Your US passport book number is printed in the top right corner of the data page, the stiff inner page that carries your photo and biographical details. On Next Generation passports issued since 2021, the same number is repeated at the bottom of every page in the book, so you can still find it if the data page is damaged.1U.S. Department of State. Information about the Next Generation U.S. Passport
How to Find It and What It Looks Like
Open your passport to the data page near the front. Your photograph, full name, date of birth, and other personal information are printed there, and the passport book number sits in the top right corner.1U.S. Department of State. Information about the Next Generation U.S. Passport
The format depends on when the passport was issued:
- Passports issued in 2021 or later (Next Generation) show a letter followed by eight digits. The same number is repeated at the bottom of every page.1U.S. Department of State. Information about the Next Generation U.S. Passport
- Passports issued before 2021 show a nine-digit numerical code on the data page. The number may also be encoded in a barcode on the inside back cover.
Older passports that are still valid remain usable for international travel.1U.S. Department of State. Information about the Next Generation U.S. Passport
Is the Passport Book Number the Same as the Passport Number?
On a US passport, yes. Both terms point to the single number in the top right corner of the data page. There isn’t a second number hiding elsewhere.
The confusion usually starts with the DS-160 nonimmigrant visa application, which has separate fields for “Passport/Travel Document Number” and “Passport Book Number.” That form is used by applicants from every country, and in some countries those really are different numbers. The State Department describes the passport book number as an “inventory control number” and notes that some passports may not have one at all.2U.S. Department of State. DS-160 Frequently Asked Questions If you hold a US passport, you can enter the same number in both DS-160 fields.
Other Numbers That Get Mixed Up With It
- Application locator number. A separate nine-digit code assigned when you apply for a passport. It tracks the application through processing and is available through the State Department’s Online Passport Status System.3U.S. Department of State. Checking Your Passport Application Status
- Visa control number. If another country’s visa is stamped in your passport, that stamp carries its own control number. It identifies the visa, not your passport.
Passport Card Holders
A passport card is a separate document from a passport book and carries its own number. The State Department’s DS-64 form spells it out: “The passport book and card have different numbers.”4U.S. Department of State. Application for a U.S. Passport Book and/or Passport Card Lost, Stolen, or Mutilated
The card is a wallet-sized document valid only for land border crossings and sea ports of entry from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and some Caribbean countries. It cannot be used for international air travel.5U.S. Department of State. Get a Passport Card Because the card is not a book, it does not have a “passport book number.” When a form asks for that number, it wants the one from your full-sized passport book.
When You’ll Need the Number
Visa Applications
The DS-160 for US nonimmigrant visas asks for the passport book number in a dedicated field alongside your passport number.2U.S. Department of State. DS-160 Frequently Asked Questions Other countries’ visa forms may also request it, because the number ties the application to a specific physical document rather than to your identity alone.
Reporting a Lost or Stolen Passport
Form DS-64 asks for your passport book number, if you know it, when you report a missing passport.4U.S. Department of State. Application for a U.S. Passport Book and/or Passport Card Lost, Stolen, or Mutilated Once reported, that passport is canceled and cannot be used for travel even if it later turns up, so don’t file the report if you have only misplaced it temporarily.6U.S. Department of State. Report Your Passport Lost or Stolen
Updating Trusted Traveler Programs
When your passport number changes, your Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, or TSA PreCheck benefits stop working at airports and border crossings until you update the new passport information in your Trusted Traveler Programs account.7Department of Homeland Security. Trusted Traveler Programs Frequently Asked Questions You don’t need to reapply. Log in at ttp.dhs.gov and use “Update Documents” from your dashboard. A name change, or a passport from a different country, may require an in-person visit to a CBP Enrollment Center with supporting documents.
The Number Changes With Every New Passport
The passport book number belongs to the physical document, not to you. Each new passport, whether from renewal, replacement, or a name change, carries a different number from the one before.8U.S. Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions about Passport Services
Anything that stores the old number needs to be updated after you renew. The Trusted Traveler Programs account is the most common example, but also check airline frequent flyer profiles, existing visa records, and any foreign residency registrations tied to your passport.