United States passport card

U.S. passport cards can be used to enter the United States at land border crossings and sea ports of entry. It is also accepted for entry by land or sea into Canada,[9] Mexico,[10][11] and some countries and territories in the Caribbean. It cannot be used to travel by air to these countries, or by any means to other countries.

The Department of State stated that this limited validity is because "designing a card format passport for wide use, including by air travelers, would inadvertently undercut the broad based international effort to strengthen civil aviation security and travel document specifications to address the post 9/11 threat environment".[12]

Aside from being unable to be used for international air travel, the passport card is treated as a passport for all other purposes. A United States passport card can be used as primary evidence of United States citizenship, just like a passport booklet,[13] and can be used as a valid proof of citizenship and proof of identity both inside and outside the United States.[14]

Under the REAL ID Act, the passport card is accepted for federal purposes (such as domestic air travel or entering federal buildings), which may make it an attractive option for people whose driver's licenses and ID cards are not REAL ID-compliant when those requirements go into effect on May 3, 2025.[15] TSA regulations list the passport card as an acceptable identity document at airport security checkpoints.[16]

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has indicated that the U.S. passport card may be used in the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 process.[17] The passport card is considered a "List A" document that may be presented by newly hired employees during the employment eligibility verification process to show work authorized status.[18] "List A" documents are those used by employees to prove both identity and work authorization when completing the Form I-9.[19]

Passport cards are much less popular than driver licenses, a commonly used form of identification. As previously stated, in 2014 there were more than 12 million passport cards issued. In contrast, in 2009 there were 210 million licensed drivers.[20]

In some countries, laws require foreign visitors and/or all adults to carry official personal identification at all times. Carrying a passport card may meet the demands of local law enforcement without the risks associated with carrying the full passport booklet.[21]

Compared with state ID cards and driver's licenses, the passport card is designed to be more universal. It is formatted to United Nations ICAO machine readable document standards, which are used on IDs around the world.[22] Also, unlike state driver's licenses, which may not even list the country on them, the passport card contains the words United States of America in its header. It also contains national symbols, such as a U.S. flag, in the background, as opposed to the state symbols found on driver's licenses. Since people abroad may not be familiar with every U.S. state, the passport card's emphasis on being from the United States makes it more understood in this regard.

In addition to the embedded RFID chip, the front of the card features a complex multi-layer hologram consisting of an American bald eagle surrounded by the words "United States of America Department of State" in a small clearly readable font, further surrounded by the same words repeatedly in microprint. The card's background consists of interweaving smooth curves rich in variable color and microprint. All of the personal information on the card is created by laser engraving, with some key information produced in raised tactile engraving, including the date of birth, vertical letters "USA", the passport card number, and an alphanumeric sequence underneath the photograph. A second, smaller "ghost" photograph of the bearer is included on the right side of the card; when closely inspected this ghost image is actually an approximation of the shading in the original photo composed of various letters from the card holder's name. There is an embossed seal in the upper left hand corner of the card (partially overlapping the photograph) depicting the obverse of the Great Seal of the United States. When viewed under UV lighting, a reddish-orange bald eagle in flight appears. The eagle carries thirteen arrows in one talon and an olive branch with thirteen leaves and thirteen olives on the branch. The eagle's image is 3-dimensional, with the flying figure poised above the shield from the Great Seal. In its beak, the eagle clutches a scroll with the motto E pluribus unum ("Out of Many, One"). On the rear of the card, the "PASSsystem" mark appears in optically variable ink, and the number, "C########", is a raised tactile engraving.