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 proof of US citizenship and identity for land and sea travel between the US and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda, including closed-loop cruises. It also works as photo ID at TSA checkpoints for domestic flights, and as a backup proof of citizenship if your passport book is lost abroad.
Not technically, because REAL ID refers to state licences and ID cards, but it does the same job at the airport. The TSA accepts a US passport card for domestic flights, so if you have one you do not need a REAL ID compliant licence to fly within the United States.
Only within the United States. The card is accepted at TSA checkpoints for domestic flights, but it is not valid for international air travel. If you drive into Canada or Mexico and might fly home, carry your passport book as well, because the card will not get you on the plane.
No. It is valid only for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean. It has no visa pages, and most other destinations do not accept it as a travel document. Hotels abroad often need to record a passport number, so take the passport book outside the United States.
For adults, the passport card fee is 30 dollars, and first-time applicants also pay a 35 dollar acceptance fee. Applying for the card and book together on one application costs less than applying for each separately. Fees change, so check travel.state.gov before you apply.
You need 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 want a government photo ID that fits in your wallet. Both can come from a single application.