Question: I mailed in my application and payment for a passport book and a passport card in mid-February. I received the passport book in the mail on Friday, but not the passport card. Is this usual? Also, what is a passport card exactly? I checked the box because it seemed like a good deal. Also, will I get my old passport back? I had to mail it in with my application.
Answer: Yes, it’s typical for U.S. passport books and passport cards to be mailed separately, and weeks apart, even when a person sought both on the same application, and yes, you should eventually get your old passport back, according to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs.
People who order a passport book and a passport card “may receive three separate mailings; one with your citizenship documents (examples: previous passport or birth certificate), one with your newly issued passport book and one with your newly issued passport card. You may wait eight weeks after receiving your passport book before you receive a second and third mailing with your passport card and citizenship documents,” according to the department’s website.
A U.S. passport card, which is the size of a credit card, can be used to enter the United States by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and Caribbean countries; it was designed for residents of U.S. border cities who frequently cross the northern or southern borders by land, the website says. You can’t use a passport card for international air travel.
A passport book, by contrast, is good for international travel by land, sea or air, allowing Americans to visit other countries and reenter the United States.
Although not required for domestic travel, “the U.S. passport book and passport card are alternatives to a state-issued REAL ID and can be used for domestic flights,” the website says. We’ve heard from readers who obtained a passport card for this reason. It fits in their wallet and serves as an ID that will be accepted by the Transportation Security Administration even after the federal REAL ID law is enforced, now set for May 7, 2025.
For applicants 16 and older, both the passport card and the passport book are valid for 10 years.
As for fees, the passport card is cheaper. First-time issuance for adults costs either $30 or $65 ($30 application fee plus $35 execution fee); applicants who have a valid passport book don’t pay the execution fee to obtain a passport card, according to the website. Renewal costs $30.
A first-time passport book costs $165 ($130 plus $35), while renewals cost $130.
Applicants who have a valid passport book and are eligible to use Form DS-82 “may apply for a passport card as a renewal by mail even if it is your first passport card,” the website says.
For more information, go to travel.state.gov Opens in a new tab.
Auwe
On my daily walks for exercise, I notice two related events. Action: People tuck promotional and religious materials under parked car windshield wipers. Reaction: When drivers return to their cars, they remove the materials and drop them in the gutters, creating litter. Auwe! How about the city passing a law banning windshield wiper promotions, thus, keeping our gutters cleaner? — E.M.K.
Mahalo
Mahalo to the artists who quickly completed painting beautiful and fun murals at the Dillingham Plaza. Their work was beautifully executed and the murals are creative, local and fun, causing us to stop, view and smile. They’re such a wonderful contrast to the negative things we see these days on the streets and sidewalks. — Grandma Nohea
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
