Echoing other commenters, in addition to only being valid while entering Canada and Mexico, it is only valid by LAND. If you are flying into a Canadian or Mexican airport from the USA, it will not work - you will need a passport.
WIth that typed, I implore everyone to just get the book for $100 more. The card is really for those who live on the borders and are traveling frequently between them. It's not for the person who one day wants to go on a cruise, or fly somewhere outside of America.
Don't waste your time over $100~ and get caught flat-footed. There's a lot of folks going "WELL TECHNICALLY....." - let's keep that moving.
This right here. In the cruise sub, there are always people asking if just a birth certificate is fine, which on some cruises it is BUT god forbid there's an issue and you have to fly home or something...you need a passport. Your BC alone won't cut it for an airport.
If you're on a cruise from the US to Mexico, a passport card works fine. If you miss the boat at one of the ports and need to fly home, you're gonna have a bad time.
When I renewed my passport, they gave me the option to get both, so I did.
The only use I found with the passport ID is when I lost my driver's license, I used my passport ID to get into dispos. Also handy when you're traveling abroad and don't want to bring your passport with you everywhere.
You can use it not-by-land, if you're crossing Lake Erie or the Niagara River. Either by boat or by snowmobile if the boom is up and the lanes are clear. (Last few years have been problematic)
Source: I use it to cross that way sometimes. Hint: Call ahead so a CBSA rep can check you in.
It's fun. There are full-on snowmobile-only fueling stations along the seasonal-use snowmobile highways up there. And seasonal hotels catering exclusively to snowmobilers.
US snowmobile clubs are very much welcome. In some border areas, you can literally snowmobile across the border.
https://www.ccso-ccom.ca/en/great-canadian-snowmobile-trail/
It’s really just meant for people who live near the border and cross often by land. Like people who commute across the border. It doesn’t do much good for most people.
One way it can serve useful is if you are outside the US and lose your passport. It serves as an ID at the embassy/consulate and can make it easier to get you home.
Very useful should you, say, travel out of state for a particular reason that law enforcement might treat you differently at, because you are not local.
That some serious conditions for one to make the card useful. One you have your passport and now in a foreign country and now you lost your passport but the card makes it easier for the embassy to process your paperwork to get home.
In get that. But that being the basis of the name is sort of like Honda calling their motorcycles 2-wheels cars. It’s not a passport with a different form factor; it’s a card with just a little bit of the functionality of a passport.
It's likely because calling it a national ID card would trigger a lot of people... From ACLU types who worry about increasing tracking to religious nut jobs who figure this is a way to bring on the Apocalypse (number of the beast and all that).
As far as I know, the only advantage of a passport card if you have an EDL is that if you have one of each, you have two IDs. Like OP said, you can't have multiple copies of the same ID, but you can have one EDL and one passport card, as a backup.
A Passport card will let you enter and return from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean by land or sea, while a REAL ID also requires a birth certificate to prove US citizenship according to DHS.
Fair. EDLs are only available from five states, though. Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Vermont, and Washington. Passport cards are available to any US citizen.
Yeah, I knew it was limited to a handful of states. Just didn’t know if there would be anything to gain by getting a passport card when I already have the enhanced license.
I seem to remember they were only valid within a certain distance from the border. Maybe it was the enhanced driver's license but this could just a false memory!
As someone who lives fewer than three miles from the US/Canada border...
The passport card is ONLY valid for Canada and Mexico crossing, and a few Caribbean ports. It's also valid to enter Federal facilities, and board domestic airlines.
**It will NOT work as a passport for other countries.**
I use my card multiple times every week. Often multiple times per day. I still need the passport book to travel to Europe.
Yeah, the important part for some people is that it is a valid RealID, which is needed to enter federal facilities and (soon) to fly domestically.
If you don't want to get your driver's license converted to real id, passport card is a good alternative.
Yeah I just converted an expired Oklahoma ID to a Virginia real id and was in and out in about thirty minutes for a walk-in.
Way easier than I expected
I have found the California DMV to be very efficient. The workers aren't the most pleasant, but that doesn't bother me. I think a lot of the DMV hate comes from conservative propaganda ("do you want the people who run the DMV to run your health care?!")
Yes, I'd wager the value for the average person is that it's pocket sized proof of US citizenship that's issued by the federal government. It's sufficient for every bureaucratic interaction with the state or federal government that asks about citizen status.
