PBS Passport is one of many member benefits from participating PBS stations that gives eligible donors and supporters extended access to an on-demand library of quality public television programming online. The PBS Passport library features episodes from popular programs, including American Experience, American Masters, Antiques Roadshow, Nature, NOVA, and Masterpiece. In addition to these signature series, the library is full of public television’s acclaimed arts, science, history, and lifestyle programs; including Earth a New Wild, Austin City Limits, and a rotating selection of films from Ken Burns.  Local stations make Passport available as a member benefit to qualified donors. Each PBS station can set their own qualifications for their members to receive the PBS Passport benefit, and most stations offer this benefit to members who donate at least $60 a year, or $5 sustaining monthly gifts. For the most accurate information, please contact your local station or visit their website. If you are interested in supporting your local PBS station and streaming more PBS content, or are already a contributor to your local station, please contact your PBS station and ask about their eligibility requirements and membership activation. If you have additional questions about your station’s Passport benefit, please check the list of related questions below or use the search bar above to find additional answers on our PBS Help site. 

Can Passport only be used on a computer? No, Passport can be used on your computer, smartphone, tablet, or supported smart TV or TV streaming device. You can view a list of supported devices and web browsers by clicking here. Can I download Passport videos for offline viewing? No, currently PBS does not support video downloading for offline viewing. Passport videos are included with our online streaming services through PBS.org or supported apps and websites. A network connection is required to stream these videos. Can I use my Passport on multiple devices? Yes, you can use your Passport benefit on multiple devices simultaneously. With every device, simply sign in with the same personal account you used to activate Passport and that device will have access. There is no limit to the number of devices you can sign in on at once, though streaming different videos at the same time may cause strain on your network depending on your internet speed. Click here for more information about our supported devices. Can I try Passport on a trial basis and cancel if I change my mind? Each PBS station is operated independently and may have its own guidelines regarding Passport. Please contact your station directly to inquire about their rules and regulations.  If I donate to my local public radio station, can I get Passport? Generally speaking, no. Passport is a membership benefit provided by your local public television station. We recommend checking with your local public television station directly as your local station may have a membership agreement set up with your local radio station. Click here to find public television contact information. Is Passport available outside of the U.S.? The PBS Passport benefit is available to members inside the U.S. and territories, and members in Canada. Outside of those regions, members will be unable to stream content on our site or app. PBS is not a producer, but rather a distributor of programming. Our distribution rights are fairly limited and are generally confined to dissemination within the United States. While over-the-air broadcasts reach beyond U.S. borders, online video is subject to geo-filtering, which restricts the areas that can view PBS content. PBS is legally obligated to ensure each program does not exceed its granted rights, which unfortunately eliminates international streaming ability for PBS programs outside the US. We regret not being able to offer all our content online to our supporters. Can I access PBS KIDS content with my Passport? PBS KIDS shows are not currently available in PBS Passport, however, we may include KIDS programming in the future.   Currently, PBS KIDS programing can be accessed via the PBS KIDS website and PBS KIDS app. To learn more about how to access KIDS programming, please click here. If I do not have PBS Passport, will I still be able to watch shows on PBS.org and my station's site? Yes. Many videos can be streamed online at PBS.org and other sites and apps without requiring a Passport benefit. And of course, PBS shows will continue to be broadcast to the public over the air.  PBS Passport is a membership benefit that allows you extended access to some shows when their streaming rights have expired or they have otherwise become unavailable for general streaming.

PBS Passport is an added benefit available to eligible donors of participating PBS stations (i.e.: you must make a donation to your station to receive this benefit). Typically, the PBS Passport member benefit requires a station donation of at least $60 a year, or $5 Sustainer/Ongoing-monthly gifts. Keep in mind that this donation requirement may vary from station to station. Please refer to your station’s website for service eligibility requirements. Find your local station contact information by using the PBS station finder: http://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/stations/.

