Military Identification Cards: CAC vs USID, Eligibility, and Benefits

A military ID card is a Department of Defense credential that verifies your connection to the U.S. armed forces and authorizes access to installations, benefits, and secure systems. Two cards do this work: the Common Access Card (CAC) for people who need to log into DoD networks, and the Uniformed Services ID (USID) card for retirees, dependents, and other beneficiaries. Both are federally issued credentials recognized well beyond a base gate.

CAC or USID: Which Card You Get

DoD Manual 1000.13 governs how these cards are specified, secured, and managed across their lifecycle.¹ Which one you receive depends on whether your role requires computer network access.

The CAC is issued to active duty members, Selected Reserve members on orders, DoD civilians, and eligible contractors. It contains an embedded integrated circuit chip that holds digital certificates and biometric data, enabling encrypted email, digital signatures, and secure network authentication. A colored stripe marks the holder’s status: blue for active duty and civilian employees, green for contractors, and other colors for additional categories. At issuance you set a six-to-eight-digit PIN that unlocks the card’s certificates every time you log in.

The USID card is issued to retirees, dependents, Reserve members who don’t need a CAC, and other beneficiaries. It verifies identity and benefits eligibility but does not authenticate you on DoD networks. The Department of Defense has been rolling out a Next Generation USID printed on durable plastic with updated anti-counterfeiting features; legacy USID cards stay valid through their printed expiration date.²

Who Qualifies

Federal law under 10 U.S.C. Chapter 53 and 32 CFR Part 161 set out who receives military identification, and the eligible population is broader than most people expect.³

Active duty members receive a CAC on entry into service, regardless of branch.
National Guard and Reserve members qualify for identification covering training and deployments. Reserve Component members who don’t need network access receive a USID rather than a CAC.
Retired members who completed their service obligation or reached retirement eligibility age qualify for a permanent card. This includes members on the Temporary and Permanent Disability Retired Lists.
Dependents, meaning spouses and children of eligible service members, retirees, and certain deceased members, receive their own cards based on the sponsor’s status.
Veterans rated 100% disabled or 100% unemployable due to a service-connected condition qualify for a USID card with benefits privileges.⁴
Medal of Honor recipients and their eligible dependents receive DoD identification authorizing commissary, exchange, and theater privileges.⁵
DoD civilian employees and contractors whose duties require regular access to military facilities or networks qualify for a CAC.

Several smaller categories also qualify, including full-time USO personnel serving overseas, Transitional Assistance Management Program participants, and select Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve personnel.²

How to Get a Card

Start at the ID Card Office Online portal (idco.dmdc.osd.mil) to locate the nearest Real-Time Automated Personnel Identification System (RAPIDS) office and book an appointment.⁶ Walk-ins are sometimes accepted, but availability varies and appointments save time.

Documents to Bring

Under 32 CFR Part 161, every applicant must present identity documentation in person before a record can be established in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). You need two forms of identification, and at least one must be a government-issued photo ID such as a valid U.S. passport, a state driver’s license, or an existing military ID card. The second can be something like a Social Security card or an original birth certificate. Both must be current, unexpired, and show matching name information. The DoD publishes a full list of acceptable documents.⁷

You’ll also complete DD Form 1172-2, “Application for Identification Cards/DEERS Enrollment.” The sponsor fills out personal details and signs. When enrolling dependents, bring original legal documents establishing the relationship, such as a marriage certificate for a spouse or a birth certificate for a child. Missing signatures are one of the most common reasons people get turned away. The form is valid for 90 days after the verifying official signs it.⁸

At the RAPIDS Office

A verifying official reviews your documentation, processes the application, and captures biometric data, including a digital photograph and electronic fingerprints that go into the secure DEERS database. For CAC holders, the official then prints and encodes the card and asks you to set the PIN that protects its digital certificates. Before you leave, the official confirms the card functions correctly.

Renewing or Replacing Your Card

Online Renewal for USID Holders

If you hold a USID card, you may be able to renew online without visiting a RAPIDS office. Both the sponsor and the card recipient have to meet several conditions: the sponsor’s personnel status must extend at least 30 days into the future, the recipient must have a photo saved in DEERS taken within the last 12 years, and both must have an email address in DEERS with permission granted for DoD correspondence. The mailing address on file must be within the United States or a U.S. territory, including APO, FPO, and DPO addresses.⁹

Some situations disqualify you from online renewal. If your DEERS record is locked or restricted, if the sponsor is not a U.S. citizen, or if you need to present documentation to update your status, you must go in person. One wrinkle to know: once you submit an online renewal request, you cannot visit a RAPIDS site for in-person issuance while that request is pending. You have to wait for the card by mail or receive an email with alternative instructions if the request fails.⁹

Lost or Stolen Cards

Losing a military ID is a security event. Active duty members and DoD civilians should report a lost or stolen CAC to their command or local security office. Retirees, reservists, and dependents who lose a USID should report it through the RAPIDS self-service portal or by calling Military OneSource at 1-800-342-9647. Dependents requesting a replacement will need to complete a new DD Form 1172-2.¹⁰

Veterans who lose a Veteran Health ID Card should contact the VA medical center that issued it. Those who lose a separate Veteran ID Card can report it by emailing vetidcard@va.gov.¹⁰

When Eligibility Ends

Every military ID card is property of the U.S. Government and must be returned when you no longer qualify to hold it. DoD components are required to collect cards as part of the standard check-out process when someone separates, retires, or has a contract expire.³ The sponsoring organization is responsible for retrieving cards from people no longer supporting its activity.

