How to Renew Your Military ID Before It Expires

To renew your military ID before it expires, start the process up to 90 days ahead of the expiration date at a RAPIDS office, or up to 120 days ahead through the ID Card Office Online portal if you qualify for online renewal. You will need to be current in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) and, for in-person renewal, bring two original identity documents. Acting early matters: an expired card blocks base access, DoD computer logins, and smooth service at TRICARE pharmacies and medical providers.

When You Can Start the Renewal

Federal regulation lets any military ID cardholder apply for renewal beginning 90 days before the card’s expiration date, and that window applies to both the Common Access Card (CAC) and the Uniformed Services Identification (USID) card issued to retirees and dependents.¹ Your local Security Personnel Office can grant exceptions when circumstances require earlier renewal, such as an upcoming deployment or extended travel.

The online portal is more generous. Sponsors can submit a USID card renewal request up to 120 days before the current card expires.² If you or your dependent are stationed overseas with an APO, FPO, or DPO address, submitting 30 to 60 days before expiration is recommended so mail delivery doesn’t leave you cardless.

Who Can Renew

Renewal covers the same groups who receive military ID cards initially: active duty service members, Reserve and National Guard members, retirees, and dependents such as spouses and children.³ The underlying requirement is that you must be enrolled and verified in DEERS. If your DEERS record is outdated or locked, fix that before anything else.

For dependents, the sponsor’s status controls the process. A dependent’s card can only be renewed if the sponsor’s personnel status extends at least 30 days into the future.⁴ If the sponsor has separated, retired, or had a change that hasn’t been recorded in DEERS, the renewal will be denied until the record is corrected.

Documents to Bring

Bring two original, unexpired identity documents to a RAPIDS office. The primary document must be a government-issued photo ID: a U.S. passport, a state-issued driver’s license, a Permanent Resident Card, or a foreign passport.⁵ The second can come from a broader list, including a Social Security card, a certified birth certificate, a voter registration card, or another government-issued photo ID as long as it isn’t the same type as your primary.

If the two documents show different names, bring proof of a formal name change. Dependents renewing for the first time or updating eligibility should also bring supporting documents, such as a marriage certificate for spouses or a birth certificate for children.

One useful detail: if you’re renewing a non-CAC card and your fingerprints are already stored in DEERS, the system can verify your identity biometrically. When that check succeeds, no identity documents beyond the card being renewed are required.¹ Bring your documents anyway. If the biometric check fails, the office falls back to the standard two-document rule.

Renewing In Person at a RAPIDS Office

Find your nearest ID card office through the ID Card Office Online portal at idco.dmdc.osd.mil. The site has both a locator and an appointment scheduler.⁶ Book before showing up. Walk-in availability varies widely by location, and offices near installations with large retiree populations can be booked weeks out.

At the appointment you will surrender your expiring card, present your identity documents, and have a new photo taken. Fingerprints may be collected or updated depending on the card type. The verifying official compares your face against the photo stored in DEERS and confirms eligibility. If everything checks out, you leave with a new card the same day.

Renewing Online

Sponsors can request a USID card renewal for themselves or their dependents through the ID Card Office Online portal without visiting a RAPIDS office.² The card is mailed directly to the recipient, which helps families far from a base or stationed overseas.

To use the online system, the sponsor must log into IDCO with a CAC, DS Logon, or myAuth credential. The card recipient must also meet several conditions:

Eligibility extends at least 30 days into the future.
A photo saved in DEERS taken within the last 12 years.
A valid email address in DEERS with permission granted for DoD correspondence.
A residential or mailing address in the United States, U.S. territories, or an APO, FPO, or DPO address for those overseas.

The card ships via U.S. mail to whatever address is on file in DEERS, so verify your mailing address in the “My Profile” section of IDCO before submitting. When the card arrives, the sponsor logs back into IDCO and acknowledges receipt, which activates it. One caveat: after submitting an online request you cannot switch to in-person issuance at a RAPIDS office instead. You are committed to waiting for the mail.

Some people cannot renew this way. Foreign affiliates, OCONUS local hires, and anyone whose DEERS record is locked or restricted must renew in person. Dependents who need to present new documentation to update eligibility are also excluded.²

When the Sponsor Cannot Be Present

Dependent ID card renewals at a RAPIDS office normally require the sponsor to be there. When that isn’t possible, the sponsor has two options. The first is to sign a DD Form 1172-2, the Application for Identification Card/DEERS Enrollment, in advance, and the dependent brings the completed form to the appointment.⁷ The second is a general or specific Power of Attorney authorizing the dependent, or another person, to act on the sponsor’s behalf for ID card purposes. A Power of Attorney used this way must be notarized.

Online renewal sidesteps this entirely, because the sponsor initiates the request digitally.³ For families dealing with deployment or geographic separation, it is often the simplest path.

Lost or Stolen Cards

A lost or stolen ID is not a renewal, and the requirements differ. Before visiting a RAPIDS office, report the loss to your local security office or CAC sponsor and get written documentation of the report. A police or military police report also works. The documentation must include the date, place, and circumstances of the loss or theft.¹

You still need two forms of ID, at least one a valid photo ID. If you can’t produce them, the office can attempt fingerprint verification through DEERS. Report the loss promptly. A missing CAC is a particular security concern because of the digital certificates it carries.

What Happens if the Card Expires

An expired CAC will not work for physical access to installations or for logging into DoD computer networks. The digital certificates on the card stop functioning at expiration, which cuts off military email and any CAC-enabled websites.

For retirees and dependents, an expired USID card can mean being turned away at installation gates, commissaries, and exchanges. TRICARE requires beneficiaries to present a valid ID card when receiving care or filling prescriptions.⁸ Your underlying TRICARE eligibility doesn’t disappear when the card expires, but providers and pharmacies use the card to verify eligibility at the point of service.

One small mercy if you do slip past the date: an expired DoD ID card can serve as an acceptable secondary identity document when you come in to replace it, so you won’t need to hunt down a birth certificate because you missed the window by a few days.¹

Retirees With Indefinite-Expiration Cards

Some retiree and dependent cards carry an “INDEF” (indefinite) expiration rather than a specific date. Retirees receive this designation at age 65, and spouses receive it at age 75.⁹ If you hold one of these, the renewal deadline doesn’t apply the same way.

The DoD has been transitioning legacy cards, including the DD Form 2 and DD Form 1173, to the Next Generation USID card.⁴ If you still carry an old-format card, even one with no expiration, plan to replace it. Legacy cards continue to work for base access for now, but the transition is underway. Any RAPIDS office or the online portal can issue the updated card at your convenience.

1
eCFR. 32 CFR Part 161 – Identification (ID) Cards for Members of the Uniformed Services, Their Dependents, and Other Eligible Individuals
2
CAC.mil. Next Generation Uniformed Services ID Card Renewing Online
3
Military OneSource. How to Get or Renew a Military ID Card for Spouses, Dependents, Veterans and Retirees
4
Defense Finance and Accounting Service. March 2025 Partners Real ID Act and NextGen ID Card
5
CAC.mil. Department of Defense List of Acceptable Identity Documents
6
ID Card Office Online. ID Card Office Online
7
CAC.mil. DD Form 1172-2 – Application for Identification Card/DEERS Enrollment
8
TRICARE. ID Cards
9
Air Force’s Personnel Center. Retiree ID Cards Now Have Expiration Dates