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It's time to renew the ol passAport and I'm debating Sentri. 

Any details are appreciated.  Is it "vehicle specific" ie works only on your 1 registered vehicle?

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SENTRI is the way to go.  I can't recall the initial cost but it is well worth it.  I got mine about 6 or 7 years ago after going crazy while waiting almost 4 hrs to cross the border on a Sunday after Thanksgiving. 

You can have more than 1 vehicle registered as long as it's in your name.  You can cross in a friends/family members vehicle that has SENTRI...friends and family with SENTRI can cross in your vehicle as well.  If you're not in a SENTRI registered vehicle you can still cross thru the "READY" lane, which is for newer type entry docs.  No trailers attached to vehicle, bike in back of truck is ok as long as the tailgate is closed.  Vehicle is inspected prior to registering, both license plates are required to be mounted.  There's probably other things I'm forgetting but I'm fighting the sleep monster right now at work.

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Beniflas is correct , my truck has a bed mounted tool box and would not pass I also believe campers and camper shells are not allowed You pay a fee for each vehicle you have in the program and if you are traveling W/ people without sentri you can get inline have them get out and walk across and pick them up state side .You can go to the GOES website and get all the info you need . I go to the house in Ensenada alot and it saves  time.

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SENTRI is not a substitute for a passport. You still need one.

They no longer inspect vehicles for SENTRI- the do it on the website now.

Not much advantage for SENTRI if you're crossing on a bike.

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3 minutes ago, Bp619 said:

Or in tecate too right isnt this only for tj and otay

Correct, no SENTRI in Tecate.

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So flat bed bike trailers on Sentri vehicles are not allowed?

Random but why must the tailgate be up on a pickup?

 

I'm considering it for vehicular transit across the border.

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I always have the tailgate down on mine and never had a problem. I did get yelled at when I crossed with my bike on a bumper rack, but they let me through. 

On a recent trip, I was sent to secondary entering Mexico and was yelled at, literally, for not having my passport. I showed my Sentri card and the guy reminded me a passport is required. That said, I always cross back into the US with my Sentri card, even in non-Sentri lanes. I do find great inconsistency on requirements, depending on the officer. But being polite and playing a little dumb always works for me. (Of course Benny is far too much of a hard ass to while him with my charms.)

I tell everyone to get a Sentri, because it comes with Global Entry and TSA Pre-Check. Best $100 you can spend if you ever fly. And the process is WAY better than before...no more trips to the border for processing.

My only advice is to be super conservative in what you bring back to the US. I had a guy threaten to yank it because he found an apple in my cooler. It had a Washington State sticker, but he advised me that once an item leaves the US its subject to import restrictions. I assume that would apply to weed from either WA or CO, but I am not going to test that theory. ;-)

 

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5 hours ago, Goofy Footer said:

So flat bed bike trailers on Sentri vehicles are not allowed?

Random but why must the tailgate be up on a pickup?

 

I'm considering it for vehicular transit across the border.

No bike  trailers or joe hauler type racks allowed.  The tailgate issue I was told is for the license plate reader.

 

 

4 hours ago, jawhitmoyer said:

 I do find great inconsistency on requirements, depending on the officer. But being polite and playing a little dumb always works for me. (Of course Benny is far too much of a hard ass to while him with my charms.)

 

Both statements are very true.  ABB is my nickname...All Business Benny. :angry:

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Copy on the Joe Hauler / moto trailer blocking the license plate.  That does limit and/or change my idea of a Baja vehicle somewhat.  I'm a big fan of the camper shell / suv moto transport for Baja. 

For day and weekend trips, riding across is easy but I'd like to try driving farther south and launching from more distant locations at times too.  Maybe I'll just coerce Reximus to use his Green Monster 7.3L

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Merry Christmas, Jim.  Yeah, it's been a while...hopefully the new year will bring some Baja rides.

Goofy, a Baja suv or truck with camper is ideal for staging further south.  I'm hoping one day soon to find the time to drive down to Baja Sur and stage somewhere in my truck and ride around, then move on to the next staging spot.

 

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I got the card when I renewed my Global Entry this year but haven't used it.  Figured what the heck why not sign up for it just in case while I was at it.

Most of my travel lately is to Europe or Asia, so the Global Entry comes in handy.

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Looks like Tim's questions were answered.  There are several issues involved in the crossing process, none of which are difficult for a US citizen (without warrants) to overcome with a smile. 

SENTRI is for a pre-approved person and vehicle. You can mix and match pre-approved persons and vehicles. 

I've said this many times before but I'll say it again: A passport is handy and preferred but not necessary (for a US citizen) to cross back into the US (no need to quote me the regulations).

Ready lines are for passports or passport cards (not SENTRI cards, not drivers licenses and definitely not tattered copies of birth certificates). Crossing in a ready line with one of those last 3 items will cause you grief but no major (lasting) issues.  

Crossing with improper docs or vehicles or attitudes will land you in secondary for a "cooling off" period and possibly a fine.

And PMB said what I say: Almost none of these issues apply to motorcycles crossing back into the USA (unless you use a SENTRI lane without a card or pre-approved bike). 

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On 12/26/2016 at 10:01 PM, Goofy Footer said:

Copy on the Joe Hauler / moto trailer blocking the license plate.  That does limit and/or change my idea of a Baja vehicle somewhat.  I'm a big fan of the camper shell / suv moto transport for Baja. 

For day and weekend trips, riding across is easy but I'd like to try driving farther south and launching from more distant locations at times too.  Maybe I'll just coerce Reximus to use his Green Monster 7.3L

She is a beautiful monster. I saw a really cool diesel convered izuzu trooper on CL. 

IMG_20151114_171325_480.jpg

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1 hour ago, Reximus said:

She is a beautiful monster. I saw a really cool diesel convered izuzu trooper on CL. 

IMG_20151114_171325_480.jpg

Gorgeous truck. I love my 7.3l Excursion. Perfect for sleeping in back and keeping everything locked up inside, other than the bike 

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9 minutes ago, Goofy Footer said:

What about bikes in the bed of a Sentri certified pickup truck? 

That's ok.

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