Texas residents Are you in compliance to Travel

Wondering what the differences are between passport books and passport cards? The United States State Department offers two different types of passports – the traditional passport books that so many people are familiar with, and passport cards. So which one should you get? For the most part, it depends on your traveling needs, and how much you want to spend on necessary travel documents.

​Passports Books

Travelers can use Passport Books to internationally travel by air, see, and/or land. This type of U.S. Passport meets all of the REAL ID fulfillments required by Homeland Security, and therefore can be used by those who are traveling by domestic air travel. Those who are under the age of 16 will receive a Passport Book that’s valid for 5 years, and Passport Books given to those who are over the age of 16 will be valid for a period of 10 years.

The Passport Book is the only United States approved document that allows for international air travel. First time costs for an adult Passport Book is $145, which will cost $110 to renew. First time costs for a child’s Passport Book is $115, which will cost $80 to renew.

Passport Cards

Travelers can use Passport Cards to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean, which includes both land border crossing and sea ports of entry. While a Passport Card cannot be used to travel internationally by air, it is REAL ID compliant and therefore can be used to travel domestically by air. Those who are under the age of 16 will receive a Passport Card that’s valid for 5 years, and Passport Cards given to those who are over the age of 16 will be valid for a period of 10 years.

The reason why Passport Cards cannot be used to fly internationally is because it was specifically designed for both the northern and southern United States border community residents who crossed the border often by land. First time costs for an adult Passport Card is $65, which will cost $30 to renew. First time costs for a child’s Passport Card is $50, which will cost $15 to renew.

Good to Know

​Travelers can apply for a Passport Book and a Passport Card at the same time. They must first apply in person, and then they must meet eligibility requirements in order to renew their book or card by mail. Applications are processed within a six week timeframe, and expedited services are available for those who need their documents sooner.