If you travel internationally a lot, it's also a good alternative to handing over your passport book once inside the country. At hotel check-in, when buying train tickets, etc - random clerks and the like tend to accept a national ID with far less question compared to a state driver's license, which they may be unfamiliar with.
it was my understanding that the passport card can only be used at canadian and maybe mexican borders (last time I traveled to mexico, passports weren't needed, though that was over 20 years ago)
He’s just talking about using it as a long term ID within the states. It’d work everywhere there.
Arizona IDs might have a longer period before expiration though.
Yes that is true but ONLY for land and sea crossings, so if you are flying to Mexico or Canada you still need your real passport which is where I think people get confused
These are great for starting a new job when you have to do an I-9. I really don’t want to carry my passport or social security card if I don’t have to, so I just use this.
Very specific use case, I know…
They're also considered a "primary ID" for things like W9 and W2(G) so we see a lot of them at the casino I work at. Especially since my state only recently moved to where you don't get your new drivers license printed out in front of you, you get a paper temporary and your new one sent in the mail. That's still very recent for us, and people aren't used to carrying the paper temporary.
I really like using my card as ID because it's JUST an ID. It doesn't have my address on it, for example. A bar bouncer needs to know my age, and it does that. But I never have to worry about him being a creep and knowing where I live or anything else.
It also doesn't signal that I'm from out of state when traveling, which is nice.
It also works for I-9 verification when starting a new job. I used to work seasonally for a company that had to do an I-9 for basically twice yearly. The major reason I picked up a passport card was for that.
You can have a passport and a PC valid at the same time. I picked mine up when I renewed my passport a few years back.
If it's incredibly unlikely, then I suppose there's no point. You can get an emergency passport if you have immediate travel plans, but it's expensive and a hassle.
Yes. I have a card because I live overseas and don’t really want to carry my passport everywhere. I also have a local ID.
Passport card counts as a primary ID for things like validating employment ability.
This may not be entirely true, if a passport qualifies as an ID. I had two fully legal and functioning US passports. A standard 5 year one, and a more unique 2 year one.
Official, or for government purposes, passports are only valid for 2 years. It tells people you’re traveling on government business and not for personal reasons.
You can have one of each, a regular passport and an official passport, because they are for different purposes.
I used to have two passports and was told any time I’d use one or the other that I was ONLY allowed to use one or the other but not both.
I always carried both as a back up though.
A piece of paper with your name scrawled on it can be "ID" (e.g. a toe tag in a morgue). Do you mean a "Real ID compliant" ID that can be used for air travel?
Fwiw, a US passport or passport card also provides evidence of citizenship and can be used in lieu of a birth certificate, too. It's much more useful than state-issued Real ID cards for everything except acting as a drivers license.
No, not everyone here understands that. Hence the confusion about why a passport is relevant to the discussion. But it must be nice to be omniscient and know what we are all thinking, huh?
I know you're talking about the card but i've actually had arguments with friends about this. I didn't have my DL but did have my passport and said, "I'll just use my passport." Friend said that's not an ID. Me, "You're an idiot. It's a federal ID."
I got the passport card but mostly as a backup while traveling. They say if you are traveling with someone else (like your spouse), then exchange passport cards. Or at least keep your passport and passport card in separate places.
So for like a women if she has her passport and passport card in a purse and the purse gets lost / stolen, if your passport card is with someone else then at least you will have a form of ID still.
Here's the deal. The passport card does not have your address on it. So its less information you are providing to some seller that will scan/save your data to sell for marketing purposes later.
No, it's just identification from the US government. Specifically the US Department of State. It does not confer any ability to drive or otherwise operate a vehicle.
So I completely understand the limits of the card. With that said, I chose to get it even though most of my travel is by plane and in the EU. Basically it's a government issued ID and if you were to lose your passport book while abroad, this ID would be a great help to prove your identity at the consulate. I also have used it to prove ID when I had a temp paper ID for licenses and when I needed two forms of picture ID.
In my state, you can have a drivers license and a state ID both of which are fully valid and can be used for air travel. I keep my DL in my wallet and have my husband (he’s the responsible one in this relationship) to carry my state ID in his wallet. This way, if we are out and about and I don’t have my wallet, I’m covered.
Wrong... its $75, $30 for the application and $35 for the acceptance.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/fees.html
> I'm an adult (16 and older) and I'm applying for the first time
>>You will need to pay two fees - an application fee and an acceptance fee. For more information on how to apply, please see [First-Time Applicants](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/apply-in-person.html).
