If my passport card lacks an expiration date, will a DMV accept it for REAL ID?

1. Passport cards are treated as full, REAL ID‑equivalent identity documents

Federal guidance and state REAL ID FAQs list the U.S. passport card alongside the passport book as an acceptable alternative to a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license for boarding domestic aircraft and for accessing federal facilities, and state DMVs explicitly accept passport cards as one of the identity documents used in REAL ID applications ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

2. DMVs require identity documents that establish name, birthdate and lawful status — and typically their validity

When states issue a REAL ID they rely on primary identity documents such as a valid passport or passport card to verify identity and legal presence; federal and state FAQs note that in order to be issued a REAL ID, applicants must present acceptable identity documents (for example an unexpired passport or other listed documents) that meet the verification rules ^{[2] [4] [3]}.

3. The TSA’s checkpoint rules underscore the importance of expiration and validity

TSA accepts passport cards at airport checkpoints and even allows certain expired passports to be used in limited circumstances (the agency currently accepts expired acceptable IDs up to two years after expiration), which signals that agencies expect clear indication of expiration/validity on identity documents ^{[5] [6] [7]}.

4. The record is silent on a passport card that has no expiration printed — reporting does not document that scenario

None of the sources provided discuss a passport card that lacks an expiration date, so there is no authoritative reporting here to confirm whether a DMV must accept such a card as proof for a REAL ID application; the available documentation only speaks to passport cards as accepted documents when they are valid/identifiable ^{[1] [2] [3]}. Because the facts on that specific anomaly are not in the reporting, it cannot be asserted from these sources either that a DMV would accept or must reject a card missing an expiration.

5. Practical guidance drawn from the reporting and likely outcomes

Given that federal and state guidance treat the passport card as equivalent to the passport book for REAL ID purposes and that DMVs require verifiable proof of identity and validity, the pragmatic expectation is that a DMV will want either a passport card showing an expiration or another acceptable, valid identity document; if a passport card truly lacked an expiration date, applicants should expect to need supplementary documentation or direct confirmation from their state DMV before relying on that card for a REAL ID ^{[2] [8] [3]}. Where timelines matter, travelers can also use a passport (book or card) at TSA checkpoints and, if a passport has recently expired, TSA guidance allows certain expired passports to be used for up to two years in place of REAL ID while states update credentials ^{[1] [6] [7]}.

6. Sources, alternative views and next steps — call the DMV or request verification

The explicit position across federal and state pages is clear that passport cards are acceptable identity documents for REAL ID and TSA purposes ^{[1] [2] [3]}, but because the sources do not address a passport card missing an expiration date, the only authoritative next step is to check directly with the state DMV that will issue the REAL ID; some state DMV FAQs even invite applicants to bring alternative documents or to wait until normal renewal if they already hold a valid passport ^{[8] [9]}. This caveat is important: the published guidance confirms acceptability of passport cards in normal circumstances but does not resolve this atypical paperwork anomaly ^{[2] [4]}.