PBS Passport is a member benefit from participating PBS stations that gives eligible donors and supporters extended access to an on-demand library of quality public television programming online. If you're a new member with your PBS station and are looking for help with your Passport benefit, please see the below steps to begin using your new benefit. Step 1: Become a Member Step 2: Activate Your Passport Step 3: Sign In Step 4: Watch Troubleshooting Step 1: Become a Member Local stations give the Passport benefit to their donating supporters who qualify for their Passport membership benefit.  You can become a member online by following this link and clicking the Become a Member button. Each station can set their own qualifications for Passport, but most stations give the benefit to members who donate at least $60 a year, or $5 Sustainer/Ongoing-monthly gifts. Because every PBS station is different, please contact your local station or visit their website to learn more about your PBS station's Passport qualifications.  Once you become a new member with your local PBS station, they will begin processing your donation. You will also receive confirmation from your station thanking you for your donation. Once your PBS station has completely processed your donation, they will send you activation instructions for your Passport benefit and you're ready for the next step below! To inquire about other donation options, please contact your local station or visit their website. Already a member with your local PBS station? You may already have a Passport benefit waiting to be activated. Proceed to the "Activate" section further below for more information. Step 2: Activate Your Passport Before you can use your new Passport membership benefit, you must first activate your benefit. Once your benefit is ready for activation, your PBS station will send you a four-word activation code. These codes are unique for each member, but each will follow the same format, such as apple-house-river-sleep or lion-eagle-snake-badger. Some PBS stations will provide you with this activation code immediately following your donation, while other stations will require more time to set up your benefit and will send you this activation code once your benefit is ready. Haven't received an activation code yet? Try requesting an activation email with our Passport Lookup Tool.  Some PBS stations may instead send you a link that already includes the code. If you haven't received an activation code or activation link from your station following your donation, your PBS station may still be processing your donation.  We recommend allowing for one business day to give your station time to create your benefit and send you activation instructions. If one business day has passed and you still have not received activation instructions from your PBS station, please contact them directly. Once you have your unique Passport activation code, please visit our Passport activation page at this link and enter your code. Codes will be auto-capitalized when entered, but are not case-sensitive.  Select Continue to proceed to the next screen. Did an error message appear when you tried to submit your activation code or link? Click here for common error messages and what to do if you encounter one. After entering your code, you will see a screen with the membership name and your local PBS station. On the right, sign in with a PBS, Google, or Facebook account. Don't have one of these three account options? Select Create one now beneath the Sign in with PBS Account option.  If you're unsure if you already have a PBS account, we recommend selecting the "Create one now" option and signing up for a new PBS account - we'll let you know if you've already created a PBS account with your email address. The personal account you sign in with on this screen will be the same account you log into from now on at PBS.org and the PBS App when viewing Passport videos. Only this single account will be linked to your Passport benefit. Once you sign in with your account, you will be prompted to confirm the Passport terms of use. Select the "I agree" checkbox to agree to the terms and then select Confirm at the bottom of the page to continue. Confirmation of the Passport terms of use is required to use the Passport benefit. PBS is committed to protecting users' privacy. For more details, click here to view our privacy policy. Once you've confirmed the Passport terms of use, the Activation Complete! screen will appear. Select the Get Started button to begin using your Passport benefit. A video of the Passport activation process is available below.  Step 3: Sign In Once you've activated your Passport benefit, you can watch videos online at any time by visiting PBS.org. There is no separate Passport website. Passport and non-Passport videos can be found in one place! To get started, sign in at the top of the site by selecting Sign In. A prompt with three account login options appears. Sign in with the same Facebook, Google, Apple ID, or PBS Account you linked to your Passport benefit during activation. Once you sign in with your Passport credentials, your initial displays in the upper right side of the screen. The blue Passport compass rose icon displays next to your initial, indicating that the account is linked to your Passport benefit. Don't see the Passport icon by your name like in the picture below? Scroll down to the Troubleshooting section on this page. Forgotten your account password or encounter an error message when you try to sign in? Click here to reset your password. Step 4: Watch Now you're ready to view Passport videos! Passport videos display the Passport icon in the top left corner of the video thumbnail image. Click the video title or image to view a video. Click here for more information about finding and viewing Passport videos on PBS.org. Passport videos are also available on the official PBS App - there is no separate "Passport app" required. You can find the PBS App on popular streaming devices, including Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and more. Click here for more information about the PBS App and supported devices. Troubleshooting Sometimes you may encounter the below image when using the PBS website or PBS App and it appears that your Passport benefit is not being recognized. If you encounter this screen when you first try using your Passport benefit, we recommend confirming you have followed all of the steps listed above on this page. Next, check the top of the PBS website to see if the Passport icon is appearing next to your initial. The Passport icon is a light blue square with a white compass rose symbol, and will appear exactly as pictured below. If the Passport icon does not appear by your initial, your Passport benefit is either not yet active or you have activated your Passport benefit with a different login account. Please use our Passport Lookup Tool to see if your benefit is active, and if so, try signing out and signing back in with any other PBS login accounts you may have. Your benefit may have been linked to a different login account when you originally activated it. If the Passport icon does appear by your initial, and you still encounter the above message stating "This video is only available in Passport," please try signing out and signing back in with your PBS login account. If you have already tried signing out and signing back in with your login account, and the Passport icon appears by your initial at the top of the site, but Passport videos are still not recognizing your benefit, please contact us directly. In your message, please include the contact information for your membership, the name of the local PBS station you are a member with, and the email address you are currently signed in with. You can confirm your email address by hovering over your name at the top of the site and clicking Profile.

