topic Re: Passport Booklet and a Passport Card? in Community Chat

Passport Booklet and a Passport Card?

Pearlee — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 02:35:49 GMT

I am renewing my passport booklet. The application allows you to get a passport booklet or a passport card, or both. The card is not valid for air

I am definitely renewing my passport booklet which costs $110 as a renewal. The passport card is also considered a passport but is much more limited. "Unlike the passport book, the passport card is valid only for entry to the United States at land border crossings and sea ports of entry when traveling from Canada, Mexico the Caribbean, and Bermuda. The U.S. passport card is not valid for international air travel." (The quote is from the application). I'm trying to decide whether to get only the booklet or both. I think the card is similar looking to a driver's license; it is definitely not a booklet. I thought over the next 15 years (the time by which I'd have to renew again) it could come in handy. The last major place I travelled to was to Bermuda. I go to Canada but not often. I go fairly regularly to Florida but have never been to Mexico. I don't have a real need for the card but I was also thinking it would be a good source of a photo I.D. But why get something I don't really need, since if I went to any of the places where I could use the passport card, I could just show my passport booklet instead. If you do want both, you only need to send in one photo, not two. It boils down to an additional expense of $30 - no more than that.

I'm thinking it's mostly used by people who live in the USA fairly close to the Canadian or Mexican borders and a passport card is much more convenient to show to border officials. I live in the midwest and have been to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls a few times, although not recently.

Any thoughts on this? Do any of you have both passport booklet and card? Is there any good reason I should get the card too? I'm thinking it's not something I need but it might be useful to have.

Re: Passport Booklet and a Passport Card?

SXMGirl — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 02:47:24 GMT

I have both, just because you never know when rules will change. I would rather have both now rather than something change and then have to order the other. I am the type of person who is always prepared for everything.

Re: Passport Booklet and a Passport Card?

Carmie — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 02:54:33 GMT

I just have the booklet. I see no need to have the card. For me, it would be a waste of $30. The booklet is all most of us need.

You are correct, people who cross the border often may find the card to be handy.

Re: Passport Booklet and a Passport Card?

WenGirl42 — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 03:14:09 GMT

I just renewed a couple of months ago, and I opted to get both. It's a second photo ID for things where DL is used (e.g., voting, domestic air travel) just in case. And I do travel to Canada by car every few years. Could use it for most cruises too. I don't like carrying my full passport booklet around when it's not absolutely necessary.

Re: Passport Booklet and a Passport Card?

haddon9 — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 03:19:04 GMT

I didn't even realize that there was a passport card. My passport is expiring this summer and I have to renew soon.

I'm in Pa and have heard that starting in January, PA is one of a few states that will need a valid passport (I guess the card would be okay too) for domestic air travel. It has something to do with a PA license though I'm hoping they change it before this happens. I can't imagine having to use my passport just to fly anywhere and I go to Florida a lot as well!

Do you plan on taking a trip outside of the US within the next couple of years? Why not just get a regular passport which covers everything. I would skip the card. Getting the card would just be one more thing for me to keep track of.

Re: Passport Booklet and a Passport Card?

Pearlee — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 03:39:34 GMT

@haddon9 wrote:
I didn't even realize that there was a passport card. My passport is expiring this summer and I have to renew soon.

I'm in Pa and have heard that starting in January, PA is one of a few states that will need a valid passport (I guess the card would be okay too) for domestic air travel. It has something to do with a PA license though I'm hoping they change it before this happens. I can't imagine having to use my passport just to fly anywhere and I go to Florida a lot as well!

Do you plan on taking a trip outside of the US within the next couple of years? Why not just get a regular passport which covers everything. I would skip the card. Getting the card would just be one more thing for me to keep track of.

@haddon9 As I said in my first post, I am getting the booklet for sure. What I'm undecided about is also getting the card, such as to have an extra ID as I said in my post and as someone else here mentioned too. Online, I've found people saying that you can use the card at TSA checkpoints in airports too (I think they were talking about in the USA) which is a bit handier than the passport.

