An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

  • Archived Content
    In an effort to keep CBP.gov current, the archive contains content from a previous administration or is otherwise outdated.
  1. Home
  2. Newsroom
  3. Local Media Release
  4. CBP To Educate Border Crossers On Proper Ready Lane Usage

CBP To Educate Border Crossers On Proper Ready Lane Usage

Release Date
Thu, 10/22/2015

EL PASO, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection will initiate a Ready Lane education and traffic segregation project at the Paso Del Norte international crossing at the El Paso port of entry Monday, October 26.

“The goal of this initiative to expedite the entry of those border crossers who possess an RFID compliant document required for Ready Lane use,” said Beverly Good, El Paso port director. “When border crossers us these Ready Lanes appropriately there is a benefit to be gained.”

LED Ready Lane signage at the Paso Del Norte crossing in El Paso

LED Ready Lane signage at the Paso Del Norte crossing in El Paso

Ready Lanes are currently designated with LED lighting above each entry booth. As part of the project, Ready Lanes will be segregated and CBP officers will be stationed near the top of the bridge to ensure that travelers who do not possess Ready Lane documents do not enter Ready Lanes. The Ready Lanes at PDN will be located on the western portion of the bridge.

To use Ready Lanes, adult travelers (over 16 years of age) are required to have high-tech RFID enabled cards. These include RFID enabled U.S. Passport cards, Legal Permanent Resident cards, B1/B2 border crossing cards, SENTRI cards and Enhanced Driver’s Licenses.

Travelers attempting to enter the Ready Lane who do not have the requisite cards will be directed into adjacent non-Ready Lanes and be provided with an informational flyer on Ready Lane requirements. Non RFID enabled documents CBP officers encounter include but are not limited to U.S. birth certificates, driver licenses, ID cards and social security cards.

“When people enter Ready Lanes without an appropriate document it slows down the processing rate in those lanes,” said Good. “The Ready Lanes work best when only border crossers with proper documentation use those facilities. Those who do not have RFID documents need to avoid the Ready Lanes.”

To avoid travel delays, U.S. Customs and Border Protection encourages travelers to follow the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. Informational flyers will be distributed by CBP. For more information on how to obtain the appropriate card so that you can use the Ready Lane, go to www.GetYouHome.gov.  

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Last Modified: Feb 03, 2021