How to apply for US passport card when I already have passport book?

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I have a US passport book, and I would like to apply for a US passport card (to have in addition to my passport book). If I apply using form DS-82, submitting my current passport book as proof of citizenship, does it get returned to me still valid, or does it get cancelled? Is it possible to apply for a passport card using form DS-11 and avoid sending in my current valid passport book (submitting a birth certificate instead)?

I would prefer answers with official sources, which I have not been able to find myself on the US State Dept website or on the forms themselves (which are written quite ambiguously).



Best Answer

I have found nothing official on this, but at least one third-party passport information site recommends placing a sticky note on your passport saying "do not cancel," so it seems that cancellation is not inevitable, but that it may happen accidentally from time to time. Ifk you're very eager to prevent that, you could try to get the card in person at an agency (although that requires impending travel plans) or try David's approach of using DS-11 and not sending the book at all. But that does carry an extra fee of (if I recall correctly) $35.




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Do I need a passport card if I already have a passport book?

Should I bring the card along when traveling overseas? The short answer is that in most situations, you do not need both a passport book and card. The passport book is usually required, but a card is often not needed for international travel.

Can you get both a passport book and card?

Yes. You can apply for both a passport book and passport card at the same time using either Form DS-11 (apply in person) or Form DS-82 (renew by mail - must be eligible).

Can you apply for a passport if you already have one?

Yes, but the passport must have been issued within the last 15 years. In addition, you must have the passport in your possession, it cannot be damaged, you must have been age 16 or older when the passport was issued, and it must have been issued in your current name or you must show legal proof of your name change.

Can you have 2 passports at the same time?

Yes. U.S. citizens are allowed to have more than one valid U.S. passport at the same time, according to the National Passport Information Center, which is a division of the U.S. State Department. But in most cases, you are only allowed to have two valid passports at a time, according to the NPIC.



Do You Need a Passport Card? | Determining Whether it’s Worth the Cost




More answers regarding how to apply for US passport card when I already have passport book?

Answer 2

You may be able to apply for a passport card without submitting your passport book.

You must prove both US citizenship and identity in a passport or passport card application.

A passport is commonly used to prove US citizenship, but it isn't the only method. The DS-11 form contains this text applicable to US citizens who were born in the US:

Submit a previous U.S. passport or certified birth certificate. Passports that are limited in validity will need to be supplemented by other evidence. A birth certificate must include your full name, date and place of birth, sex, date the birth record was filed, the seal or other certification of the official custodian of such records (state, county, or city/town office), and the full names of your parent(s).

Thus, if born in the US, you may satisfy the citizenship requirement by obtaining a certified copy of your birth certificate. County recorders can supply such certified copies at moderate cost. (If you were born outside the US, the requirements are different, and may be harder to satisfy.)

As for the identity requirement, the DS-11 says:

You may submit items such as the following containing your signature AND a photograph that is a good likeness of you: previous or current U.S. passport book; previous or current U.S. passport card; driver's license (not temporary or learner's license); Certificate of Naturalization; Certificate of Citizenship; military identification; or federal, state, or municipal government employee identification card. Temporary or altered documents are not acceptable.

As with citizenship, your passport is one way to declare identity, but it is not the only way.

EDIT: note, however, that @phoog has answered below reporting a $35. additional fee for filing a DS-11.

Answer 3

If I already have a passport book, can I use the DS-82 to get a passport card?

Yes. If you have a passport book and you are eligible to use Form DS-82, you may apply for a passport card as a renewal by mail even if it is your first passport card. Learn more about the U.S. passport card.


Seems you should use the form DS-11.

DS-11 is for applying for a new document and allows you to specify Passport Card as the new document.

This is just what I found after a quick search and it could be incorrect.

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