Staff Writer
Municipal offices across the state – especially those in close proximity to the Canadian border – have seen an increase in business with the change in identification requirements at border crossings that took effect recently. Where once travelers going from the U.S. to Canada needed only to verbally state where they were from before being allowed passage, now most individuals must show a valid photo ID, such as a driver’s license, as well as a birth certificate. For many folks, that means a trip to the municipal office to purchase a certified copy of their birth certificate.
At City Hall in Presque Isle, foot traffic has gone up considerably due to the new requirement. That means a longer waiting period can be expected upon arrival, as clerks process requests.
“Expect lines when you walk into your municipal office,” said Presque Isle City Clerk Nancy Nichols. “Expect lines. It takes a little while to process birth records.”
On average, Nichols said it takes about 10 minutes to process each request. The fee for a single copy of a birth certificate is $10 at the Presque Isle office. Rates may vary at other facilities.
“We’ve seen an increase request for birth certificates, due in large part to the changes that took effect recently with regard to documents required for a person to be able to cross the border into Canada,” said Nichols. “We’re doing a large volume currently due to the change in laws for crossing the border.”
The border requirements apply for all individuals making the crossing, whether a person is planning just a day trip for shopping, for work purposes, social visit or some other reason.
Nichols hopes the public understands the reason for the lines, making plans when stopping to allow for the time to process.
“Please have patience. All requests will be handled as received,” said Nichols.