Dependent Children

A dependent child’s ID card expires when TRICARE eligibility ends, at age 21, or at age 23 if the child is enrolled full-time in college. After that the card is no longer valid and must be surrendered.¹¹

Former Spouses and the 20/20/20 Rule

Divorce normally terminates a spouse’s eligibility, but an exception applies. Under the 20/20/20 rule, an unremarried former spouse retains eligibility for TRICARE and a military ID issued in their own name if three conditions are all met: the sponsor served at least 20 years of creditable service, the marriage lasted at least 20 years, and all 20 years of marriage overlapped the sponsor’s 20 years of service.¹²

To prove eligibility, present a marriage certificate, a divorce decree, and a DD Form 214 or Statement of Service from the appropriate service personnel office. Eligibility under the 20/20/20 rule is lost permanently if you remarry, even if that later marriage ends in divorce or the death of the new spouse.¹²

What Your Card Gets You

A military ID card ties together physical security, healthcare, retail privileges, and travel benefits in one credential.

Installation and Network Access

The card is your primary credential for passing through security checkpoints at military installations and government buildings. For CAC holders, it is also the key to secure computer systems: inserting the card and entering your PIN authenticates you on DoD networks for encrypted email, digital signatures, and access to classified systems where authorized.¹

TRICARE Healthcare

When checking in for an appointment at a military hospital, clinic, or civilian provider’s office, you’ll need to show your USID card. Providers use it to confirm your eligibility within the TRICARE health system before delivering care.¹³

Commissary and Exchange

Your card grants access to on-base commissaries and military exchanges, where goods are sold at reduced prices. Since January 2020, commissary and exchange access has been extended to all service-connected veterans, Purple Heart recipients, and former prisoners of war. Those veterans use a Veteran Health Identification Card displaying their status rather than a standard USID.¹⁴

TSA PreCheck and Airport ID

Members of the U.S. Armed Forces can use their DoD ID number as a Known Traveler Number, receiving TSA PreCheck screening at airports without paying the enrollment fee or filing a separate application. Enter the DoD ID number from the back of your CAC into the Known Traveler Number field when booking flights. For official travel, update your Defense Travel System profile with the same number. DoD federal civilian employees need to opt in through milConnect before this benefit activates.¹⁵

Military ID cards are also accepted as valid identification at TSA checkpoints for domestic flights. Since REAL ID enforcement began on May 7, 2025, non-compliant state driver’s licenses are no longer accepted at airports, but a military ID is a federally issued credential and remains valid.¹⁶

Space-Available Military Flights

A valid military ID is the ticket to the Space-Available travel program, which allows eligible personnel and their dependents to fly on military aircraft when seats are open. Active duty members on leave and their accompanied dependents (up to age 23 with a valid ID) can fly between overseas stations and U.S. air terminals. Retired members and their accompanied family members also qualify, as do surviving spouses of service members who died on active duty or in a retired status, along with their dependents. Children under 14 must have a separate government-issued ID.¹⁷

1
Department of Defense. DoD Manual 1000.13, Volume 1 – DoD Identification Cards: ID Card Life-Cycle
2
DoD Common Access Card. Next Generation Uniformed Services ID Card
3
eCFR. 32 CFR Part 161 – Identification Cards for Members of the Uniformed Services, Their Dependents, and Other Eligible Individuals
4
Military OneSource. How to Get or Renew a Military ID Card for Spouses, Dependents, Veterans and Retirees
5
U.S. Army. Medal of Honor Recommendation Process
6
ID Card Office Online. ID Card Office Online
7
CAC.mil. DoD Identity and Eligibility Documentation Requirements
8
Washington Headquarters Services. DD Form 1172-2 – Application for Identification Cards/DEERS Enrollment
9
DoD Common Access Card. Renewing Online
10
USAGov. Report a Lost or Stolen Military or Veteran ID Card
11
TRICARE. ID Cards
12
TRICARE. Former Spouses
13
TRICARE. Showing Your ID to Providers
14
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Commissary and Exchange Privileges for Veterans
15
Transportation Security Administration. How Do I Get TSA PreCheck as a Member of the U.S. Armed Forces?
16
Transportation Security Administration. Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint
17
Air Mobility Command. AMC Space Available Travel Page