page_title: United States Passport Card
hierarchical_section_title: United States Passport Card
caption_attribution_description: English: PASS card, Department of Homeland Security Image: US Department of State
context_page_description: The United States passport card is an official identity and limited travel document issued by the United States federal government in the size of a credit card and may be considered as the de jure national identity card of the United States of America. It may therefore be used as an identity card for purposes other than international travel, such as domestic air travel. Like a U.S. passport book, the passport card is only issued to U.S. nationals exclusively by the U.S. Department of State, is compliant to the standards for identity documents set by the REAL ID Act and can be used as proof of U.S. citizenship. The passport card allows its holders to travel by domestic air flights within the United States, and to travel by land and sea within part of North America. However, the passport card cannot be used for international air travel.
  The passport card was created as a result of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which imposed more stringent documentary requirements on travelers. Applications have been accepted since February 1, 2008; production of the cards began July 14, 2008. By the end of 2016, more than 12 million passport cards had been issued to U.S. citizens.
context_section_description: The United States passport card is an official identity and limited travel document issued by the United States federal government in the size of a credit card and may be considered as the de jure national identity card of the United States of America. It may therefore be used as an identity card for purposes other than international travel, such as domestic air travel. Like a U.S. passport book, the passport card is only issued to U.S. nationals exclusively by the  U.S. Department of State, is compliant to the standards for identity documents set by the REAL ID Act and can be used as proof of U.S. citizenship. The passport card allows its holders to travel by domestic air flights within the United States, and to travel by land and sea within part of North America. However, the passport card cannot be used for international air travel.
  The passport card (previously known as the People Access Security Service Card, or PASS Card) was created as a result of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), which imposed more stringent documentary requirements on travelers. Applications have been accepted since February 1, 2008; production of the cards began July 14, 2008. By the end of 2016, more than 12 million passport cards had been issued to U.S. citizens. The card is manufactured by L-1 Identity Solutions.
  National identity cards with similar utility are common inside the European Union and EFTA countries for both national and international use, with the difference that such cards are often mandatory to carry in several of these countries. In contrast, there are only some states in the U.S. which have 'stop and identify statutes', and in these states, a driver's license will always suffice.
caption: The rear of a United States passport card (2008)
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