Using US passport card - field reports

[OldUser 9,637]

Hi guys,

 

I'm going to create a thread where I'm going to be posting field reports on using my US passport card domestically and internationally.

 

Sure, this ID should be universally accepted in the US anywhere, even to enter federal facilities and cross border with Mexico and Canada by land.

 

However, we all know sometimes clerks and other people make mistakes and reject to accept one form of ID or the other.

 

Feel free contributing to this thread.

 

Below is what US passport card looks like in June 2025:

 

 

 

[OldUser 9,637]

MM/YYYY: June 2025

Location: California, US

Business / organization: Home Depot 

Check type: Identity verification

Reason: Online order pickup

Result: Success

 

Details: Got asked for ID by a young man (potentially of Indian origin) at customer services. He looked at it for 20-30 seconds. Literally held it in his hands and checked front and back very closely. He was very curious, probably never seen it before. Said "oh, it's a passport card" right before returning it to me. As he was finding order, I had a little bit of chat about DLs vs passport card as I got his interest. Here, in California DLs and IDs are only valid for 5 years, but passport card is 10 years and it's similar price.

 

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 02:40 PM by OldUser

[Dashinka 25,783]

I have a card as well, but have yet tried to use it.  I suppose it is not entirely common to see someone using a PPC as a regular form of ID although it is valid.  I am curious why the PP and the PPC have different numbers.

[OldUser 9,637]

4 hours ago, Dashinka said:

I have a card as well, but have yet tried to use it.  I suppose it is not entirely common to see someone using a PPC as a regular form of ID although it is valid.  I am curious why the PP and the PPC have different numbers.

Different documents - different numbers? Two PP would have different numbers too, even if issues to same person.

[OldUser 9,637]

4 hours ago, Dashinka said:

I suppose it is not entirely common to see someone using a PPC as a regular form of ID although it is valid.

Now that I got PPC I'm prioritizing using it for 2 reasons:

 

1. It doesn't show my home address. I don't want any guy at grocery store, Home Depot or night club / bar to know my home address.

With DL, in some states you can get a PO of course and put that as mailing address that would appear on DL.

 

2. DL number doesn't change (AFAIK, at least in California), but PPC number does change every 10 years. If info gets to wrong hands, I suspect more damage can be done with DL. I just think of TurboTax and some online government websites where they validate identity using DL number.

Edited Tuesday at 02:09 PM by OldUser

[NorthByNorthwest 448]

Here in Washington state they are halfway common, wife uses it to cross into Canada regularly whereas I stick with NEXUS. I mainly keep a PPC as a backup proof of citizenship in case I ever lose my US passport and/or cert of naturalization. With Real ID coming into effect earlier I think the passport card will become less common since more folks here have enhanced driver's licenses now.

 

I'd prefer a digital driver's license with more control over what information is shared.

[OldUser 9,637]

8 minutes ago, NorthByNorthwest said:

Here in Washington state they are halfway common, wife uses it to cross into Canada regularly whereas I stick with NEXUS. I mainly keep a PPC as a backup proof of citizenship in case I ever lose my US passport and/or cert of naturalization. With Real ID coming into effect earlier I think the passport card will become less common since more folks here have enhanced driver's licenses now.

 

I'd prefer a digital driver's license with more control over what information is shared.

EDLs are not available in California, sadly.

I have mDL on my phone, it's an interesting idea. The only concern is privacy when handing phone over to other people.

Edited Tuesday at 04:45 PM by OldUser

[Dashinka 25,783]

39 minutes ago, OldUser said:

EDLs are not available in California, sadly.

I have mDL on my phone, it's an interesting idea. The only concern is privacy when handing phone over to other people.

Yes, not a big fan of handing someone my phone.

 

3 hours ago, OldUser said:

Now that I got PPC I'm prioritizing using it for 2 reasons:

 

1. It doesn't show my home address. I don't want any guy at grocery store, Home Depot or night club / bar to know my home address.

With DL, in some states you can get a PO of course and put that as mailing address that would appear on DL.

 

2. DL number doesn't change (AFAIK, at least in California), but PPC number does change every 10 years. If info gets to wrong hands, I suspect more damage can be done with DL. I just think of TurboTax and some online government websites where they validate identity using DL number.

That is a real good point.  A lot of things are tied to the DL number, not so much tied to a PPC number.  I may need to start using my PPC more often just as a simple form of ID.

[randomstairs 331]

MM/YYYY: Spring 2023

Location: California, US

Business / organization: DMV 

Check type: Citizenship verification

Reason: Register citizenship and get new ID

Result: Success after some discussion

 

Details: At first the clerk refused to take it as evidence of citizenship, falsely claiming that the US PPC is merely evidence of legal resident status. I pointed at the "Nationality USA" field on the card and the clerk, seemingly begrudgingly, accepted it.  

[OldUser 9,637]

5 minutes ago, randomstairs said:

MM/YYYY: Spring 2023

Location: California, US

Business / organization: DMV 

Check type: Citizenship verification

Reason: Register citizenship and get new ID

Result: Success after some discussion

 

Details: At first the clerk refused to take it as evidence of citizenship, falsely claiming that the US PPC is merely evidence of legal resident status. I pointed at the "Nationality USA" field on the card and the clerk, seemingly begrudgingly, accepted it.  

Awesome thank you for sharing this report and even sticking to the format 😃

 

This is super useful! I'm yet to try it at DMV.

[randomstairs 331]

MM/YYYY: Spring 2023

Location: California, US

Business / organization: SSA 

Check type: Evidence of citizenship status 

Reason: Register citizenship status

Result: Failure (later worked with the passport book)

 

Details: The official refused to accept the PPC outright. I requested that he consult a manager but eventually gave up. Brought the PP book from home ($50 Uber trip) and that, ofc, worked.     

[OldUser 9,637]

Just now, randomstairs said:

MM/YYYY: Spring 2023

Location: California, US

Business / organization: SSA 

Check type: Evidence of citizenship status 

Reason: Register citizenship status

Result: Failure (later worked with the passport book)

 

Details: The official refused to accept the PPC outright. I requested that he consult a manager but eventually gave up. Brought the PP book from home ($50 Uber trip) and that, ofc, worked.     

Wow, thank you this is super valuable!

I almost attempted using PCC at SSA, but I just showed US passport to speed things up (wasn't in mood to try)

[Ontarkie 14,930]

MM/YYYY: Aug 2024

Location: Sault Ste Marie Ont, Canada and Sault Ste Marie Mich

Business / organization: Can/US Border

Check type: Identity verification

Reason: Border Crossing

Result: Success

[Ontarkie 14,930]

MM/YYYY: Jan 2025

Location: Arkansas

Business / organization: DMV 

Check type: Identity verification

Reason: DL renewal

Result: Failure.  The system kept saying my PPC wasn't accepted/had issues/invalid. Which I knew was not the case or they would have said something to me when crossing into Canada and then later into the USA. The lady at the DMV called a direct line to US Passport people and explained what was going on. Passes me the phone and they verify who I am and tell me there is nothing wrong with my PPC that it is the DMV's system that the issue is with. There was nothing else they could do. Luckily I also brought my N400 certificate with me. The lady at the DVM didn't want to use it at first because she could already see it in her system. In the end she had to use it anyway. 

[OldUser 9,637]

Thank you for very valuable datapoints @Ontarkie!

 

Seems like there's a pattern with DMVs!