Passbook Card vs just Enhanced NY license

[mykidsmom]

Our passbooks have expired and going to renew - but we will never be traveling international, therefore, just going to renew with a Passbook Card.  Or do we really need it.  We already have NY Enhanced licenses.

[Jimbo]

I think you should still get the US Passport Book...............the one that is larger for traveling International is called Large Book..................you should just check the boxes US. PassPort Book and Regular Book (Standard)

 

In the next 10 years you said you will never travel international.............who knows what happens in the next 10 years...........I know the book costs a lot more but I still think it's good to have rather then just the card.

Edited June 11, 2022 by Jimbo

[neverlaysup]

The enhanced license is a soon to be requirement to fly anywhere (domestically) from the US. If you were going to get a passport card, why not just get the book as well?? It's better to have the passport if you plan on cruising.

[Another_Critic]

37 minutes ago, mykidsmom said:

Our passbooks have expired and going to renew - but we will never be traveling international, therefore, just going to renew with a Passbook Card.  Or do we really need it.  We already have NY Enhanced licenses.

Enhanced DL (not to be confused with Real ID) is good for closed looped cruises, but it won't be good if you have to debark (for an emergency) in a foreign country and fly back to the US.

[Ferry_Watcher]

I also vote for having a passport (book) and the NY Enhanced Driver's License.  It's the best of all worlds.

[Tree_skier]

1 minute ago, neverlaysup said:

The enhanced license is a soon to be requirement to fly anywhere (domestically) from the US. If you were going to get a passport card, why not just get the book as well?? It's better to have the passport if you plan on cruising.

Enhanced license is not the same as Real ID.  Real ID will be required to fly.  It has no border crossing function.

[neverlaysup]

8 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

Enhanced license is not the same as Real ID.  Real ID will be required to fly.  It has no border crossing function.

I forgot there were two types....thanks.

 

[Another_Critic]

8 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

Enhanced license is not the same as Real ID.  Real ID will be required to fly.  It has no border crossing function.

Real ID is not required (only required if you plan to use a DL as ID), but is one of the many identifications that will be accepted once the requirement is in force.

 

 

[Tree_skier]

Just now, Another_Critic said:

Real ID is not required (only required if you plan to use a DL as ID), but is one of the many identifications that will be accepted once the requirement is in force.

 

 

You are correct.  I knew that but wasn't specific enough in my answer.  I was more replying to the distinction between Enhanced vs. Real ID. You can use all kinds of documents to fly

 

List of documents acceptable for TSA

 

• Driver's licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent)
  • Beginning May 3, 2023, if you plan to use your state-issued ID or license to fly within the U.S., make sure it is REAL ID compliant. If you are not sure if your ID complies with REAL ID, check with your state department of motor vehicles.
• U.S. passport
• U.S. passport card
• DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
• U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
• Permanent resident card
• Border crossing card
• State-issued Enhanced Driver’s License
• An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized, Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe
• HSPD-12 PIV card
• Foreign government-issued passport
• Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
• Transportation worker identification credential
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
• U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
• Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)

[Jimbo]

Just super confusing: 

• State-issued Enhanced Driver’s License
• Real ID
• Passport Card

 

Just get a Passport Book and Be Done with it, it will get you into and out of anywhere ! End of story.

[time4u2go]

2 hours ago, mykidsmom said:

Our passbooks have expired and going to renew - but we will never be traveling international, therefore, just going to renew with a Passbook Card.  Or do we really need it.  We already have NY Enhanced licenses.

So you will never be going on any cruises?  I'm confused why you are even asking about this.

[Tree_skier]

2 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Just super confusing: 

• State-issued Enhanced Driver’s License
• Real ID
• Passport Card

 

Just get a Passport Book and Be Done with it, it will get you into and out of anywhere ! End of story.

I agree with Jim... I've never understood the reluctance to get a passport.  I've had a passport since I was a young boy. They last 10 years and are universally accepted as primary identification everywhere.  I also had an enhanced license for convenience sake when I lived in BC post 9/11. Convenient when slipping across the border to shop in WA or visit friends/family.  

[J0Y0US]

Passport Card is fairly worthless IMO as they can only be used by land or sea not by air. 

 

With cruising the whole reason not to just have a birth certificate is in case you get stuck in another country where you need to fly back. 

[not-enough-cruising]

21 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Just super confusing: 

• State-issued Enhanced Driver’s License
• Real ID
• Passport Card

 

Just get a Passport Book and Be Done with it, it will get you into and out of anywhere ! End of story.

Exactly 

You have jumped through all the hoops to get a passport card, why not spend a few more pennies and get the penultimate document?

[billslowsky]

25 minutes ago, J0Y0US said:

Passport Card is fairly worthless IMO as they can only be used by land or sea not by air. 

 

With cruising the whole reason not to just have a birth certificate is in case you get stuck in another country where you need to fly back. 

I have a passport card since my state doesn't have Real ID yet and it is accepted in the airport for domestic travel.

[not-enough-cruising]

2 minutes ago, billslowsky said:

I have a passport card since my state doesn't have Real ID yet and it is accepted in the airport for domestic travel.

