Passport cards prove popular for Americans

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly 740,000 Americans have ordered passport cards, a new document being offered by the State Department to speed border crossings by U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Beginning in June, travelers will be required to present documents proving both citizenship and identity when entering the U.S. through a land or sea border. For Americans who drive to Canada or Mexico or cruise regularly to the Caribbean, but who do not expect to fly abroad, the passport card is a cheaper, smaller, more portable alternative to a conventional passport book. It’s not valid for air travel.

The passport card is the size of a credit card or driver’s license, and has a photo and identification information printed on it. It also contains a chip with a unique number that allows border officials to instantly retrieve your data from a government database.

Passport cards are good for 10 years and cost $45 ($35 for children under 16).

For details on how and where to get a passport card, visit www.travel.state.gov.