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I have a US passport book, and I would like to apply for a US passport card (to have in addition to my passport book). If I apply using form DS-82, submitting my current passport book as proof of citizenship, does it get returned to me still valid, or does it get cancelled? Is it possible to apply for a passport card using form DS-11 and avoid sending in my current valid passport book (submitting a birth certificate instead)?

I would prefer answers with official sources, which I have not been able to find myself on the US State Dept website or on the forms themselves (which are written quite ambiguously).

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  • Why would it get cancelled?
    – Mikael Dúi Bolinder
    Mar 1, 2020 at 19:26
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    @noreputationplz: DS-82 is called a "renewal" form, but I'm not renewing anything unless it means the passport gets "renewed" into a card. Certainly if I applied for a card and a book using DS-82 the old passport would be cancelled.
    – John Pardon
    Mar 1, 2020 at 19:46
  • Of course, I also strongly suspect it wouldn't be cancelled, but I don't want any surprises.
    – John Pardon
    Mar 1, 2020 at 19:47
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    @noreputationplz if you apply for a passport book before your current one expires, they cancel the current one. I would definitely want something official saying that this wouldn't happen when applying for a card before I submitted the application.
    – phoog
    Mar 1, 2020 at 22:42

4 Answers 4

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I have found nothing official on this, but at least one third-party passport information site recommends placing a sticky note on your passport saying "do not cancel," so it seems that cancellation is not inevitable, but that it may happen accidentally from time to time. Ifk you're very eager to prevent that, you could try to get the card in person at an agency (although that requires impending travel plans) or try David's approach of using DS-11 and not sending the book at all. But that does carry an extra fee of (if I recall correctly) $35.

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You may be able to apply for a passport card without submitting your passport book.

You must prove both US citizenship and identity in a passport or passport card application.

A passport is commonly used to prove US citizenship, but it isn't the only method. The DS-11 form contains this text applicable to US citizens who were born in the US:

Submit a previous U.S. passport or certified birth certificate. Passports that are limited in validity will need to be supplemented by other evidence. A birth certificate must include your full name, date and place of birth, sex, date the birth record was filed, the seal or other certification of the official custodian of such records (state, county, or city/town office), and the full names of your parent(s).

Thus, if born in the US, you may satisfy the citizenship requirement by obtaining a certified copy of your birth certificate. County recorders can supply such certified copies at moderate cost. (If you were born outside the US, the requirements are different, and may be harder to satisfy.)

As for the identity requirement, the DS-11 says:

You may submit items such as the following containing your signature AND a photograph that is a good likeness of you: previous or current U.S. passport book; previous or current U.S. passport card; driver's license (not temporary or learner's license); Certificate of Naturalization; Certificate of Citizenship; military identification; or federal, state, or municipal government employee identification card. Temporary or altered documents are not acceptable.

As with citizenship, your passport is one way to declare identity, but it is not the only way.

EDIT: note, however, that @phoog has answered below reporting a $35. additional fee for filing a DS-11.

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  • I downvoted this by mistake and now it's too late to undo. If you edit it again, ping me so I can change my vote. I would note that submitting DS-11 requires paying an additional fee.
    – phoog
    Mar 1, 2020 at 23:02
  • Glad it edit it to reflect the additional fee, but I don't see anything in the DS-11 instructions beyond the fees listed as application, security surcharge, and expedite. Where do you see this? And... by "ping me" do you mean mentioning you with the @ in the edited answer, or a comment, or something else? Thanks!
    – DavidRecallsMonica
    Mar 1, 2020 at 23:08
  • @DavidSupportsMonica Notifications get quite complex, but the gist of it is: mentions in questions/answers never notify (ping), @username in comments always notify where the user is in the comment chain or post, you can only have one @username ping per comment, and in this case you would've pinged phoog by virtue of them being the only other participant in the comment chain at the time (so it's assumed you're replying to them). To be safe, just @username the person you want to ping (in a comment).
    – Bob
    Mar 2, 2020 at 2:43
  • The DS-11 incurs an "acceptance fee" or "execution fee" of $35. The DS-82 does not.
    – phoog
    Mar 2, 2020 at 4:44
  • @Bob Thanks, appreciate the explanation.
    – DavidRecallsMonica
    Mar 2, 2020 at 11:42
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If I already have a passport book, can I use the DS-82 to get a passport card?

Yes. If you have a passport book and you are eligible to use Form DS-82, you may apply for a passport card as a renewal by mail even if it is your first passport card. Learn more about the U.S. passport card.

Seems you should use the form DS-11.

DS-11 is for applying for a new document and allows you to specify Passport Card as the new document.

This is just what I found after a quick search and it could be incorrect.

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You may have found your answer by now, but this web site tells how to apply for the card, when you already have the book. https://passportinfo.com/passport-card/

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    Dear PMMcD, welcome to travel exchange. You would improve your answer if you take the text you want to reffer to and add it as a quote to your answer. Now, if the link dies, the answer is gone. You can keep the url, it shows you haven't invent anything.
    – Joren Vandamme
    Mar 22 at 10:43
  • While this link may answer the question, it is better to include the essential parts of the answer here and provide the link for reference. Link-only answers can become invalid if the linked page changes. - From Review
    – mdewey
    Mar 22 at 12:17

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