready Lanes - Otay Mesa

The United States Customs and Border Protection agency has opened the new “Ready Lane” 

at the Otay Mesa port of entry for individuals who have a travel document enabled with RFID

technology. (Map for driving instructions to Otay Mesa)

The new lane is dedicated for vehicle traffic with occupants possessing an RFID-enabled travel document, such as the U.S. Passport Card, SENTRI card, the new Legal Permanent Resident “green card” and the new Border Crossing Card.

The Ready Lane can also be used by a group of travelers in one vehicle who may have different kinds of RFID-enabled travel documents. The RFID-enabled cards together with the new Ready Lane will allow officers to screen travelers faster, said Chris Maston, director of field operations for CBP in San Diego.


(The Ready Lane explained)


What is RFID Technology?

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology refers to systems that allow information contained in a wireless device or "tag" to be read from a distance. The technology has been commercially available in one form or another since the 1970s. It is now part of our daily lives and can be found in car keys, employee identification cards, medical history/billing, highway toll tags, and security access cards. The United States Government uses RFID technology for border management and has encouraged states to enhance their driver's licenses and identification documents in order to both satisfy WHTI requirements and facilitate the processing of cross-border traffic.

RFID at the Borders

For border management, "vicinity RFID technology" is used. This means an RFID-enabled document can be securely and accurately read by authorized readers from between 10 and 15 feet away, as a traveler approaches inspection lanes at the border. As the RFID chip is read, it signals a database to display biographical information, a photo, and the results of terrorist/criminal checks to the CBP officer as the vehicle pulls up to the inspection booth. No personal information is stored on or transmitted from the card – only a number which points to the information housed in the secure database – meeting the most stringent requirements for safeguarding personal data.

While RFID technology expedites cross-border traffic, it does NOT replace face-to-face interactions between officers and travelers. Instead, it allows officers to focus even greater time and attention on each individual in a vehicle in order to verify that they are the rightful holder of the document presented.

Which documents are RFID-Enabled?

• U.S. Passport Card
• Trusted Traveler Program cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST)
• Enhanced Driver's Licenses from issuing (Michigan, New York, Vermont and Washington)
• New Border Crossing Card
• New Permanent Resident Card (green card)