I think I'm going to get both. If I have the booklet as I already stated, I don't really need the card at all, but I could see it could be convenient at times. Another point people online have raised is that if you lose a passport, it's much easier to get a replacement for it (such as at a US embassy overseas) if you have the card. All your info is in the chip in the card and it's easier to get a replacement from the card than even from a copy you might have made of your passport.

By the way, you have five years from the expiration date of your passport to get another one, so no hurry if it's expiring this summer, unless you need it for travel of course. You can't use an expired passport. But I'm on the fourth of my five years after my expiration date so I want to get it since, unexpediited, it takes six to eight weeks.

Another reason to get it when I renew is the fee for it keeps going up. So, if would like to have one in the future, I suppose I may as well get it now.

Re: Passport Booklet and a Passport Card?

haddon9 — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 03:45:13 GMT

You know something Pearley?...I really hate dealing with all of these forms, papers & cards. It's one more thing for me to do and it's getting the photo taken that is a PITA.

I guess the passport card could come in handy as extra ID if you need it.

Re: Passport Booklet and a Passport Card?

Pearlee — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 03:50:38 GMT

@haddon9 I went to the PO and had my photo taken there even though other places were cheaper (CVS has a $2 off coupon online). You know it's going to meet the requirements when the PO takes it. They gave me two, although I only need one for the application. The two were $15.00. The renewal application is pretty short and simple - much shorter than the original one.

As for the photos, I'm in my mid-60s and color my hair. Since the Passport is good for 10 years plus another 5 to renew, I'm sure I'll be all gray at some time before it expires. Wonder if they'll still be able to identify me. I have light brown hair in my photos now!

Re: Passport Booklet and a Passport Card?

151949 — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 03:55:47 GMT

If you need to get the book then you won't need the card. However , if you only plan to travel to Canada you would only need the card - unless you chose to enter Canada via the great lakes - then you need the book type. My DH & I learned this the hard way. We wernt over to Canada from Erie, Pa on our boat and were refused dockage because we did not have regular passports, and the cards are for LAND entry only. We had to leave and go out onto the lake, drop anchor and spend the night afloat.

Re: Passport Booklet and a Passport Card?

Mz iMac — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 04:04:29 GMT

Personally, I would just get the booklet. I have no reason to get a "card."

I have 4 1/2 more yrs before I have to renew my passport.

Re: Passport Booklet and a Passport Card?

sunshine45 — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 04:08:02 GMT

recently applied for a passport renewal and opted to get both the passport book and the card. may go to canada this summer and wanted the card to use. it cannot hurt to have another photo ID handy, especially these days and with my name.

our AAA takes passport photos for $2.95 because we are plus members.

Re: Passport Booklet and a Passport Card?

DiAnne — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 04:25:44 GMT

I have an enhanced driver's license that gets me in and out of Canada.

Re: Passport Booklet and a Passport Card?

sunshine45 — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 05:01:01 GMT

@151949 wrote:
If you need to get the book then you won't need the card. However , if you only plan to travel to Canada you would only need the card - unless you chose to enter Canada via the great lakes - then you need the book type. My DH & I learned this the hard way. We wernt over to Canada from Erie, Pa on our boat and were refused dockage because we did not have regular passports, and the cards are for LAND entry only. We had to leave and go out onto the lake, drop anchor and spend the night afloat.

the passport cards are good for both land AND sea entry.

The passport card is a wallet-size travel document that can only be used to re-enter the United States at land border-crossings or ports-of-entry by sea from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.The card provides a smaller, more convenient, and less expensive alternative to the passport book for those who travel frequently to these destinations by land or sea.

The card has the same validity period as a passport book: 10 years for an adult, five years for children age 16 and younger. Adults who already have a passport book may apply for the card at a reduced price.

https://travel.state.gov/content/studentsabroad/en/beforeyougo/passports/whatisapassportcardandhowtoapply.html

Re: Passport Booklet and a Passport Card?

gabstoomuch — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 05:14:48 GMT

Isn't there a new rule coming up that requires all people to have the card to fly within the United States?

