If you’ve had a green card for 5 years or 3 years if married to a U.S. citizen, you can skip renewal and apply for naturalization.

 Even if your green card (the physical card) expires, your legal status as a permanent resident remains valid.

An expired green card can make it hard to show you are legally in the U.S., which can cause problems when getting a job, traveling, or renewing a driver’s license.

If you travel outside the U.S. and your green card is expired, you may face delays or trouble when reentering the U.S.