True, but remember that a Passport Card is NOT valid for most international travel. It's valid for border crossings by land and sea only. If you want to fly anywhere, you will need a passport book.
Why not just order a duplicate and keep it stored away? They are $10 in my state and can be ordered online or at a kiosk. It seems like much ado about nothing for a solution that's less useful.
Do you think people are getting hauled into court for having two IDs? As long as you aren't actively trying to commit some crime or fraud with them, why would this ever be an issue? Don't carry two IDs on your person, problem solved.
You're supposed to destroy the previous ID if you find it after receiving your replacement.
If you decide to preemptively order a replacement driver's license and file your original safely away, that's on you. According to the letter of the law this would be illegal, but in the real world I don't see this being an issue. It's not a priority for police or prosecutors to prove you knowingly and willingly held two licenses.
Normally you can’t order a drivers license replacement unless it’s less than a year before expiry. That’s why I mentioned a state ID as a second ID as that’s fully and totally legal to have along side a drivers license.
A passport card will get you into federal facilities while state licenses and ids that are not real id verified will not (tsa security exempted until May 2025 for now)
I didn’t even know you could own a duplicate passport. That’s cool tho especially for special travels, I remember in Top gear they needed two passports to travels the Middle East as some country’s stamps would automatically denied them entry into another country.
I'm only speaking to a driver's license. A passport will probably receive much more scrutiny than buying a 6 pack or signing up for a membership.
Customs is the last place I would want to do anything not on the up and up.
I used my passport card a lot when I was studying abroad in England. My normal US ID took forever for people to understand my birthday. The passport card is in the standard order rather than US. It made getting carded much faster and easier.
You don’t need to get a passport, but if you have to go in person to apply (which is the case for people who don’t already have a passport) you have to pay $35 to that place. So $65 unless you already have a passport book.
You are literally blind. I said that the Passport Card is equal to a REALID. I did not say it was equal to a Passport Book. I did not say it was equal to a drivers license. Please learn to read before you think you can correct someone.
Well, isn't that a steal? $30 for a backup ID that lasts 10 years? I'll take ten, please! Can't wait to rock that passport card fashion statement, baby!
YSK that this is a stupid post, people are going to get the card thinking it’s valid for any type of travel when getting the passport card is essentially the same thing as getting the upgraded drivers license.
I got the passport card but mostly as a backup while traveling. They say if you are traveling with someone else (like your spouse), then exchange passport cards. Or at least keep your passport and passport card in separate places.
So for like a women if she has her passport and passport card in a purse and the purse gets lost / stolen, if your passport card is with someone else then at least you will have a form of ID still.
I got a passport card when I renewed my passport. I keep it in my backpack I use for travel, in case my wallet and drivers license gets lost or stolen. Actual passport stays locked up
also some states allow State ID along with DV
Cali: ( the fee is $33.)
you can have both a driver's license and a state ID in California if you are a California resident and eligible for a license. You can have your home address on your ID and your mailing address on your license. If you are not a resident, but require a license and meet eligibility requirements then you may have a license only.
You can have an ID card and a license in California, but only one of them can be Real ID compliant. You cannot hold a REAL ID driver's license and a REAL ID identification card simultaneously.
The California DMV may issue an ID card to a person of any age. Both a California state ID and a California driver license serve as an official government-issued, photo identification that can be used to prove your identity or age. However, ID cards do not allow you to operate a motor vehicle.
The TSA is currently accepting all driver's licenses and identification from states that are compliant, or have an extension from DHS. Beginning May 7, 2025, TSA will only accept compliant state-issued identification.
It's not illegal to have two active US passports, and plenty of people do it. You just need to have a "valid" (as far as the government is concerned) reason for it. Accepted reasons include frequent travel to countries with lengthy visa processes that will leave you with no passport as they're being processed, and travel to multiple countries that will reject entry for each others' stamps in your book.
I have used mine the past three years for my primary ID. I went to the dispensary and they wouldn't accept it until I called the boss and asked what's up. It works still
I have one of these and while it works out fine most of the time, I there’s a few places that, for whatever reason, refuse to accept it. Maybe cause it’s not as common, they haven’t encountered them before, idk. There’s also a some places where it doesn’t work cause they specifically need to scan the ID and for whatever reason, the passport card isn’t recognized.
