Can Passport Card Be Used Instead of Real ID?

As an American citizen, you have various travel and identification options at your disposal when it comes to international travel and ID documents. A passport card can be an excellent option for frequent cross-border travellers; otherwise you could use either your driver’s license or driver ID card as primary forms of ID; when flying though, a REAL ID may be necessary (which features a star in one corner).

A passport card can be a useful travel document for Americans who cross borders by land or sea frequently, though it cannot be used for international air travel. While it does not contain pages for visa stamps or immigration official signatures, its rights and privileges are adjudicated under the same standards as an actual US passport book.

Passport cards can also be used to enter the United States through Ready Lanes, which offer expedited vehicle and pedestrian entry when traveling from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean. Furthermore, passport cards may serve as travel documents on domestic flights that do not depart or arrive at Canada, Mexico or Bermuda.

The passport card provides Americans with a more universal option, using United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization machine-readable standards and national symbols that are recognized internationally. It can be used as an alternative to state ID cards or driver licenses when travelling internationally and costs significantly less than a full US passport book.