To replace a lost CAC with DD Form 1172-2, report the card missing to your security office or CAC sponsor, complete the form, and bring it with two original identity documents to an in-person RAPIDS appointment, where your identity is verified and a new card is printed on the spot. The sequence matters: the moment the loss is entered in DEERS, the old card’s certificates are revoked, so nothing else can move until the loss report is on paper.
Report the Loss First
No RAPIDS technician will issue a replacement without written confirmation that you already reported the card missing. That confirmation comes from your local security office or your CAC sponsor and states that the card has been reported lost or stolen.1CAC.mil. Managing Your Common Access Card Bring the original with you; it gets scanned into your DEERS record.
Once the card is flagged as lost in DEERS, its Public Key Infrastructure certificates are immediately revoked.1CAC.mil. Managing Your Common Access Card Anyone who finds the old card cannot use it to log into DoD networks or digitally sign documents. If someone uses it before you report it, sorting out the fallout lands on you.
Depending on your branch and installation, you may also need a signed letter from your squadron commander, group commander, or director acknowledging the loss. That letter goes into your personnel file.
Bring Two Original Identity Documents
You need two identity source documents in original form. Not copies, not expired, not cancelled. At least one must be a primary photo ID, and if the names on the two documents don’t match, bring proof of a formal name change as well.2Department of Defense. List of Acceptable Identity Documents
Primary documents that satisfy the photo-ID requirement include a U.S. passport or passport card, a state driver’s license or state-issued ID card (REAL ID or non-REAL ID), a Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551), a foreign passport, an Employment Authorization Document with photograph (Form I-766), or a PIV Card issued by another federal agency.
Your second document can be a different type from the primary list, or it can come from the secondary list. Common secondary documents are a U.S. Social Security card, an original or certified birth certificate bearing an official seal, a voter registration card, a Certificate of Naturalization, or a Native American tribal document.2Department of Defense. List of Acceptable Identity Documents The full secondary list is longer, and the DoD publishes an updated version on cac.mil.
Because your old CAC is gone, you can’t use it as one of the two documents. A state driver’s license paired with a Social Security card or birth certificate is the combination most people fall back on.
Fill Out DD Form 1172-2
DD Form 1172-2, officially titled “Application for Identification Card/DEERS Enrollment,” is available as a PDF through the DoD Forms Management Program.3DoD Forms Management Program. DD 1172-2 – Application for Identification Cards/DEERS Enrollment You can also generate and digitally sign it through the RAPIDS Self-Service portal before your appointment, which saves time at the office. The form is returned to a RAPIDS workstation, not to the publishing organization.4Department of Defense. DD Form 1172-2 – Application for Identification Card/DEERS Enrollment
Section I: Sponsor Information
Section I captures the sponsor’s basic information. The fields you have to get right:
- Block 1, Name: last name, first name, then middle initial or full middle name, up to 51 characters.
- Block 3, SSN or DoD ID Number: required.
- Block 4, Status: a code for your category (active duty, reserve, civilian, contractor, and so on), from Table 2 of the instruction sheet.
- Block 5, Organization: your branch or service, using the codes in Table 3.
- Block 6, Pay Grade: your current pay grade, from Table 4.
- Block 9, Date of Birth: YYYYMMDD format, required.
Blocks 11 through 15 capture your current home address, city, state, ZIP code, and country.4Department of Defense. DD Form 1172-2 – Application for Identification Card/DEERS Enrollment Everything here has to match what DEERS already shows. If you’ve moved since your last card was issued, update DEERS first; a mismatch between the form and the database will slow things down.
Signature Rules and the 90-Day Clock
Block 22 requires the sponsor’s signature. If you sign with a wet ink signature outside the presence of the Verifying Official at the RAPIDS site, the signature must be notarized. A digital signature doesn’t need notarization.5CAC.mil. Instructions for Completion of DD Form 1172-2 This matters most for dependents whose sponsor signs ahead of time.
Once verified, the form is valid for 90 days from the date of verification.6Department of Defense. DD Form 1172-2 Miss the window and you start over.
Book and Attend the RAPIDS Appointment
You book through ID Card Office Online at idco.dmdc.osd.mil. Choose “ID Card Office Locator & Appointments” to find nearby RAPIDS sites and reserve a slot.7ID Card Office Online. ID Card Office Online Slots fill quickly at high-traffic installations, so book as soon as your loss report is filed. Some RAPIDS offices accept walk-ins on a first-come, first-served basis, but calling ahead is safer.8Naval Support Activity Bethesda. DEERS ID Card Office
Bring to the appointment:
- Your two original identity documents.
- The loss or theft documentation from your security office or CAC sponsor.
- A 6- to 8-digit PIN chosen in advance. Don’t base it on your SSN, birthday, phone number, or address.
- Your government unclassified email address (the full address, not a display name), if you use a government computer.
If you don’t have a work email available, the card is issued without an email certificate, and you can add one later through IDCO.9CAC.mil. Getting Your Common Access Card
At the office, the technician verifies your identity documents, confirms your DEERS record, takes a new photograph, and records updated fingerprints. Your biometric data and the PIN you chose are encoded into the new card’s chip. Once the system validates your fingerprints against your existing DEERS record, the card is printed and handed to you.
If You Are a Dependent and Your Sponsor Can’t Come
If you’re a military dependent and your sponsor is deployed or otherwise unavailable, you can still get a replacement. The sponsor digitally signs the DD Form 1172-2 with their own CAC, and you bring the signed form to the RAPIDS office along with your two identity documents.10AAFMAA. Renewing Your Military ID Card as a Dependent When Your Sponsor Is Deployed or Deceased The digital signature avoids the notary requirement, which is the point.
If the sponsor is deceased or entirely unreachable, contact the DEERS Support Office at 800-538-9552 to update your record and get guidance on proceeding without a sponsor signature.
One warning for on-installation appointments: if your dependent ID card has already expired, gate security may confiscate it at the entrance. Schedule your appointment before the expiration date if you can, or use a RAPIDS office that isn’t behind an installation gate.
What Repeated Losses Can Cost You
There’s no published DoD-wide replacement fee for active-duty personnel replacing a lost CAC, but contractors have been charged $50 for a new card at some installations.11Tinker Air Force Base. Hold Onto CAC Cards; Lost Card Is a Big Deal The bigger concern is the paper trail. Each loss generates a commander’s letter that goes into your personnel file.
A single accidental loss handled promptly is an administrative inconvenience. Multiple losses, or a loss suggesting carelessness with a credential that grants access to classified networks and military installations, can draw command attention that reaches well beyond paperwork. Report honestly, act quickly, and store the new card somewhere more secure than the last one.