What is a passport card and where can I use it?
A US passport card proves citizenship and identity for land and sea entry from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. It is not valid for international flights.
Updated
What is a passport card?
The US passport card is a credit-card sized version of the passport book, with no visa pages. It proves both your US citizenship and your identity, and it lasts 10 years for adults and 5 years for anyone under 16, the same as the book.
It is a US document specifically. If you are not a US citizen and someone has told you to bring a national ID card instead of a passport, that is a different document with different rules. Either way, the name on the ID you carry should match the guest name on your trip1 hotel booking.
Where you can use a passport card
- Entering the United States by land from Canada or Mexico
- Entering the United States by sea from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Bermuda, including closed-loop cruises that start and end at the same US port
- Ready Lanes at land border crossings, which usually move faster than the general queue
- Domestic flights inside the United States, as accepted photo ID at airport security
- Everyday situations where a government-issued photo ID is asked for, including most US hotel front desks
Where you cannot use it
Important: the passport card is not valid for international air travel. If you drive into Mexico or Canada and then decide to fly home, the card will not get you on the plane, so carry the book whenever a flight is even a possibility.
It is also not a general travel document outside that land and sea zone. The card has no visa pages, so no country can issue you a visa in it, and most destinations will not accept it as a travel document at all.
Should you get the card, the book, or both?
Get the book if you fly internationally at all. Add the card if you regularly drive across the Canadian or Mexican border, take closed-loop cruises, or simply want a government photo ID that fits in your wallet.
Applying for both at the same time costs less than applying for them separately, and both come from a single application. Fees change, so check travel.state.gov for current pricing before you apply.
The card as a backup document
There is a useful side effect. If your passport book is lost or stolen while you are abroad, a passport card kept in a separate bag gives you a second proof of citizenship, which can speed up getting an emergency travel document from a consulate.
Using a passport card at hotel check-in
Inside the United States, most hotels accept a passport card as government photo ID at check-in. It will match the guest name on your trip1 booking as long as you entered your legal name when you booked.
Outside the United States, do not rely on it. Hotels abroad often have to record a passport number for guest registration, and in many countries they are legally required to see the passport book itself.
Passport card - FAQ
It is a wallet-sized card that proves US citizenship and identity for land and sea entry to the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda.
No. The passport card is not valid for international air travel, so you need the passport book for any flight abroad.
Yes. The passport card is accepted at airport security for flights inside the United States and works as a REAL ID alternative.
Usually yes inside the United States, where it counts as government photo ID. Outside the US, hotels normally want to see the passport book.
If you drive or cruise to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean, yes. Applying for both at the same time costs less than applying for them separately.