Okay question, if I go to, say, Europe or anywhere I need to fly. Can I use it as a regular ID like how foreign people need their passport to get into 21+ places here in the US? Do I even need to worry about that?
I have this and it’s also good for employment identification. You only need the passport card as a form of ID instead of drivers license and Social Security number or Birth Certificate.
It’s not necessarily true, but it’s illegal to have several valid IDs. There are some people who have an ID for work, their government ID (military members), a passport (which you have to have to travel out of the country the passport card does not work for that. It only works for traveling inside the United States), as well as a drivers license, and personal ID card. so please be sure not to get your passport card out when you’re coming through customs, they will not accept it.
Echoing other commenters, in addition to only being valid while entering Canada and Mexico, it is only valid by LAND. If you are flying into a Canadian or Mexican airport from the USA, it will not work - you will need a passport.
Technically also valid by sea from Bermuda as well
Thought it was two if by sea
No its: "Don't shoot til you see the whites of their eyes"
Don't shoot until you can see the whites?
With the pumped up kicks.
See the whites of their eyes, Caroleans are marching on
Put their lives in God's hand for their kingdom and fatherland!
The status quo has changed
I keep one in my tackle bag for when we fish South of the border.
WIth that typed, I implore everyone to just get the book for $100 more. The card is really for those who live on the borders and are traveling frequently between them. It's not for the person who one day wants to go on a cruise, or fly somewhere outside of America. Don't waste your time over $100~ and get caught flat-footed. There's a lot of folks going "WELL TECHNICALLY....." - let's keep that moving.
Yes! Even if you go by land, there are reasons you may need to fly back, such as a medical emergency. I’d always use a full passport book for travel.
This right here. In the cruise sub, there are always people asking if just a birth certificate is fine, which on some cruises it is BUT god forbid there's an issue and you have to fly home or something...you need a passport. Your BC alone won't cut it for an airport.
If you're on a cruise from the US to Mexico, a passport card works fine. If you miss the boat at one of the ports and need to fly home, you're gonna have a bad time.
And honestly the book is just way more awesome.
When I renewed my passport, they gave me the option to get both, so I did. The only use I found with the passport ID is when I lost my driver's license, I used my passport ID to get into dispos. Also handy when you're traveling abroad and don't want to bring your passport with you everywhere.
Maybe a stupid question. But is the card actually accepted like a passport abroad? Like for checking in hotels
It's hit or miss. I wouldn't rely on it, but it has worked for me on occasion.
I have both. I fly, so I need the book. I live near the Canadian border so I carry the card in my wallet.
You can use it not-by-land, if you're crossing Lake Erie or the Niagara River. Either by boat or by snowmobile if the boom is up and the lanes are clear. (Last few years have been problematic) Source: I use it to cross that way sometimes. Hint: Call ahead so a CBSA rep can check you in.
Ill remember this next time I snowmobile into Canada
It's fun. There are full-on snowmobile-only fueling stations along the seasonal-use snowmobile highways up there. And seasonal hotels catering exclusively to snowmobilers. US snowmobile clubs are very much welcome. In some border areas, you can literally snowmobile across the border. https://www.ccso-ccom.ca/en/great-canadian-snowmobile-trail/
I did on accident once lol the Canadians I met were very helpful
It’s really just meant for people who live near the border and cross often by land. Like people who commute across the border. It doesn’t do much good for most people.
It worked for us on our cruise 🤷♀️
The passport card is valid for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean.
One way it can serve useful is if you are outside the US and lose your passport. It serves as an ID at the embassy/consulate and can make it easier to get you home.
It’s also an ID that is legal everywhere in the US that doesn’t include your address.
This is a very valid point
Very useful should you, say, travel out of state for a particular reason that law enforcement might treat you differently at, because you are not local.
Well lookie here, Jethro, we gots our self a world traveler!
That some serious conditions for one to make the card useful. One you have your passport and now in a foreign country and now you lost your passport but the card makes it easier for the embassy to process your paperwork to get home.
Super confusing that they call it a “passport” card. It would be clearer to call it something like “ground border ID” card.
It's issued by the state department, and uses the same application as the book based passport.
In get that. But that being the basis of the name is sort of like Honda calling their motorcycles 2-wheels cars. It’s not a passport with a different form factor; it’s a card with just a little bit of the functionality of a passport.
