If you are over age 16, your passport card will be valid for 10 years. Children under age 16 will be issued passport cards that are valid for five years.

No, your passport book and passport card will have different numbers.

No, you’ll be issued a full-validity passport card valid for 10 years.

The Real ID law was passed by Congress several years ago to set federal standards for identification documents. When the law is fully implemented, you will need to have a Real ID-compliant identification document to enter government buildings like courthouses or to pass through TSA security at the airport, even for domestic flights. Depending on where and when it was issued, your driver’s license may not be Real ID certified, so a passport card is a convenient, reliable form of Real ID that you can easily carry in your wallet.

For children too young to be issued driver’s licenses, the passport card is an excellent form of card-sized official identification. Families who travel frequently find them particularly useful – they report that they can pass through airport security much more quickly than families who do not have identification for their children.

You will need to report the loss of your passport card by calling 877-487-2778 or by filling out the lost passport report form DS-64 and mailing it to the address on the form. If you have also lost your passport book, please see our Lost Passport or Stolen Passport pages for details on how to replace your passport.