Yes, you can get a U.S. passport card without a passport book. The State Department treats the two documents as independent applications, so you can request the card on its own, the book on its own, or both together. A first-time adult card costs $65 all in, versus $165 for a book. The catch is the card’s reach: it works for land and sea entry to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and most Caribbean countries, and it cannot be used for international air travel.
What the Card Actually Lets You Do
The passport card is accepted at U.S. land and sea ports of entry when you’re returning from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and most Caribbean countries. It carries an RFID chip that works with the dedicated Ready Lanes at land crossings, which is useful if you cross the northern or southern border regularly. TSA also accepts it as ID for domestic flights, so it doubles as a federally issued photo ID in your wallet.
What it will not do is board an international flight. If any leg of your trip involves flying into or out of a foreign country, you need the book. There is no workaround, no exception at the gate.
The Cruise Caveat
Cruises are where people get the card-only decision wrong. A passport card technically works for a closed-loop cruise, meaning one that leaves from and returns to the same U.S. port, because you’re reentering the country by sea. But if you get sick, get hurt, or the ship has a problem and you need to fly home from a foreign port, the card cannot get you on that plane. The State Department recommends carrying a passport book for cruise travel for exactly that reason.
Card Versus Book at a Glance
The card is a wallet-sized plastic ID, about the size of a driver’s license. The book is the traditional booklet with visa pages. Both prove U.S. citizenship and identity. Both are valid for 10 years for adults 16 and older, and 5 years for children under 16.
The difference that matters is where each is accepted. The book works anywhere in the world for any mode of travel. The card works only for land and sea travel to the neighboring countries listed above. If you might ever fly internationally, get the book. If your border trips are limited to driving into Canada or Mexico, or you just want an inexpensive federal photo ID, the card is enough.
What It Costs
First-time applicants pay two separate fees: an application fee to the State Department, and an acceptance fee to the facility that processes your paperwork.
- Card only, adult: $30 application + $35 acceptance = $65
- Book only, adult: $130 application + $35 acceptance = $165
- Book and card together, adult: $160 application + $35 acceptance = $195
Applying for both at once saves $35, because you only pay the acceptance fee once. A child’s first-time card (under 16) is $15 in application fees plus the $35 acceptance fee, for $50 total.
Pay the application fee by check or money order made out to “U.S. Department of State,” and write the applicant’s name and date of birth in the memo line. The acceptance facility takes its fee separately, and accepted payment methods vary by location. Plan on a little more for a passport photo (usually $8 to $17 at retail) and, if you don’t already have one, a certified birth certificate from your state’s vital records office (generally $10 to $35).
How to Apply for the Card Only
If you’ve never held a U.S. passport of any kind, you’ll apply in person using Form DS-11. You can fill out the form online through the State Department’s website, but don’t sign it until you’re standing in front of the acceptance agent.
Bring the following:
- Proof of U.S. citizenship: an original or certified birth certificate, a Certificate of Naturalization, or a previous undamaged U.S. passport, plus a photocopy of the front and back on standard white paper.
- Photo ID: a valid driver’s license, state-issued ID, or other government-issued photo ID, plus a photocopy of the front and back. Digital or mobile IDs are not accepted.
- Passport photo: one recent color photo, 2×2 inches, taken within the last six months against a white or off-white background. Remove eyeglasses and face the camera directly. No filters, editing software, or AI tools.
Submit everything at a passport acceptance facility, which is usually a post office, public library, or local government office. The State Department’s website has a search tool for finding one near you. On Form DS-11, check the box for a passport card only. That single checkbox is what tells the State Department to issue the card without a book.
Adding a Card Later If You Already Have a Book
If you decide you want a card after you already have a valid passport book, you don’t have to start over in person. You can apply by mail using Form DS-82, even though you’ve never held a card before. The State Department treats it like a renewal because you already hold a valid passport document. Send in the DS-82, your book, a new photo, and the $30 fee, and check the card option on the form. Your book comes back separately.
Processing Time and Delivery
As of early 2026, routine processing takes four to six weeks and expedited processing takes two to three weeks. Those windows don’t include mailing time in either direction. Expedited processing adds $60 to your application fee.
One quirk to know about: passport cards ship only by First Class Mail. The 1-to-3-day delivery upgrade you can pay for on a book does not apply to the card. So even if you pay for expedited government processing, the card still travels back to you by standard mail. Your citizenship documents, like your birth certificate, may arrive in a separate envelope up to four weeks after the card itself.
You can check application status online through the State Department’s website. If you have an urgent land or sea trip and can’t wait, one option worth weighing is applying for a book with expedited service and 1-to-3-day delivery, which gives you the fastest possible turnaround even though it costs more. The card, on its own, cannot be sped up on the delivery end.