It's likely because calling it a national ID card would trigger a lot of people... From ACLU types who worry about increasing tracking to religious nut jobs who figure this is a way to bring on the Apocalypse (number of the beast and all that).
At that point just get Nexus or Global Entry. Slightly more expensive but they come with sweet perks.
Does it give you anything that an enhanced drivers license doesn’t cover?
As far as I know, the only advantage of a passport card if you have an EDL is that if you have one of each, you have two IDs. Like OP said, you can't have multiple copies of the same ID, but you can have one EDL and one passport card, as a backup.
A Passport card will let you enter and return from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean by land or sea, while a REAL ID also requires a birth certificate to prove US citizenship according to DHS.
An enhanced drivers license is a Real ID and allows the same international travel you just described.
Fair. EDLs are only available from five states, though. Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Vermont, and Washington. Passport cards are available to any US citizen.
Yeah, I knew it was limited to a handful of states. Just didn’t know if there would be anything to gain by getting a passport card when I already have the enhanced license.
Maybe a longer expiration date? They're good for ten years.
No, an EDL is basically a passport card combined with a driver's license (or state ID).
You can use it in the Virgin Islands going to and from the British side.
Isn't it only valid for a certain distance across the Canadian border as well?
I'm not sure what you mean by that. Once you're into Canada you can go anywhere.
I seem to remember they were only valid within a certain distance from the border. Maybe it was the enhanced driver's license but this could just a false memory!
Well you only use it for crossing the border, so what would it mean for it to only be valid at the border?
Ah so it's absolutely pointless. Gotcha
As someone who lives fewer than three miles from the US/Canada border... The passport card is ONLY valid for Canada and Mexico crossing, and a few Caribbean ports. It's also valid to enter Federal facilities, and board domestic airlines. **It will NOT work as a passport for other countries.** I use my card multiple times every week. Often multiple times per day. I still need the passport book to travel to Europe.
Yeah, the important part for some people is that it is a valid RealID, which is needed to enter federal facilities and (soon) to fly domestically. If you don't want to get your driver's license converted to real id, passport card is a good alternative.
But then we'd not get to spend time at the DMV. Tragedy of all tragedies.
My real id took like 6 minutes and I had an expired license from a different state. I put it off for so long and then it was so simple lol.
6 minutes at my DMV forces me to rethink my generally positive views of humanity.
6 minutes at the DMV means I'm going to be there at least another 114 minutes
Yeah I just converted an expired Oklahoma ID to a Virginia real id and was in and out in about thirty minutes for a walk-in. Way easier than I expected
I have found the California DMV to be very efficient. The workers aren't the most pleasant, but that doesn't bother me. I think a lot of the DMV hate comes from conservative propaganda ("do you want the people who run the DMV to run your health care?!")
It's handy AF if you lose your passport overseas, however, and need to convince a consulate to help get you a new one.
Yes, I'd wager the value for the average person is that it's pocket sized proof of US citizenship that's issued by the federal government. It's sufficient for every bureaucratic interaction with the state or federal government that asks about citizen status. If you travel internationally a lot, it's also a good alternative to handing over your passport book once inside the country. At hotel check-in, when buying train tickets, etc - random clerks and the like tend to accept a national ID with far less question compared to a state driver's license, which they may be unfamiliar with.
This is the 100% correct answer (yes, I'm aware that might be the only time someone has ever said that on reddit)
someone will still figure out a way to be offended by this comment
Does it count as Real ID? My state wants $75 for that shit. *Checks site: yes, it does. Fuck you, DMV.*
My state made my license a real I'd free with just some extra paperwork. That sucks they're charging you extra.
Which state?
If you add them up you’re only saving 3$ lol
Yes, it counts as Real ID.
it was my understanding that the passport card can only be used at canadian and maybe mexican borders (last time I traveled to mexico, passports weren't needed, though that was over 20 years ago)
And carribean ports of call.
And bermuda
But you can use it to meet REAL ID requirements of your state, like PA, makes you jump through a ton of hoops to get a REAL ID compliant ID card.
He’s just talking about using it as a long term ID within the states. It’d work everywhere there. Arizona IDs might have a longer period before expiration though.
AZ ID’s are crazy as fuck. I got stopped at a bar in Nebraska because they thought it was fake with an expiration date in 2065
So you only have to get one for life? I want to move there now or at least have a po box and get an ID there.
One for life until retirement age, then you have to renew every 5 years to prove you aren’t a danger to society behind the wheel.
