Is there redundancy between a US Passport Card and an Enhanced Driver's License?
I have the right to get any or all of the following:
- US Passport ($110)
- US Passport "card" ($30)
- state Enhanced Driver's License (+$30 on normal DL cost)
My travel would be amongst the US, Canada, Mexico and possibly the Caribbean, possibly by air, and I would be thrilled to have a credit card sized thing instead of a book. The EDL would also be a + since it means 1 card instead of 2.
How do these items differ in terms of travel rights, in particularly the Passport Card vs the EDL? Does EDL do everything a PPC does and then some? Or vice versa? Is it silly to have both? I am not concerned with cost or expiry date.
Best Answer
The EDL and the passport card are both governed by the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, and as far as I know, they are equivalent as far as international travel purposes.
Importantly, neither of the two allows you to travel internationally by air. So if you want to have that option, you are going to have to get a passport book anyway.
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Is passport card the same as EDL?
The two are similar but not interchangeable and while an enhanced license grants access to certain countries, a passport unlocks most of them.Can I travel to Canada with enhanced ID?
Traveling to Canada (land and sea travel) Enhanced Drivers License (EDL): This optional travel document also serves as a New York State Driver's License and will be accepted as an alternative to a passport for all land and sea travel between the United States, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean.What countries can you visit with an enhanced license?
Enhanced licenses are federally accepted documents that allow you to enter the U.S. at a land or sea border crossing when returning from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the Caribbean.Do You Need a Passport Card? | Determining Whether it’s Worth the Cost
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Answer 2
I have a passport book and EDL. As far as I can tell, the EDL and passport card give the same travel rights. The only distinction I can think of that might make you want to have both an EDL and a passport card is the information on the face of the cards. My EDL only has my middle initial. If I had a passport card and always carried it, I'd be able to prove my full middle name if I unexpectedly needed to. (If I knew ahead of time it might be a problem, I could bring my passport book.) Other people might have other name variations and want to have a form of ID in both versions, but the respective agencies will have their own rules about how much of a variation they will allow.
Also, if I wanted to show my identity without showing my home address, I could use the passport card.
Answer 3
If you move out of state, you have to apply for a new EDL which I assume is $30 more. However if you had the passport card and DL separate, you would only need to get a new DL.
Assitionally passport cards valid for ten years while EDL’s are typically shorter. Basically just get the passport card separate and a separate DL.
You can’t do without the book though if you’ll be visiting the Caribbean or any international location by air.
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