VA Permanent and Total Disability ID Card: USID and VHIC Options

A veteran rated Permanent and Total is eligible for two different cards, and the one worth prioritizing is the Department of Defense Next Generation Uniformed Services ID (USID) card, issued at a RAPIDS office on a military installation. The VA Permanent and Total disability ID card most veterans also want is the Veterans Health Identification Card (VHIC), issued through your VA medical center for healthcare check-in. Get both. The DoD card gives you the broader base access; the VHIC handles your medical appointments and serves as backup proof of service-connected status.

Confirm Your P&T Status Before You Apply

Both card offices will ask for proof, so pull your paperwork first. Sign in at VA.gov with a verified Login.gov or ID.me account, go to the letters section, and download your Benefit Summary and Service Verification Letter.¹ You’ll need a current version of Adobe Acrobat Reader to open it.

If you’re working from a paper Rating Decision, look for any of these markers: the “Permanent and Total” box checked, a statement that no future exams are scheduled, or a reference to Chapter 35 Dependents’ Educational Assistance or CHAMPVA eligibility. Any of them confirms P&T. If none appear, your 100% rating may be temporary and subject to reexamination.

Veterans on Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU) can also carry the P&T designation. TDIU applies when service-connected disabilities keep you from substantially gainful employment even though your combined schedular rating is below 100%. If the VA has marked your TDIU as permanent, you qualify for the same cards and the same benefits as a schedular 100% P&T veteran. Once your disabilities are established as static or permanent with no likelihood of improvement, you’re generally exempt from routine reexaminations.²

Which Card to Get, and Why It Matters

The two cards are not interchangeable, and the difference shows up at the base gate.

The DoD Next Generation USID Card

Veterans rated 100% disabled are eligible for the DoD Next Generation USID card, which replaced the legacy DD Form 1173.³ It carries the same installation access as a military retiree. The DoD recommends that 100% disabled veterans obtain and use this card rather than relying on the VHIC for base access.⁴

The Veterans Health Identification Card

The VHIC is issued by the VA to any veteran enrolled in VA healthcare. It’s your check-in credential for VA medical appointments and can get you retail discounts at participating businesses.⁵ For service-connected veterans, the card is stamped “SERVICE CONNECTED” and allows entry to military installations for commissary, exchange, and MWR retail access under 10 U.S.C. § 1065.⁶

Here’s the catch. If you present the VHIC at the gate instead of a DoD credential, your installation access is limited to those Section 1065 privileges. The DoD fact sheet spells this out: 100% disabled veterans who use a VHIC in place of a DoD card get the narrower access tier.⁴ That’s why the DoD USID is the better card for base privileges, and the VHIC is the better card for VA healthcare.

How to Get the DoD USID Card

The USID card is issued at a Real-Time Automated Personnel Identification System (RAPIDS) site. These sit on military bases, National Guard armories, and reserve training facilities. Depending on the installation, the office may go by Pass and ID, DEERS office, or ID Card Section.⁷

Find a RAPIDS location using the RAPIDS site locator and schedule an appointment. Walk-ins are sometimes accepted but availability varies.
Complete DD Form 1172-2, the application for the USID card, before your appointment.
Bring two forms of ID. At least one must be a state or federal government-issued photo ID.
Bring your VA Benefit Summary Letter confirming 100% P&T status as supporting documentation.

The RAPIDS office verifies eligibility and issues the card on site.

How to Get the VHIC

Enrolling in VA healthcare is a prerequisite. Apply using VA Form 10-10EZ through any of these channels:⁸

Online through VA.gov.
By phone at 877-222-8387, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET.
By mail after downloading VA Form 10-10EZ.⁹
In person, by bringing a signed copy of the form to your nearest VA medical center.

Once enrolled, contact the enrollment coordinator at your nearest VA medical center to schedule a photo appointment. You can also have the photo taken during a regular healthcare visit. Bring a current, unexpired government-issued photo ID such as a state driver’s license, U.S. passport, or other federal, state, or local ID showing your name, address, and date of birth. If your ID doesn’t show your address, bring a utility bill or another mailed document as proof.⁵

The card typically arrives in 7 to 14 days for veterans in the U.S. If it hasn’t arrived within 10 days of your photo appointment, call the VA medical center that took the photo.⁵

Cards for Your Spouse and Children

Your dependents are eligible for their own DoD Dependent Identification and Privilege Cards, which give them independent access to installations, commissaries, and exchanges.³ The process mirrors yours. Enroll them in the Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System (DEERS), complete DD Form 1172-2 as their sponsor, and visit a RAPIDS site together. Spouses need two forms of ID. Children under 18 need proof of relationship, such as a birth certificate.⁷

What the Cards Unlock

Commissary, Exchange, and MWR

Under 10 U.S.C. § 1065, veterans with any service-connected disability rating can use commissary stores and MWR facilities on the same basis as retired service members.⁶ With the DoD USID card, 100% P&T veterans get access equivalent to what military retirees receive, which reaches beyond the Section 1065 tier.⁴ Veterans entering under Section 1065 alone pay a small surcharge on commissary purchases to offset card processing costs, as required by the statute.

Space-Available Military Flights

P&T veterans are eligible for Space-Available (Space-A) flights on military aircraft, traveling in Category VI priority alongside retired military personnel. The flights are generally free, though seats depend on the mission. Your closest Air Mobility Command passenger terminal can give you current flight schedules and destinations.¹⁰

Free Federal Lands Access

Either card gets you into the national parks. The Military Lifetime Pass is available to all veterans and covers entrance fees at lands managed by the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and others. It admits the pass holder plus occupants of a single private vehicle, or up to three additional adults at per-person sites. Pick it up free at most national parks by presenting your VHIC or DoD ID.¹¹

The Access Pass, specifically for people with permanent disabilities, may provide additional discounts on expanded amenities like camping and guided tours that the Military Lifetime Pass doesn’t cover. You can request a digital version through Recreation.gov for free or order a physical card by mail for a small processing fee.¹¹

1
Veterans Affairs – VA.gov. Download VA Benefit Letters
2
eCFR. 38 CFR 3.327 – Reexaminations
3
CAC.mil. Next Generation Uniformed Services ID Card
4
Military OneSource. Fact Sheet: Expanding Access to Military Commissaries, Exchanges and Recreation Retail Facilities
5
Veterans Affairs. Get a Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)
6
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 1065 – Use of Commissary Stores and MWR Facilities
7
Military OneSource. How to Get or Renew a Military ID Card for Spouses, Dependents, Veterans and Retirees
8
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. How to Apply for VA Health Care
9
Veterans Affairs. About VA Form 10-10EZ
10
Military OneSource. Space-A Travel for Military Families
11
National Park Service. Free Entrance to National Parks for Current Military, Veterans, and Gold Star Families