Passport is passport, everyone knows you need a passport to go overseas. But there is something to the card, a bill that passed but they pushed out the "required" date because the airlines were not ready for scanning them (or something like that).

It is only ringing a bell because my son travels for work and he said they sent out notices a time back that the traveling employees would have to make sure they got the card and they would be reimbursed. Then they said they could take their time doing it because the requirement was pushed out to October of 2017? 18?

So even traveling within the United States (and Canada, Mexico, the islands, Puerto Rico) everyone will need a traveling card.

I wonder if that is why they are offering the add-on option now, because the price will probably go up once the rule is put into place?

I may be totally wrong, but I know I had a conversation with my son about this.

**slinks back to her corner because she never travels, except to Walmart 1 mile down the road **

Re: Passport Booklet and a Passport Card?

patbz — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 05:18:44 GMT

Recently renewed my passport and opted for the card as well. I think it's good to carry both when travelling for added security; for instance on a ship when I can keep booklet in cabin safe and go ashore with the card as extra I.d. I have always travelled with laminated signature pages of passport ( put one inside each suitcase ) take one ashore in case I "miss the boat" (never has happened).

Re: Passport Booklet and a Passport Card?

Tribesters — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 10:19:59 GMT

@Pearlee

I have both but only because I got the card first. Never imagined I'd go anywhere other than driving to Canada. Then got opportunity for free trip to Mexico (flying) so I had to get the book. As you said the book is good for all travel so if you get it you don't need the card. However, the card is easy to carry in your wallet & may come in handy. I live fairly close to Canada. One day we took off- not planning on going to Canada. On the spur of the moment we decided to go to Canada. Luckily I had the card in my wallet. The book I keep in a mini safe. I don't carry it unless I'm traveling. If you can afford the $40 I'd say get it. Especially if you live within driving distance of Canada or Mexico.

Re: Passport Booklet and a Passport Card?

FrostyBabe1 — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 11:18:41 GMT

I have and use both. I use the passport card as my ID when I fly domestically, rather than my drivers license.

Re: Passport Booklet and a Passport Card?

151949 — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 11:55:36 GMT

I actually got my passport card as an additional ID for when we moved to Florida - I had heard it was difficult to get your driver's license here - that since 9/11 they were very strict about ID, and you really had to provide a document trail.My DH had a passport card because part of his territory when he was working was S E Canada. We use them now to go to Niagara Falls about once every few years.

Re: Passport Booklet and a Passport Card?

crazered — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 12:40:03 GMT

I just called National Passport info spoke ty an agent (6-8-17) to ask about using the passport ID card to fly. Yes it can be used as a ID to board the plane if your travel is in the US. Just wanted to clear up any questions.

Re: Passport Booklet and a Passport Card?

WenGirl42 — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 13:10:13 GMT

@gabstoomuch wrote:
Isn't there a new rule coming up that requires all people to have the card to fly within the United States?

Passport is passport, everyone knows you need a passport to go overseas. But there is something to the card, a bill that passed but they pushed out the "required" date because the airlines were not ready for scanning them (or something like that).

It is only ringing a bell because my son travels for work and he said they sent out notices a time back that the traveling employees would have to make sure they got the card and they would be reimbursed. Then they said they could take their time doing it because the requirement was pushed out to October of 2017? 18?

So even traveling within the United States (and Canada, Mexico, the islands, Puerto Rico) everyone will need a traveling card.

I wonder if that is why they are offering the add-on option now, because the price will probably go up once the rule is put into place?

I may be totally wrong, but I know I had a conversation with my son about this.

**slinks back to her corner because she never travels, except to Walmart 1 mile down the road **

@gabstoomuch There won't be a rule requiring everyone to have the passport card to fly, no. But as of January 2018, you need a "REAL ID-compliant" form of identification. For some states, the Drivers' License will continue to suffice. Sounds like your son is not in one of those states. People in states where the DL is not compliant with these new minimum standards will need an ID that is compliant to fly domestically, and both passports and passport cards qualify.