General Information
The passport card facilitates entry and expedites document processing at U.S. land and sea ports-of-entry when arriving from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. The passport card may not be used for international travel by air. A passport card is adjudicated to the same standards as a U.S. passport book.
When outside the United States and the above mentioned countries, immigration authorities may not recognize the passport card as proof of U.S. citizenship or identity.
How to Apply
You may apply for the card by mail using Form DS-82 if you can pay the applicable fee by U.S. postal money order or cashier’s check from a U.S. bank and you have a passport book or a passport card that:
- Can be submitted with your application
- Is undamaged (other than normal “wear and tear”)
- Was issued when you were age 16 or older
- Was issued within the last 15 years
- Was issued in your current name (or you can document your name change with an original or certified copy of your marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order)
If you have never had a U.S. passport book or card, or are not eligible to use Form DS-82, you must apply in person using Form DS-11. You can apply for both a passport book and passport card at the same time using one form. Simply check the appropriate box at the top of the form to indicate that you would like to apply for both products and pay both passport book and passport card fees. Please see Passport services for more information.
Processing Times
The average processing time for a Passport Card is 4 weeks.
Please Note:
To facilitate the frequent travel of U.S. citizens living in border communities and to meet DHS’s operational needs at land borders, the passport card contains a vicinity-read radio frequency identification (RFID) chip. There is no personal information written to the RFID chip itself.
