The passport card facilitates entry and expedites document processing at U.S. land and sea ports-of-entry when arriving from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. The card may not be used to travel by air. It carries the rights and privileges of the U.S. passport book, and applications will be adjudicated to the exact same standards.
To apply for a passport card, you should present the same documentation as for a passport renewal or a new passport, depending on whether you have had a passport before.
The Department of State is issuing passport cards in response to the needs of border resident communities for a less expensive and more portable alternative to the traditional passport book.
The passport card has the same validity period as a passport book: 10 years for an adult, five for children 15 and younger.