Skip the REAL ID and the passport: This $65 card can get you through TSA in 2025
The United States is about to change the rules for domestic flights at airports across the country, including Miami International Airport. But there’s a little-known document that could save you time and hassle — if you get it in advance.
The new requirements, which take effect on May 7, 2025, relate to the type of identification travelers must show to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) before boarding a plane.
Starting that date, travelers will have several options — including one that’s lesser known but potentially very convenient.
Why apply for a passport card?
May 7, 2025 is the deadline for compliance with the REAL ID Act, which requires travelers to present identification that meets federal standards when flying domestically or entering certain federal buildings.
This means you’ll need a REAL ID-compliant license to board a domestic flight. U.S. citizens can also use a valid passport, which meets those requirements.
But there’s a more affordable and less familiar alternative that can get you through security without trouble: the U.S. passport card. While this card cannot be used for international air travel, it does offer some advantages:
▪ Same validity as the passport book: 10 years for adults, 5 years for children under 16.
▪ Lower cost: $65 for adults — a big difference from the $165 required for a passport book.
▪ Cheaper renewal: Renewing the card costs $30, about a quarter of the $130 passport book renewal.
▪ Land and sea travel: The card allows land border crossings into Canada and Mexico, and sea travel to certain Caribbean destinations.
▪ Wallet-sized convenience: The U.S. passport card is a plastic document that fits easily in your wallet, similar in size to a driver’s license or green card. In contrast, the passport book is bulkier and contains multiple pages for visas.
READ MORE: Traveling in the U.S. will change in 2025: You can’t fly from Miami without this document
How to apply for a U.S. passport card
If you qualify, you can apply for the U.S. passport card using the same DS-11 form used for the passport book. You can apply for one or both documents at the same time.
You may also apply for the card even if you already have a passport book, in case you want the convenience of having both.
If you have a driver’s license, do you need the passport card?
If you already have a Florida driver’s license that complies with REAL ID standards, you can use it to board domestic flights, just like the passport card.
REAL ID-compliant licenses can be identified by a star in the top right corner — like Florida’s current license. Any of these documents will be accepted for flying within the U.S.
According to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the REAL ID program will help states verify travelers’ residency and legal status in the country.
Implementation will continue gradually. Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, but enforcement has been postponed multiple times over the past two decades.
The law was designed as a security measure to better verify the identity of domestic air travelers. Requirements for obtaining a REAL ID-compliant document may vary slightly by state, but generally include proof of Social Security number, residential address, and legal identity.
This story was originally published April 29, 2025 at 10:44 AM.
