French national ID card (CNI) from the US
The French national ID card can be renewed in the United States at the same appointment as a passport, and it is free unless the old card was lost or stolen. It differs from the passport on one point that changes the trip: it is never sent by mail. Whoever applies for one comes back to collect it.
Cost and timing
A first card or a renewal costs nothing; replacing a lost or stolen card costs 25 euros, $28.39 at the rate of October 1, 2026, paid with the electronic tax stamp or at the consulate.
Like the passport, the card is not made at the consulate: allow several weeks, and longer as the summer holidays approach.
Booking and filing
The appointment is booked on consulat.gouv.fr, with the same links as the passport, and a passport and an ID card for the same person fit in one slot. You file in person, with proof of address and, for a first card or one expired for over five years, proof of identity and of French nationality.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| First card or renewal | Free |
| After a loss or theft | $28.39 (€25) |
| By mail | No: collected in person |
| Pickup deadline | 3 months, then destroyed |
| Handover by an honorary consul | $11.35 (€10) |
- The application form, or your online pre-application
- Proof of address less than a year old
- Your old card, or the loss or theft report and the tax stamp
- For the digital identity: the France Identité app on your phone
The French and English versions of the New Orleans page do not say the same thing. The French one warns that its consular section “ne délivre ni documents d’identité ni documents de voyage” and sends every request to Houston; the English one says the section “issues identity and travel documents”.
The passport and ID card pages list no appointment link for New Orleans, which backs the French version: plan on Houston. (sources: 1, 2)
Collecting it
The card must be collected within three months, or it is destroyed. Some consulates hand cards over without an appointment and others ask you to book. You can also ask, when you file, to collect it from an authorized honorary consul of your district, who charges the dollar equivalent of 10 euros.
When the new card is handed over you can also have your digital identity certified, for the France Identité app: since May 15, 2025 the procedure is available abroad. You show a QR code from the app at the handover, and an activation link follows within two days.
The ID card is collected, never mailed.Official sources: Carte d'identité; Tarifs des droits de chancellerie; Certification de l'identité numérique.
Details checked against the official pages on October 6, 2026.
frenchconsulates.us is an independent guide to France’s consular offices in the United States. We are not the Embassy, a consulate or the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
We do not book or sell appointments: booking on consulat.gouv.fr is free. Details are checked against the official pages and can change without notice.