Military dependent ID cards unlock valuable benefits for your family members, including healthcare, access to military facilities, commissaries, MWR centers, support agencies and even discounts within your community.
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A military dependent identification card can unlock valuable benefits for your family members and other dependents, including healthcare, access to military facilities, commissaries, Morale, Welfare & Recreation (MWR) centers, support agencies, and even discounts within your community.
Service members can apply for a dependent military ID card after 30 days of active duty service. The card will allow your dependent access to medical and MWR benefits for the duration of the orders.
The National Guard and Reserve ID cards are slightly different from those of other active service members. They are distinguishable by their reddish color. The National Guard and Reserve dependent ID cards provide family members with access to the exchange, commissary, morale, welfare, and recreation privileges.
While it would be nice to walk our loved ones into a DEERS office and declare them our dependents, it’s not that easy. Not everyone is eligible for a dependent ID card.
For decades, dependents of active duty and retired service members carried tan-colored laminated ID cards to access military benefits. In July 2020, DEERS began issuing updated retiree and dependent ID cards called the Next Generation Uniform Services Identification (USID) cards.
These cards look more like a Military CAC, are more durable, and are harder to counterfeit.
DEERS expects to complete the transition by January 2026.
According to the Pentagon, old ID cards remain valid until their expiration date, so if your old card has not expired, you don’t need to make an appointment for a new one yet.
Retirees must update their ID cards when they become eligible for Medicare. Once updated, your new retiree ID card will never expire.
The military is specific about who can receive dependent benefits and even requires documentation for each individual.
Eligible dependents include:
Visit our comprehensive guide to military IDs for in-depth eligibility requirements for each type of Next Generation USID.
You will need to provide DD Form 1172-2 and any documentation proving your dependent’s status, such as a marriage certificate, proof of enrollment as a full-time student, a medical sufficiency statement, or a financial dependency determination.
Additional eligibility rules apply to former spouses, dependent parents/in-laws, and special circumstances. Your local RAPIDS office will provide more information and tell you exactly what documents are necessary when you make the appointment.
Children need to have their own dependent military ID at age 10. Before age 10, kids can access benefits and healthcare using their parent or guardian’s military ID. However, children of all ages may need a dependent ID card if they’re ever in the care of another parent or guardian who isn’t eligible for Tricare, or other military benefits, so they can continue to access medical care when the service member isn’t with them.
To register for a military dependent ID card, you must visit a RAPIDS office location and schedule an appointment. Most often, the military sponsor and the dependent must be present at this appointment.
When you arrive at your military ID card appointment, you will need to bring a completed DD Form 1172-2 and two current original forms of identification. One or both forms can come from the primary identity source document list, but only one can come from the secondary identity source document list.
| Primary Identity Source Document | Secondary Identity Source Document |
|---|---|
| Passport or U.S. Passport Card | U.S. Social Security Card |
| Driver’s License or State-Issued ID Card, with Photo | Birth Certificate w/ Official Seal – original or certified copy |
| Military ID Card | ID Card issued by a federal, state or local government agency or entity with photograph |
| Military Dependent’s Card | Voter’s Registration Card |
| Permanent Resident Card or Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551) | U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Card |
| Foreign Passport | Certificate of US Citizenship (Form N-560 or N-561) |
| Employment Authorization Document, with Photo | Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570) |
| Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Card | U.S. Citizen IF Card (Form I-197) |
| Identification Card for Use of Resident Citizen in the United States (Form I-179) | |
| Certification of Birth Abroad or Certification of Report of Birth issued by the Department of State (Form FS-545 or Form DS-1350) | |
| Temporary Resident Card (Form I-688) | |
| Employment Authorization Card (Form I-688A) | |
| Reentry Permit (Form I-327) | |
| Refugee Travel Document (Form I-571) | |
| Employment Authorization document issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) | |
| Employment Authorization Document issued by DHS with photograph (Form I-688B) | |
| Foreign ID with photograph | |
| Driver’s License issued by a Canadian government entity | |
| Native American Tribunal document |
Military dependent ID cards usually expire every four years. Exceptions may apply to incapacitated dependents and those age 65 and older who don’t have a permanent ID.
If you can not physically go to an ID card office because you are disabled or have an incapacitated dependent, you can obtain a new card through the mail. Call the nearest RAPIDS office to verify the mail-in ID card procedure. This process may take anywhere from four-to-six weeks.
Most military ID card holders can now renew their cards online and receive them in the mail instead of having to schedule an appointment at an ID card office. However, there is still the option to go to a RAPIDS office location.
This is part of the Defense Department’s expansion of the online renewal program that started in 2023. However, you can only renew cards online. You cannot apply for an ID online unless you can not physically go to an ID card office because you are disabled or have an incapacitated dependent.
If you lost or need to replace your dependent ID card, use the RAPIDS self-service ID office online. You will also need to complete Form DD 1172-2 again and submit this form to the ID office when you request a replacement card
Ensure the information on your DEERS profile is up to date and that you still have two forms of identification prepared. Your current Uniformed Services ID Card will count as one of your two forms of identification.
Hope Griffin is the wife of a Veteran, an author, marketing professional, and freelance writer. Her family moved to Florida after her husband medically retired as a Combat Engineer, in order to take advantage of the strong VA benefits and healthcare. To learn more about Hope visit www.HopeNGriffin.com.
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Help, I am 78, retired Air Force, 100% disabled by Social Security, 80% disabled by VA. I have a doctor’s letter stating I need care 24/7 and can not care for myself. My step daughter has been providing that care for me since July. I have applied for Aid and Attendance thru the VA. What do I need to do on order the get her an ID card. She quit her job in Florida and moved in with me in July. I literally couldn’t function without her. I am 100% of her support i.e. home, food, money. I need her to shop for me at the commissary and BX. She is divorced and her mother has passed. Can you help me?
Jerry, I recommend contacting the VA regarding the VA Caregiver Support Program. Here is more information about how to Apply for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. I wish you and your daughter the best!
I am a 71 year old retiree spouse. My ID card expires in 2025. when I last renewed I was 68 years old but was given a 5 years card. When would I be eligible for a permanent card.
What about the unmarried widow of a retiree? My ID expires in 4/2025, how often do I need to update my card?
My husband is a retired Navy veteran and works as a civilian at Camp Pendleton. He has not gotten our 12.5 year old daughter her Military ID card so we have continued as always to use my Military ID card to access her medical benefits as well as my own. He does not live with us. He refused to take us to get new cards before the ID expired on May 6th. How long does insurance continue to cover us with an expired Military ID card? What do I do about this situation? He is required to provide Medical Insurance for our daughter through child support services but is it not also viewed as an entitlement granted by the US Government to the dependents of Military veterans and personel?
Why does my recently renewed Spouse ID card expire 4 days before my 65th birthday?Anita, I believe you need to update your ID because you will need to transition to Tricare for Life at age 65. I recommend contacting your local ID card issuing office for more specific information. Best wishes!
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