New U.S. border rules take effect for land and sea entry

New federal rules took effect Monday requiring anyone entering the country by land or sea — including U.S. citizens — to show approved documents of identification. Under the new policy, travelers must present a passport, a federal passport card or an enhanced driver's license issued by some states, or be a member of the federal government's trusted traveler programs, which require background checks and are designed for people who cross the border regularly on business. In the past, U.S. citizens needed to show only a valid driver's license or birth certificate to cross the border.

Border officials reported no major delays, with agents using Day One as more of an exercise in education. About 90 percent of land and sea travelers were complying with the passport requirement, and the rest were issued warnings but were allowed back into the country once they could prove their citizenship.

The rule was originally scheduled to take effect more than a year ago, but Congress delayed it amid complaints that people weren't prepared and that trade, tourism and commerce with Canada -- the United States' biggest trading partner -- would be hurt.