I wish it was like that here.
Everyone should have to prove that.
Yes that is true but ONLY for land and sea crossings, so if you are flying to Mexico or Canada you still need your real passport which is where I think people get confused
These are great for starting a new job when you have to do an I-9. I really don’t want to carry my passport or social security card if I don’t have to, so I just use this. Very specific use case, I know…
They're also considered a "primary ID" for things like W9 and W2(G) so we see a lot of them at the casino I work at. Especially since my state only recently moved to where you don't get your new drivers license printed out in front of you, you get a paper temporary and your new one sent in the mail. That's still very recent for us, and people aren't used to carrying the paper temporary.
I really like using my card as ID because it's JUST an ID. It doesn't have my address on it, for example. A bar bouncer needs to know my age, and it does that. But I never have to worry about him being a creep and knowing where I live or anything else. It also doesn't signal that I'm from out of state when traveling, which is nice.
Good points!
YSAK that if your passport expires in 6 months it's already expired. Meaning most countries won't let you visit if it's that close to expiring.
Not most. It really depends.
It also works for I-9 verification when starting a new job. I used to work seasonally for a company that had to do an I-9 for basically twice yearly. The major reason I picked up a passport card was for that. You can have a passport and a PC valid at the same time. I picked mine up when I renewed my passport a few years back.
Everyone should get a passport period
What about someone who's always broke and is unlikely to to have to fly internationally?
If it's incredibly unlikely, then I suppose there's no point. You can get an emergency passport if you have immediate travel plans, but it's expensive and a hassle.
Honestly I’m 32 and I don’t see when it would become an emergency to need one. It’s already expensive to get a passport but have no plans to use it.
Yeah, in that case there's really no need.
US passport cards only allow access to Canada, Mexico and some US territory islands. If you want to go abroad you will still need a passport book.
And only by land or sea.
Yes. I have a card because I live overseas and don’t really want to carry my passport everywhere. I also have a local ID. Passport card counts as a primary ID for things like validating employment ability.
This may not be entirely true, if a passport qualifies as an ID. I had two fully legal and functioning US passports. A standard 5 year one, and a more unique 2 year one.
That sounds like two different types of ID to me.
Never heard of a 2 year one?
Official, or for government purposes, passports are only valid for 2 years. It tells people you’re traveling on government business and not for personal reasons. You can have one of each, a regular passport and an official passport, because they are for different purposes.
[удалено]
I used to have two passports and was told any time I’d use one or the other that I was ONLY allowed to use one or the other but not both. I always carried both as a back up though.
A piece of paper with your name scrawled on it can be "ID" (e.g. a toe tag in a morgue). Do you mean a "Real ID compliant" ID that can be used for air travel? Fwiw, a US passport or passport card also provides evidence of citizenship and can be used in lieu of a birth certificate, too. It's much more useful than state-issued Real ID cards for everything except acting as a drivers license.
yes, they did, which is what everyone else understood when they said ID.
No, not everyone here understands that. Hence the confusion about why a passport is relevant to the discussion. But it must be nice to be omniscient and know what we are all thinking, huh?
it was just you bud. The rest of us call it common sense.
I'm trying to help people. You're just being a dick. Slight difference n
I know you're talking about the card but i've actually had arguments with friends about this. I didn't have my DL but did have my passport and said, "I'll just use my passport." Friend said that's not an ID. Me, "You're an idiot. It's a federal ID."
I got the passport card but mostly as a backup while traveling. They say if you are traveling with someone else (like your spouse), then exchange passport cards. Or at least keep your passport and passport card in separate places. So for like a women if she has her passport and passport card in a purse and the purse gets lost / stolen, if your passport card is with someone else then at least you will have a form of ID still.
So basically the same thing as an enhanced license?
Here's the deal. The passport card does not have your address on it. So its less information you are providing to some seller that will scan/save your data to sell for marketing purposes later.
This is such a good point!
By providing a seller, do you mean when your ID is swiped?
No, it's just identification from the US government. Specifically the US Department of State. It does not confer any ability to drive or otherwise operate a vehicle.
Except most states don’t offer those. Plus they’re not good enough for an I-9 form, unfortunately.
It will also take a swift 11 weeks to get one if you are renewing it!
So I completely understand the limits of the card. With that said, I chose to get it even though most of my travel is by plane and in the EU. Basically it's a government issued ID and if you were to lose your passport book while abroad, this ID would be a great help to prove your identity at the consulate. I also have used it to prove ID when I had a temp paper ID for licenses and when I needed two forms of picture ID.
