Military Dependent ID Card: What You Should Know

A military dependent identification card can unlock valuable benefits for your family members and other dependents, including healthcare, access to military facilities, commissaries, Morale, Welfare & Recreation (MWR) centers, support agencies, and even discounts within your community.

Service members can apply for a dependent military ID card after 30 days of active duty service. The card will allow your dependent access to medical and MWR benefits for the duration of the orders.

The National Guard and Reserve ID cards are slightly different from those of other active service members. They are distinguishable by their reddish color. The National Guard and Reserve dependent ID cards provide family members with access to the exchange, commissary, morale, welfare, and recreation privileges.

While it would be nice to walk our loved ones into a DEERS office and declare them our dependents, it’s not that easy. Not everyone is eligible for a dependent ID card.

Next Generation Uniform Services ID Card

For decades, dependents of active duty and retired service members carried tan-colored laminated ID cards to access military benefits. In July 2020, DEERS began issuing updated retiree and dependent ID cards called the Next Generation Uniform Services Identification (USID) cards.

These cards look more like a Military CAC, are more durable, and are harder to counterfeit.

DEERS expects to complete the transition by January 2026.

According to the Pentagon, old ID cards remain valid until their expiration date, so if your old card has not expired, you don’t need to make an appointment for a new one yet.

Retirees must update their ID cards when they become eligible for Medicare. Once updated, your new retiree ID card will never expire.

Who is Eligible for a Military Dependent ID Card?

The military is specific about who can receive dependent benefits and even requires documentation for each individual.

Eligible dependents include:

• Lawful spouse
• Unremarried surviving spouse
• Unmarried children under 21 (includes adopted or stepchildren)
• Unmarried children over 21 but incapable of self-support
• Unmarried children over 21 but under 23 who attend an approved learning institution as a full-time student

Visit our comprehensive guide to military IDs for in-depth eligibility requirements for each type of Next Generation USID.

You will need to provide DD Form 1172-2 and any documentation proving your dependent’s status, such as a marriage certificate, proof of enrollment as a full-time student, a medical sufficiency statement, or a financial dependency determination.

Additional eligibility rules apply to former spouses, dependent parents/in-laws, and special circumstances. Your local RAPIDS office will provide more information and tell you exactly what documents are necessary when you make the appointment.

When Do Dependent Kids Need Military ID Cards?

Children need to have their own dependent military ID at age 10. Before age 10, kids can access benefits and healthcare using their parent or guardian’s military ID. However, children of all ages may need a dependent ID card if they’re ever in the care of another parent or guardian who isn’t eligible for Tricare, or other military benefits, so they can continue to access medical care when the service member isn’t with them.

How to Get a Military Dependant ID Card

To register for a military dependent ID card, you must visit a RAPIDS office location and schedule an appointment. Most often, the military sponsor and the dependent must be present at this appointment.

When you arrive at your military ID card appointment, you will need to bring a completed DD Form 1172-2 and two current original forms of identification. One or both forms can come from the primary identity source document list, but only one can come from the secondary identity source document list.

Primary Identity Source Document	Secondary Identity Source Document
Passport or U.S. Passport Card	U.S. Social Security Card
Driver’s License or State-Issued ID Card, with Photo	Birth Certificate w/ Official Seal – original or certified copy
Military ID Card	ID Card issued by a federal, state or local government agency or entity with photograph
Military Dependent’s Card	Voter’s Registration Card
Permanent Resident Card or Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551)	U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Card
Foreign Passport	Certificate of US Citizenship (Form N-560 or N-561)
Employment Authorization Document, with Photo	Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570)
Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Card	U.S. Citizen IF Card (Form I-197)
	Identification Card for Use of Resident Citizen in the United States (Form I-179)
	Certification of Birth Abroad or Certification of Report of Birth issued by the Department of State (Form FS-545 or Form DS-1350)
	Temporary Resident Card (Form I-688)
	Employment Authorization Card (Form I-688A)
	Reentry Permit (Form I-327)
	Refugee Travel Document (Form I-571)
	Employment Authorization document issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
	Employment Authorization Document issued by DHS with photograph (Form I-688B)
	Foreign ID with photograph
	Driver’s License issued by a Canadian government entity
	Native American Tribunal document

What Happens if My Dependent Military ID Expires?

Military dependent ID cards usually expire every four years. Exceptions may apply to incapacitated dependents and those age 65 and older who don’t have a permanent ID.

If you can not physically go to an ID card office because you are disabled or have an incapacitated dependent, you can obtain a new card through the mail. Call the nearest RAPIDS office to verify the mail-in ID card procedure. This process may take anywhere from four-to-six weeks.

Dependent Military ID Card Renewal

Most military ID card holders can now renew their cards online and receive them in the mail instead of having to schedule an appointment at an ID card office. However, there is still the option to go to a RAPIDS office location.

This is part of the Defense Department’s expansion of the online renewal program that started in 2023. However, you can only renew cards online. You cannot apply for an ID online unless you can not physically go to an ID card office because you are disabled or have an incapacitated dependent.

If you lost or need to replace your dependent ID card, use the RAPIDS self-service ID office online. You will also need to complete Form DD 1172-2 again and submit this form to the ID office when you request a replacement card

Ensure the information on your DEERS profile is up to date and that you still have two forms of identification prepared. Your current Uniformed Services ID Card will count as one of your two forms of identification.

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