2008, the US government began issuing a new type of passport, the US
passport card. Now, when you renew your passport, you may notice that
the passport renewal application asks you whether or not you would like
to apply for a passport card. You can apply for a passport card either
instead of or in addition to your regular passport book, but should you?
To answer that question, we must look at the differences between a
passport book and a passport card. The passport card was made to be more
convenient and easier to carry than a passport book.
About the size of a
driver's license or credit card, it fits easily into your wallet. It's
also less expensive, $20 compared to $75 for a passport renewal.
However, unlike your passport book, a passport card is only valid in
certain situations. You can use your passport book to travel just about
anywhere. A passport card, on the other hand, will only get you to
Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean, and then only if you are traveling by
land or sea. Passport cards are not valid for air travel, even if you
are flying to one of those regions.
As you can see, due to the limitations of the passport card, most
travelers should apply for a regular passport book when they renew their
passports. A passport card is best for people who need to drive across
the border for short, regular trips to Canada and Mexico.
However, the passport card is only $20, so it can't hurt to apply for one during your next passport renewal. Just make sure you get the passport book, too, if necessary.
