General information, not legal advice. Last verified 17 October 2026; always confirm with the official source before you travel.
At the bridge, the CBP officer will ask for a document that depends on who you are. Bringing the wrong one can send you to secondary inspection or cost you the crossing. Here's what to bring in each case, kids included.
In short
- Adult US citizens: passport book, passport card, Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) or a SENTRI, NEXUS or Global Entry card.
- US citizen children under 16: a birth certificate is enough (original, photocopy or certified copy).
- Permanent residents: your green card.
- Mexican citizens: passport with a B1/B2 visa, or a Border Crossing Card ("visa láser").
- REAL ID does not work for land crossings.
US citizens
By land, CBP accepts WHTI-compliant documents:
- Passport book.
- Passport card. It's cheaper and valid only for land and sea travel.
- Enhanced Driver's License, issued by some states.
- Trusted traveler cards: SENTRI, NEXUS or Global Entry.
REAL ID is not a border-crossing document. It works for domestic flights but does not prove citizenship, and it doesn't work in Ready Lanes.
US citizen children
- Under 16: a birth certificate (original, photocopy or certified copy), a Consular Report of Birth Abroad or a naturalization certificate.
- Under 19 travelling with an organized group (school, religious or sports): a birth certificate works if the group carries a letter on letterhead with the roster and a signed statement that the supervising adult has parental consent.
- Travelling with only one parent: CBP recommends a consent letter from the other parent. It isn't codified, but it can save you questions.
If the children are Mexican citizens leaving Mexico without either parent, Mexico has its own permit (Formato SAM). See our Spanish guide on travelling with minors.
Green card holders
Show your valid Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551). Newer cards have an RFID chip and work in Ready Lanes.
Mexican and other visitors
- Border Crossing Card (BCC), or a valid passport with a B1/B2 visa.
- With a BCC you can stay up to 30 days within the border zone (25 miles in Texas and California, 55 in New Mexico, 75 in Arizona). Going farther or staying longer needs an I-94, which costs US$30 at land ports since 30 September 2025. Details (in Spanish) in our border zone and I-94 guide.
Which documents work in Ready Lanes?
Only RFID-enabled ones: passport card, Enhanced Driver's License, the newer BCC, newer green cards, and SENTRI, NEXUS, Global Entry or FAST cards. Everyone 16 and older in the vehicle needs one.
Will they take my photo or fingerprints?
CBP may photograph you on entry. A DHS rule effective 26 December 2025 allows photographing all non-citizens on entry and exit. Sources disagree on how fast it's being rolled out at land ports, so don't be surprised if you're asked.
Tips to get through faster
- Have the document in your hand before you reach the booth, not in the trunk.
- If several people are travelling, hand all documents over together.
- Declare everything you bring. Not sure what's allowed? Read what you can bring into the US.
- Check the current wait before you leave: Reynosa–McAllen, Matamoros–Brownsville, Nuevo Laredo–Laredo. Statistics shows the quietest hours.
Frequently asked questions
Can I fly with a passport card? Not internationally. The passport card is valid only for land and sea travel. If you'll be flying out of the country, you need the passport book.
My child is 16 or 17. Does a birth certificate still work? As a rule, a birth certificate alone works for children under 16. From 16, they need a WHTI document such as a passport, passport card or trusted traveler card, unless they're in an organized group of under-19s with the group letter.
Can I cross with my regular driver's license? Only if it's an Enhanced Driver's License. A regular license, or one with the REAL ID star, doesn't prove citizenship.
Do I need anything different to drive back from Mexico? The same documents above get you into the US. If you drove your car into Mexico's interior, remember to return your Banjercito vehicle permit on the way out; see driving into Mexico from the US.
I have a SENTRI card. Is that enough for the whole car? No. Everyone in the vehicle needs their own document, and in the SENTRI lane every passenger must also be enrolled and the car registered.
Heading south into Mexico?
Foreign visitors going beyond Mexico's border zone, or staying longer, may need a tourist card (FMM). See Mexico's tourist card (FMM) and driving into Mexico from the US.
Official sources
Were you asked for something we didn't mention? Tell us at hola@alpuente.mx.