Originally published Sunday, August 24, 2008 at 12:00 AM

Passport cards are now valid for land and sea travel

U.S. travelers can now use a new passport card for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico and some other countries. More than 450,000 people...

McClatchy Newspapers and The Seattle Times

U.S. travelers can now use a new passport card for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico and some other countries.

More than 450,000 people already have applied for the passport card, said Brenda Sprague, deputy assistant Secretary of State for passport services, which federal officials started issuing last month. The passport card is cheaper than the traditional passport and intended to be useful to those who live close to the border and drive or take ferries between countries. It can't be used for air travel; a passport is required for all airline flights between the United States and other countries.

The new document — which looks like a driver's license — can be used by U.S. citizens returning to the United States from Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda at land and sea border crossings.

For passport/passport card info: www.travel.state.gov/passport/

Kristin Jackson of Seattle Times Travel contributed to this report.

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