The Passport benefit is eligible for donors who meet their local station's requirement for the benefit. Most stations offer the benefit to donors who donate at least $5 per month or $60 per year, however each station can adjust this amount. If you're currently a donor, you can try using the Passport Lookup Tool to see if you have a benefit waiting to be activated. You'll need to submit an email address previously provided to your local PBS station, and if you have a Passport benefit with your membership, you'll receive an email with more information.  If you do not receive an email from the Passport Lookup Tool or want to check on your eligibility, please contact your local station directly.

You can view Passport videos just by signing in to PBS.org and local station sites from your computer, smartphone, and tablet.  Currently, PBS Passport content is available on the following devices: Desktop computers and laptops via PBS.org using the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge iOS devices (iPhone and iPad) Android smartphones and tablets Apple TV Roku Chromecast Amazon Fire TV and Fire Stick Android Smart TVs Samsung Smart TV (2017 models and newer) VIZIO SmartCast TV This list will continue to expand to new platforms and additional devices over time.  If you are using Passport on a desktop computer or laptop, the following browsers are supported. We recommend ensuring that your browser is running the latest version available: Update Safari Update Google Chrome Update Microsoft Edge Update Mozilla Firefox

Yes. PBS Passport is a new member benefit from participating PBS stations, and in order to take advantage of it you must identify your station.  You can select any station in the country by searching by state or zip code, or find the station that is closest to where you live.  Keep in mind that the station to which you donate when signing up for the PBS Passport member benefit is the same station you need to select on PBS.org when you want to view Passport content. For example, if you donate to KQED, please check that you are localized to KQED on the PBS website and app. Learn how to change your station on PBS.org If you are using the PBS app on a streaming device, you can change your local station through the Profile or Settings menu within the PBS app. Click the device name below to be taken to a guide for that specific device: Roku  Apple TV Amazon Fire TV or Firestick Android TV Samsung Smart TV VIZIO SmartCast TV iPad and iPhone Android mobile devices

After you make a donation to your local station, your activation code will be emailed to you within two business days. Memberships are retained at a local level so time frames may vary depending on how your station handles their donations and memberships. Most stations provide instant access through email or their web pages, but do not be alarmed if your station does not instantly provide an activation code as your station will send you that information as soon as they can. Please be aware that if you receive a confirmation email from your station stating that your donation has been received, that is not your activation email. Your activation code will be delivered to you in a separate email.  If two business days have passed, we recommend checking with the Passport Member Lookup Tool to see if your Passport account is ready to be activated. If no information in available, you will need to contact your local PBS station by phone or email. You can find contact information for your local PBS station by visiting this link.

We understand that issues of privacy and data sharing are extremely important. As a not-for-profit institution, our goal is to collect only the information that enables PBS and your local station to provide the best online experience possible.   PBS is committed to protecting users’ privacy. Our policies and procedures can be reviewed in more detail on our web site. Click here to read more about our privacy policy. PBS Passport is currently available only to a station’s eligible donors who authorize PBS and their local station to share viewing data with each other and their authorized service provider, which is necessary for the delivery of this service. If you do not authorize the sharing of this viewing information, we cannot initiate access to this member benefit.  This agreement must be renewed every two years for continued access to the PBS Passport membership benefit. When it is time to renew your agreement, the next time you log in with your Passport-enabled account you will be greeted with a prompt asking you to accept the terms and conditions you have previously agreed to.  If you accept the terms and conditions, you will be taken to the PBS.org home page where you can continue to watch your favorite programming.  If you decline the terms and conditions, you will be signed out of your Passport-enabled account, and on your next login you will be asked to accept the terms and conditions or decline. Selecting the decline option does not automatically cancel your Passport membership benefit. To cancel, please see below. If you wish to opt out of Passport and no longer donate to your PBS station, please call or email your local station to cancel any ongoing or future donations. Station contact information can be found at our Station Lookup Tool, or by visiting your local station's website. Click here to find your station's contact information. We hope you will continue to watch and enjoy programming on your local station.

Many PBS stations allow donors to gift a membership to another person, and even include it as an option when you donate with them via their website. Each PBS station operates independently from one another and has their own process of handling donations and memberships. For the most accurate information, please contact your local PBS station directly or visit their website. You can use the PBS Station Finder for contact information for local PBS stations. Select the Change Your Local Station option if you wish to donate to a different PBS station in the recipient's area. A gifted membership that qualifies for the PBS Passport member benefit will also grant your gift recipient access to PBS Passport videos on the PBS website and PBS App. Because each station has their own qualifications for members to receive the Passport benefit, we recommend visiting your station's website or contacting them to learn more.