# Life of a US Passport Card **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 3, 2019, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-of-a-us-passport-card/836482 "2019-07-03T23:17:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2019, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-of-a-us-passport-card/836482/1 "2019-07-03T23:17:49Z")
We are planning to drive to Canada in August for a week and then return. Our son (under age 16) was issued a US Passport card in Dec 2015. By August 2019, his US Passport card will have 4 months life left. I understand a US Passport may not be accepted by other countries with six months of life left. HOWEVER! I also understand these passport cards are more for the US border guard than the Canadian border guard. So, is it a problem that his passport card is four months from expiration? Googling around, the emphasis is all on passport books. But, what’s the factual Dope on US passport cards? ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2019, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-of-a-us-passport-card/836482/2 "2019-07-04T03:06:21Z")
> [@](#): > > Some countries require that your passport be valid at least six months beyond the dates of your trip. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met. Consider the following scenario: A country requires that you have at least six months of validity on your passport. You currently have seven months of validity on your passport. However, your trip is two months from now. At that point, you will only have five months of validity remaining on your passport which is not enough to satisfy that country’s entry requirements. In this situation, you would need to renew your passport before you can make your trip. Check our [Country Information](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages.html) to learn about entry and exit requirements for the country or countries in which you are traveling. > **[Frequently Asked Questions about Passport Services](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/passport-help/faqs.html)** > > Find answers to your common questions about U.S. passports. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2019, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-of-a-us-passport-card/836482/3 "2019-07-04T03:21:05Z")
According to [this,](https://www.tripsavvy.com/americans-need-passport-to-visit-canada-1481664) he may not need a passport or passport card at all, particularly if he is under 16. > [@](#): > > The Canadian government requires citizens of the United States to have a passport to fly to or transit through a Canadian airport, but **not to enter Canada by land** or by boat. For those travelers, in lieu of a passport, Canada requires that you carry proof of your citizenship, such as a birth certificate, certificate of citizenship or naturalization, or a Certificate of Indian Status, as well as photo identification. Bolding mine. You need to prove citizenship, and prove identity. A birth certificate will prove citizenship, and a photo ID will provide proof of identity. A passport provides both, but you can provide it in separate documents. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2019, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-of-a-us-passport-card/836482/4 "2019-07-04T05:46:41Z")
The [State Department](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Canada.html) says the only restriction Canada imposes on US passports is that if you’re transiting through en route to a Schengen country in Europe, you must have three months of validity. Other than that circumstance, it only needs to be valid when you enter the country. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2019, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-of-a-us-passport-card/836482/5 "2019-07-04T08:11:41Z")
I appreciate the feedback, and your posts confirm my knowledge on entry by car to Canada. However, the crux of the question (perhaps lost in the OP), is about gaining entry BACK into the US itself. Is it going to be a hassle having a US passport card four months from expiration? ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2019, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-of-a-us-passport-card/836482/6 "2019-07-04T08:14:56Z")
Duckster, thanks for your thoughts (above) but August is next month, which will be just four months from December when his card expires. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2019, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-of-a-us-passport-card/836482/7 "2019-07-04T08:56:01Z")
Just found this… I should call and ask the National Passport Information Center (which is available to answer your passport questions), per their website - part of the US State Dept’s website on travel. I’ll post the number here for the convenience of others. The [National Passport Information Center](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/contact-us/passports.html) Phone: 1-877-487-2778/ 1-888-874-7793 (TDD/TTY) • Customer service representatives are available: Monday- Friday 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time \*Except on Federal Holidays Automated passport information is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Se habla español. Or, Email: [NPIC@state.gov](mailto:NPIC@state.gov) Most email inquiries are answered within 24 hours. Please call for the status of your passport. We cannot email that information. Do not email for travel emergencies. Contact us by phone only. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2019, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-of-a-us-passport-card/836482/8 "2019-07-04T10:23:03Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > I appreciate the feedback, and your posts confirm my knowledge on entry by car to Canada. However, the crux of the question (perhaps lost in the OP), is about gaining entry BACK into the US itself. Is it going to be a hassle having a US passport card four months from expiration? A sign of the times I guess, but I find it extraordinary that anyone would be concerned about returning to their own country with a valid proof of identity, however long it has to run. The six-month rule is there to stop people from finding themselves without a valid passport when they are in a foreign country. Few, if any, countries require their own citizens to even have a passport, let alone carry one. As I understand it, someone entering the UK with an expired UK passport should have few problems so long as it was valid when they left the country, and the photo still matched. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2019, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-of-a-us-passport-card/836482/9 "2019-07-04T10:56:20Z")
It doesn’t matter if your passport card expires tomorrow. If you are returning to the US today, it is still valid. I’m not sure why you would think otherwise. The “6 month rule” is for leaving the country by air, and that is just to ensure it does not expire before you return. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2019, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-of-a-us-passport-card/836482/10 "2019-07-04T11:02:20Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > Duckster, thanks for your thoughts (above) but August is next month, which will be just four months from December when his card expires. No one will check the card when he leaves. Canada will check when he enters, and the US will check when he returns. Both times, it will be prior to expiration. He’s good. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2019, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-of-a-us-passport-card/836482/11 "2019-07-04T12:51:49Z")
The six months validity is not required by the US - it would make no sense for the US to refuse to allow you to enter if you only have four months left on your passport. It would be making the effective expiration date six months earlier than the official one. It’s the other countries that have that requirement\* - and the reasons airlines won’t let your board with less than 6 months is because they will be responsible for transporting you back to the US if you are denied entry to the other country. - Possibly because of their own visa/entry requirements. I went to Israel planning to stay for a week - but I was given a stay permit that allowed me to stay for three months. Obviously, if they’re giving me a permit to stay for three months, they’re going to require that my passport has at least that much validity left. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2019, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-of-a-us-passport-card/836482/12 "2019-07-04T13:17:14Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > I appreciate the feedback, and your posts confirm my knowledge on entry by car to Canada. However, the crux of the question (perhaps lost in the OP), is about gaining entry BACK into the US itself. Is it going to be a hassle having a US passport card four months from expiration? As I’ve pointed out, he doesn’t need a passport or passport card at all to re-enter the US, only a birth certificate and picture ID. But as others have said, a passport card will be sufficient regardless of how close it is to expiration. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2019, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-of-a-us-passport-card/836482/13 "2019-07-04T15:29:11Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > According to [this,](https://www.tripsavvy.com/americans-need-passport-to-visit-canada-1481664) he may not need a passport or passport card at all, particularly if he is under 16. > > Bolding mine. > > You need to prove citizenship, and prove identity. A birth certificate will prove citizenship, and a photo ID will provide proof of identity. A passport provides both, but you can provide it in separate documents. I took a train from Seattle to Vancouver five years ago and they asked for my passport, both in and out. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2019, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-of-a-us-passport-card/836482/14 "2019-07-04T16:48:55Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > I took a train from Seattle to Vancouver five years ago and they asked for my passport, both in and out. So? The question is whether you would have been admitted if you just had a birth certificate and photo ID, not whether they ask for a passport. They will ask for a passport by default, but that doesn’t mean entry will be refused if you can produce other evidence of citizenship and identity.