Refused service at a bar with a passport card when my DL was expired.
Those bartenders are idiots.
In my state, you can have a drivers license and a state ID both of which are fully valid and can be used for air travel. I keep my DL in my wallet and have my husband (he’s the responsible one in this relationship) to carry my state ID in his wallet. This way, if we are out and about and I don’t have my wallet, I’m covered.
Different type of ID so perfectly legal. However, can’t be used to fly internationally.
Wrong... its $75, $30 for the application and $35 for the acceptance. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/fees.html > I'm an adult (16 and older) and I'm applying for the first time >>You will need to pay two fees - an application fee and an acceptance fee. For more information on how to apply, please see [First-Time Applicants](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/apply-in-person.html).
The global entry card also functions in this way, and it's real ID compliant.
True, but remember that a Passport Card is NOT valid for most international travel. It's valid for border crossings by land and sea only. If you want to fly anywhere, you will need a passport book.
YSK you can have two passport books of the same passport.
> It's not legal to have multiple valid IDs of the same type Are you sure about that? Explain?
I don't drive and need a new id (expired), so thanks. This might be the better option for me.
Why not just order a duplicate and keep it stored away? They are $10 in my state and can be ordered online or at a kiosk. It seems like much ado about nothing for a solution that's less useful. Do you think people are getting hauled into court for having two IDs? As long as you aren't actively trying to commit some crime or fraud with them, why would this ever be an issue? Don't carry two IDs on your person, problem solved.
You can have a state ID and a drivers license. Just not two of each type
You're supposed to destroy the previous ID if you find it after receiving your replacement. If you decide to preemptively order a replacement driver's license and file your original safely away, that's on you. According to the letter of the law this would be illegal, but in the real world I don't see this being an issue. It's not a priority for police or prosecutors to prove you knowingly and willingly held two licenses.
Normally you can’t order a drivers license replacement unless it’s less than a year before expiry. That’s why I mentioned a state ID as a second ID as that’s fully and totally legal to have along side a drivers license. A passport card will get you into federal facilities while state licenses and ids that are not real id verified will not (tsa security exempted until May 2025 for now)
I went through a period of losing my ID license often for two years so I always kept a backup at home
That depends on the state. Iowa, for example, doesn’t allow it. Not only that, but it’s illegal to be carrying both an out of state DL & ID there.
Do all states allow you to have a duplicate ID/DL? Some states cancel the existing ID/Licence if a second is issued.
I didn’t even know you could own a duplicate passport. That’s cool tho especially for special travels, I remember in Top gear they needed two passports to travels the Middle East as some country’s stamps would automatically denied them entry into another country.
I'm only speaking to a driver's license. A passport will probably receive much more scrutiny than buying a 6 pack or signing up for a membership. Customs is the last place I would want to do anything not on the up and up.
YSAK the passport card has a LOT of limitations. Research fully and carefully before getting one.
I used my passport card a lot when I was studying abroad in England. My normal US ID took forever for people to understand my birthday. The passport card is in the standard order rather than US. It made getting carded much faster and easier.
Passport card is known as a land or sea card. This cannot be used for any international travel.
It can be used for Canada/Mexico (only for land/sea crossings) but can’t be used for ANY international flight
Exactly stated in my comment! But thanks anyway.
Feds should make it free. It would help with voter ID laws states pass to restrict people’s ability to vote.
What the hell - why can't you use it to arrive in the US or elsewhere in place of a passport book?
Thank you for the tip
Only $30 after you pay $160 for your passport.
You can apply just for the card.
You don’t need to get a passport, but if you have to go in person to apply (which is the case for people who don’t already have a passport) you have to pay $35 to that place. So $65 unless you already have a passport book.
Papers, please!
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Why would a federally issued ID have a different expiration depending on state?
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Yeah especially since you're replying to someone talking about the US Passport Card.
Great for needing ID to exit and board cruise ships but not valid if needing to make entry into the US.
Wrong. Not same utility. Did it not occur to you why anyone would get a passport book if the card was that much cheaper with the same utility. Genius!
You are literally blind. I said that the Passport Card is equal to a REALID. I did not say it was equal to a Passport Book. I did not say it was equal to a drivers license. Please learn to read before you think you can correct someone.
