To renew a military ID, bring two original, unexpired identification documents plus the eligibility paperwork for your category to a RAPIDS ID card office, or submit the request through ID Card Office Online if you hold a Uniformed Services ID (USID) card and meet the online criteria. There is no fee. What changes from person to person is the eligibility proof and whether you can skip the in-person visit.
When to Start
Common Access Card (CAC) holders can renew up to 90 days before the expiration date printed on the card. Don’t push it to the final week. A lapsed CAC cuts off network access, email, and digital signing, and getting back in takes longer than the renewal itself.
USID card holders renewing online should submit the request 30 to 60 days before expiration, and can start as early as 120 days out. Overseas addresses (APO, FPO, DPO) need the earlier end of that window to allow for mail time.
If you already hold one of the older paper-based USID cards marked with an indefinite expiration date, it stays valid. There is no current deadline to swap it for the plastic Next Generation USID. DoD has said it will announce a termination date well in advance if it decides to phase these out. You can voluntarily trade one in at any RAPIDS office.
The Two ID Documents Everyone Brings
Regardless of category, every person renewing a military ID must present two forms of identification in original form. Photocopies are not accepted. At least one must be a valid, unexpired government-issued photo ID.
Acceptable primary photo IDs:
- U.S. passport or passport card
- State-issued driver’s license or ID card (REAL ID or non-REAL ID)
- Current military ID (CAC or USID)
Acceptable secondary documents:
- Social Security card issued by the SSA
- Certified birth certificate with an official seal
- Voter’s registration card
- A government-issued photo ID from a federal, state, or local agency, different in type from your primary
- Certificate of U.S. Citizenship (Form N-560 or N-561)
- Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570)
- Native American tribal document
One useful exception if you’re late: an expired CAC or USID can serve as the secondary document for a USID renewal or reissue. It cannot be used for a first-time issuance. Bring the expired card along with another valid photo ID as your primary and you’ll be covered.
Eligibility Proof for Your Category
Beyond the two identity documents, each category of cardholder brings its own paperwork. Missing this is the most common reason people get turned away.
Active Duty, Reserve, and DoD Civilian
For most CAC holders, eligibility is verified automatically through a data feed from your HR department into DEERS. You usually don’t need to bring orders or status documents. If there’s a discrepancy, the ID card office will tell you what to bring back.
Retirees
Military retirees should bring retirement orders, a DD Form 214 (Member Copy 4), or both. Retired DoD civilians bring their retirement SF-50 or equivalent DoD civilian retirement document. The office uses these to confirm your retired status in DEERS before printing the new card.
Dependents
Spouses, children, and other dependents need a completed DD Form 1172-2 signed by the sponsor, plus a document proving the relationship:
- Spouse: marriage certificate
- Biological child: birth certificate or Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240)
- Stepchild: birth certificate plus the sponsor’s marriage certificate
- Adopted child: birth certificate plus the adoption decree
- Full-time student age 21–22: the relationship document above, plus a letter from the school’s registrar confirming full-time enrollment
The sponsor’s signature on the DD Form 1172-2 can be handled four ways: digitally through ID Card Office Online using the sponsor’s CAC, in person in front of the verifying official, notarized in advance, or by a dependent signing under the sponsor’s general power of attorney. The POA route is what most military families rely on when the sponsor is deployed or otherwise unreachable. Bring the original POA and make sure it’s current.
Incapacitated Adult Dependents
Renewing an ID for an adult child incapable of self-support takes more paperwork. The condition must have existed before the child’s 21st birthday, or before the 23rd birthday if the child was a full-time student. You’ll need a DD Form 137-5, a medical sufficiency statement dated within 90 days of the application, documentation of the child’s gross income, proof the sponsor provides more than 50 percent of the child’s support, and a statement from the Social Security Administration on Medicare eligibility.
Renewing Your USID Card Online
If you hold a USID card, you may be able to skip the office entirely. The online process through ID Card Office Online lets a sponsor request a replacement card. The Government Publishing Office prints it and mails it to the recipient.
The sponsor must log in with a CAC, DS Logon, or myAuth credential, have an email address in DEERS with DoD correspondence permissions enabled, and have a personnel status extending at least 30 days past the renewal request date.
The card recipient must be eligible for a USID card with benefits extending more than 30 days into the future, have a photo saved in DEERS taken within the last 12 years, have an email in DEERS with correspondence permissions, and have a U.S. or territory mailing address on file (APO, FPO, and DPO addresses count).
Online renewal is not available if your DEERS record is locked or restricted, if you’re a foreign affiliate or OCONUS local hire, or if you need to present new documentation to update your status or eligibility. In those cases, you’ll need to go in person.
Before you submit, open the “My Profile” section in ID Card Office Online and confirm your mailing address, email, and correspondence permissions are current. The card can only be mailed to the address on file in DEERS.
Booking and Visiting a RAPIDS Office
RAPIDS ID card offices sit on military installations, National Guard armories, and reserve training centers. Find the nearest one through the RAPIDS ID Card Office Online site, which also handles appointment scheduling.
Almost every RAPIDS location now requires an appointment. Walk-ins are usually turned away or placed on a standby list, so book ahead. Check the office’s hours before you go; many run reduced schedules and close for training days.
At the appointment, you’ll check in, hand over your two IDs and category-specific paperwork, and the verifying official will pull your record in DEERS. Minor record discrepancies can sometimes be fixed on the spot; larger ones will send you home for additional documentation. Once your eligibility is confirmed, the office takes a new digital photo and may collect fingerprints. The new card is typically printed and handed to you during the same visit. Check the printed information before you walk out, and note the new expiration date so you know when to start the next renewal cycle.