Which begs the question I keep having. 
I am in no way judging, but have a genuine curiosity. 
if you went through the passport process; what made you decide not to go ahead and get the book? You qualify for it. Was it simply a financial decision?

[billslowsky]

30 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Which begs the question I keep having. 
I am in no way judging, but have a genuine curiosity. 
if you went through the passport process; what made you decide not to go ahead and get the book? You qualify for it. Was it simply a financial decision?

Especially considering that when I show the passport card at the airport, I more often than not "thanked for my service".  They have no idea what it is...

[Tree_skier]

1 hour ago, billslowsky said:

Especially considering that when I show the passport card at the airport, I more often than not "thanked for my service".  They have no idea what it is...

Back before I was full-time US resident when I would fly within the US with my BC Canada enhanced drivers license I was told they didn't accept them about 50% of the time and that I needed a passport.  I had it down to a science. TSA has two books that show acceptable forms of ID.  I would take them to the exact page that showed them it was acceptable.  I'm not sure that TSA gives all that much training to their agents.  I think, in total, it's about 3 weeks.

Edited June 11, 2022 by Tree_skier

[BirdTravels]

5 hours ago, neverlaysup said:

The enhanced license is a soon to be requirement to fly anywhere (domestically) from the US. If you were going to get a passport card, why not just get the book as well?? It's better to have the passport if you plan on cruising.

Incorrect. Enhanced drivers licenses are not going to be required to fly anywhere. A Real ID is required to fly anywhere. They are different. 

 

Mostly Incorrect. If you are paying for a full passport book, then the card is pretty much useless. The card won't help if you need to fly home from a foreign port for any reason (ship mechanical problems, weather delays, etc.) NCL recently had to disembark a ship in the Dominican Republic. Those without a passport book at to jump through hoops to enter/leave the DR and then to enter the US.

 

 

[BND]

I'm glad I don't have to even think about the Real ID.  Between a passport and a US DOD military dependent ID (DH is retired) I'm good.  My regular DL is good for a couple more years so no plan to renew it before then.  We cruise with our passport and it is more than worth what we paid for it.  Over the lifespan of the passport, it works out to about $1.08/month.  Seriously, anyone who thinks that is overpriced better not be buying Starbucks on a regular basis.  Passports are a great value.

[long4acruise]

9 minutes ago, BND said:

We cruise with our passport and it is more than worth what we paid for it

Absolutely agree!  My passport costed me $10/year (now $13/year I think) and well worth it along with Global Entry (free when using my Chase Visa card!). 

I want convenience at this stage in life, not hassles whether a document will be valid.  

On our recent cruise, two situations where one was trying to use the hospital certificate or Baptismal Certificate, never which is considered as an official Birth Certificate. Sadly both were not allowed to board and then caused a small raucous as they didn't want other family or friends, who seemingly had the correct documents to board!

[neverlaysup]

3 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Incorrect. Enhanced drivers licenses are not going to be required to fly anywhere. A Real ID is required to fly anywhere. They are different. 

 

Mostly Incorrect. If you are paying for a full passport book, then the card is pretty much useless. The card won't help if you need to fly home from a foreign port for any reason (ship mechanical problems, weather delays, etc.) NCL recently had to disembark a ship in the Dominican Republic. Those without a passport book at to jump through hoops to enter/leave the DR and then to enter the US.

 

 

I was corrected previously, thank you.

[RedIguana]

9 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Exactly 

You have jumped through all the hoops to get a passport card, why not spend a few more pennies and get the penultimate document?

The passport card is the penultimate document. The passport book would be the ultimate. And in a lot of states it requires less documentation for the passport book/card than it does for a real or enhanced DL.

[D4]

On 6/11/2022 at 5:10 PM, BirdTravels said:

Incorrect. Enhanced drivers licenses are not going to be required to fly anywhere. A Real ID is required to fly anywhere. They are different. 

 

Mostly Incorrect. If you are paying for a full passport book, then the card is pretty much useless. The card won't help if you need to fly home from a foreign port for any reason (ship mechanical problems, weather delays, etc.) NCL recently had to disembark a ship in the Dominican Republic. Those without a passport book at to jump through hoops to enter/leave the DR and then to enter the US.

 

 

I don't think passport cards are useless.  When I renewed our passport books last year, I also got us passport cards.

 

I believe in redundancy.  I carry our passports going to a cruise and my husband carries our passport cards.  That way if the passports that I carry are lost or stolen, we could still board the cruise ship with passport cards.  We always have 2 flights and a night or two in a hotel so there is a lot of opportunity to have something bad happen.

[Illbcruzn4life]

On 6/11/2022 at 6:10 PM, BirdTravels said:

Incorrect. Enhanced drivers licenses are not going to be required to fly anywhere. A Real ID is required to fly anywhere. They are different. 

 

Mostly Incorrect. If you are paying for a full passport book, then the card is pretty much useless. The card won't help if you need to fly home from a foreign port for any reason (ship mechanical problems, weather delays, etc.) NCL recently had to disembark a ship in the Dominican Republic. Those without a passport book at to jump through hoops to enter/leave the DR and then to enter the US.

 

 

Could you elaborate about the hoops they had to jump through as I’m not familiar with that incident.