Passport card cost and where it works
The wallet-size card costs a fraction of the book, carries the same validity and works only on land and sea crossings close to home.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
First passport, age 18+: what you pay
$65
Arrives between November 14, 2026 and December 26, 2026
| Application fee · DS-11 | $30 |
|---|---|
| Execution (acceptance) fee | $35 |
| Check or money order to “U.S. Department of State” | $30 |
| Separate payment to the acceptance facility | $35 |
| Total | $65 |
| Mail to the State Department | up to 2 weeks |
|---|---|
| Processing | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Mail back to you | up to 2 weeks |
| Last day to apply, routine, worst case | November 6, 2026 |
| Last day to apply, expedited, worst case | November 27, 2026 |
Arrives before your trip even with the slowest published times.
Official rule: routine service if you travel in 6 weeks or more.
How this was calculated
- Fees from the State Department chart “United States Passport Fees”, October 2026 edition, and 22 CFR 22.1 ($50 application + $80 security surcharge = $130 for an adult book).
- Times from the processing-time page updated October 5, 2026: routine 4 to 6 weeks, expedited 2 to 3 weeks, mail up to 2 weeks each way. The earliest date leaves mail out, the latest adds both legs.
- Not included: photos, the price of faster USPS mail to the State Department (set by the facility), and any private expediter fee.
Estimate from the State Department’s published fees and processing times. Mailing times vary and the Department decides each case. Independent site, not affiliated with the Department of State; we sell no expediting service. Method and sources
The U.S. passport card costs $30 for an adult and $15 for a child under 16, paid to the U.S. Department of State, plus the $35 execution fee when it is a first application on Form DS-11: $65 for an adult and $50 for a child. Adults who already hold a passport book can add a first card by mail on Form DS-82 as if it were a renewal, for $30 with no facility fee. The card is valid 10 years for adults and 5 for children, like the book. It proves citizenship and identity, it is accepted as an alternative to REAL ID on domestic flights, and it lets you enter the United States by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and some Caribbean countries, including the faster Ready Lanes at land borders. It is never valid for international air travel, and the 1-3 day delivery option does not exist for it: cards travel by First Class Mail.
What the card costs in each situation
The card has its own line on the fee chart, with no security surcharge, which is why it is so much cheaper than the book. A first adult card filed in person costs $30 plus $35; a child’s $15 plus the same $35. Ordering card and book together costs $160 for an adult instead of $160 and avoids a second execution fee. You can expedite a card for $60, but you cannot buy the 1-3 day delivery: the result above removes that option when you pick a card alone.
The trips it covers
Think of the card as a border-crossing document for driving to Canada or Mexico and for closed-loop cruises in the Caribbean. The Bahamas and Jamaica pages of the State Department accept it for cruise passengers, while still recommending a book in case an emergency forces you to fly home. The book versus card guide compares the two for each kind of trip.
Renewing a card
An adult card renews like a book, at $30: by mail if it was issued at 16 or older within the last 15 years, online if you also meet the online rules (age 25 or older, expiring within a year or expired less than five years ago). Online, you can renew a card into a card, or a card into both documents.