Passport Booklet and a Passport Card?

Pearlee · ‎06-11-2011

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.

SXMGirl · ‎07-07-2010

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.

The next time that I hear salt and ice together, it better be in a margarita!

Carmie · ‎10-25-2010

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.

WenGirl42 · ‎07-05-2012

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.

haddon9 · ‎03-09-2010

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.

Pearlee · ‎06-11-2011

@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.

haddon9 · ‎03-09-2010

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.

Pearlee · ‎06-11-2011

@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!

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

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.