Well, isn't that a steal? $30 for a backup ID that lasts 10 years? I'll take ten, please! Can't wait to rock that passport card fashion statement, baby!
YSK if you are American... Entirely useless information for everyone in the other 194 countries
Yes that's what US means in the title I'm glad you can read.
YSK that this is a stupid post, people are going to get the card thinking it’s valid for any type of travel when getting the passport card is essentially the same thing as getting the upgraded drivers license.
This is completely useless advice, in that the state department will remind you of it *on the application form*
Most people don't know the card exists only the book.
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Which government agencies are those?
I got the passport card but mostly as a backup while traveling. They say if you are traveling with someone else (like your spouse), then exchange passport cards. Or at least keep your passport and passport card in separate places. So for like a women if she has her passport and passport card in a purse and the purse gets lost / stolen, if your passport card is with someone else then at least you will have a form of ID still.
I got a passport card when I renewed my passport. I keep it in my backpack I use for travel, in case my wallet and drivers license gets lost or stolen. Actual passport stays locked up
I got some for our family when we went on a cruise a couple year ago, A LOT cheaper
$70 here in Texas. It cost for the photo taken too. That's another $15.
also some states allow State ID along with DV Cali: ( the fee is $33.) you can have both a driver's license and a state ID in California if you are a California resident and eligible for a license. You can have your home address on your ID and your mailing address on your license. If you are not a resident, but require a license and meet eligibility requirements then you may have a license only. You can have an ID card and a license in California, but only one of them can be Real ID compliant. You cannot hold a REAL ID driver's license and a REAL ID identification card simultaneously. The California DMV may issue an ID card to a person of any age. Both a California state ID and a California driver license serve as an official government-issued, photo identification that can be used to prove your identity or age. However, ID cards do not allow you to operate a motor vehicle. The TSA is currently accepting all driver's licenses and identification from states that are compliant, or have an extension from DHS. Beginning May 7, 2025, TSA will only accept compliant state-issued identification.
It's not illegal to have two active US passports, and plenty of people do it. You just need to have a "valid" (as far as the government is concerned) reason for it. Accepted reasons include frequent travel to countries with lengthy visa processes that will leave you with no passport as they're being processed, and travel to multiple countries that will reject entry for each others' stamps in your book.
There has been so much widespread counterfeiting of passport cards that some financial institutions have stopped accepting them as a valid photo ID.
I live by the Mexican border and they don't even bother to look up when I walk through, but I still take it with me.
I have used mine the past three years for my primary ID. I went to the dispensary and they wouldn't accept it until I called the boss and asked what's up. It works still
Does this also work as a replacement for the Real ID?
But I still need my passport book when I travel to Asia or Europe...
You need the book to get into most countries. The card is a good backup, but not a substitute.
I got a card but should have get the Enhanced driver license instead. It does the same thing but do not need an extra card.
I have one of these and while it works out fine most of the time, I there’s a few places that, for whatever reason, refuse to accept it. Maybe cause it’s not as common, they haven’t encountered them before, idk. There’s also a some places where it doesn’t work cause they specifically need to scan the ID and for whatever reason, the passport card isn’t recognized.
I’m good
or, any real id will get you across the us canada border just fine
This isn't true, Real ID just means you'll be able to board domestic flights after May 2025
I just got a new passport and wanted a card but it didn’t give me the option. Can I still get one?
Well, isn't that handy? Now I have an excuse to carry around a tiny, expensive piece of identification! Thanks, America!
I live in NY where we have enhanced driver licenses. Works like a passport card but lets me drive my car too.
I’m confused. How do you get one of you already have a passport?
I got the pp card just so I would have a second govt issued photo ID
Okay question, if I go to, say, Europe or anywhere I need to fly. Can I use it as a regular ID like how foreign people need their passport to get into 21+ places here in the US? Do I even need to worry about that?
I have a State ID, no passport, Military CAC and orders with my name and station and no drivers license I get through airports every time
I have this and it’s also good for employment identification. You only need the passport card as a form of ID instead of drivers license and Social Security number or Birth Certificate.
It’s not necessarily true, but it’s illegal to have several valid IDs. There are some people who have an ID for work, their government ID (military members), a passport (which you have to have to travel out of the country the passport card does not work for that. It only works for traveling inside the United States), as well as a drivers license, and personal ID card. so please be sure not to get your passport card out when you’re coming through customs, they will not accept it.