What Does A Va Service Connected Id Card Look Like

Table of Contents

Armed forces ID Carte Eligibility
How to Get a Replacement Military ID Menu or Dependent ID Card
Documents Needed to Obtain a Armed services ID Card

Master Identity Source Certificate List
Secondary Identity Source Certificate Listing

Information Establish on Military ID Cards
Veterans ID Menu Data
Veterans ID Cards – Two Types

Veterans ID Cards
Veteran Health Identification Cards

Other Ways to Testify Armed forces Service

Your DD 214 Will Show War machine Service

How You Can Get a Dissimilar ID Carte to Prove Military Service

A military ID carte or dependent ID is a valuable bill of fare that can unlock a variety of valuable benefits, such as health care through TRICARE, education benefits, and admission to base facilities, including the commissary, base exchange, MWR centers and other back up agencies.

Unfortunately, getting a military ID card isn't always as easy as waltzing onto your local military installation and requesting ane. But certain individuals are eligible to receive a military ID bill of fare or dependent ID card. We'll comprehend those details and more than in the article.

What almost a veteran ID card?

Cracking question. There are veteran ID cards that tin can too be used to unlock certain veterans benefits, gain base of operations access for certain activities and more.

In this article, we volition cover information almost some of the forms of armed services ID that are available, who is eligible to receive one and culling forms of identification to evidence armed services service if yous are a military veteran who is non eligible for a military ID carte.

Military ID Carte Eligibility

Note: In general, you lot must be in the DEERS system to receive a new military ID menu. This includes the servicemember (sponsor) and eligible dependents (who must exist entered into DEERS by the sponsor).

You are usually eligible to receive a military ID if you are currently serving in the war machine (active duty, Guard, Reserve, or Inactive Ready Reserve), or y'all are a armed forces retiree. Qualified dependents are eligible for dependent ID cards equally well.

Finally, sure veterans are eligible for a armed forces ID bill of fare if they are a Medal of Award recipient, take a 100% disability rating, or in sure other express circumstances.

Here are some general rules regarding military machine ID card eligibility. Bank check with your local issuing base personnel office for more specific information.

Active Duty ID card.

Yous must be on Active Duty military status and exist in the DEERS system.

Guard/Reserve military ID carte.

You must exist in the Guard or Reserves, which may include the Inactive Ready Reserves (IRR).

Retiree military machine ID carte.

You must qualify as a armed forces retiree, which generally means twenty years of active military service, or 20 years in the Guard or Reserves (though age limits may change eligibility requirements for Baby-sit/Reserve retirees). Medically retired servicemembers may likewise be eligible.
Gray Area retirees will receive a different military ID card until they reach age 60.

Former military / no longer serving, not retired.

Near erstwhile military members who did not retire are no longer eligible for a military ID card.
There are a few exceptions given to certain veterans who meet the post-obit qualifications: Medal of Honor recipients, 100% disabled veterans, former members in receipt of retired pay, Transitional Wellness Care Member (TAMP), and some others. They will receive DD Form 2765.

Military dependent ID card.

These may include, but are not limited to: Lawful spouse, united nations-remarried surviving spouse, unmarried children (including adopted or stepchildren) who are: under 21 years of historic period, over 21 but incapable of self-back up (documentation is required), over 21 but under 23 who are attending an approved learning establishment as a full-time student (documentation is required).
There are additional eligibility rules for former spouses, dependent parents/in-laws, and certain other cases. Contact your card issuing service for additional information.

Veterans ID card.

See section below for nearly upward to date information.

More than types of Uniformed Services ID Cards.

How to Get a Replacement Military ID Bill of fare or Dependent ID Carte du jour

For more than information about where to go, contact your local base personnel office, or visit the Rapids Site Locator (RSL) for ID card requirements and to locate the nearest ID Card Facility/RAPIDS Station based on city, zip, land or country. Here is a RAPIDS Appointment Scheduler user guide to help navigate the site and ready your ID card engagement.

Documents Needed to Obtain a Military ID Card

Applicants are required to provide at to the lowest degree ii original forms of identification from the lists below. The ID must exist current and not expired. At to the lowest degree one of the forms of ID must exist from the main identity source document list. You tin use one form of ID from the Secondary Identity Source Document List. The member must have proof of proper noun alter if their name has inverse.

These lists use to military ID cards, retiree ID cards, and dependent ID cards.

Primary Identity Source Certificate List

US passport or US passport card
US drivers license or state-issued ID card, with photo
US military ID card
US armed services dependent'southward card
Permanent Resident Card or Alien Registration Receipt Carte (Course (I-551)
Foreign passport
Employment authorization certificate, with photo
Personal identity verification (PIV) card

Secondary Identity Source Certificate List

The secondary identity source document may be a form of ID from the list to a higher place, provided it is not the same type. For example, yous cannot use two unlike passports from two different countries as your grade of ID.

U.S. social security card
Birth document with official seal – Must be an original or certified copy issued past a state, canton, municipal authority, possession or outlying possession of the United States
ID carte issued by a federal, country or local government agency or entity; must have photograph
Voter'south registration card
U.Due south. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Card
Certificate of U.S. citizenship (Form North-560 or N-561)
Certificate of naturalization (Course Due north-550 or N-570)
U.Southward. denizen IF carte (Form I-197)
Identification card for use of resident citizen in the United States (Form I-179)
Certification of birth away or certification of report of birth issued by the Department of State (Form FS-545 or Course DS-1350)
Temporary resident carte du jour (Form I-688)
Employment say-so card (Form I-688A)
Reentry permit (Form I-327)
Refugee travel document (Form I-571)
Employment authorization document issued past the Section of Homeland Security (DHS)
Employment authorization document issued by DHS, with photograph (Form I-688B)
Foreign ID with photograph
Commuter's license issued past a Canadian government entity
Native American tribunal document

Information Constitute on Armed services ID Cards

Military ID cards include the member's proper name, amalgamation (uniformed services), bureau/section (branch of service), expiration engagement, rank, date of birth, DoD ID number, benefits number, and additional information found in the bar code, scrap, and/or magnetic strip.

The DoD phased out the use of social security numbers on armed services ID cards and retiree ID cards starting in 2009. The DoD ID number is at present the principal identifier.

Veterans ID Carte du jour Data

Ane of the well-nigh common questions we receive comes from veterans who are looking to go a veteran ID carte du jour that proves their military service.

In that location are many reasons why proof of military service can come in handy – including securing veterans benefits, proof of service for military discounts, or for personal records.

Thankfully, the VA offers two types of veterans ID cards, one for members with a service-connected inability rating, and a general veterans ID menu for those who exercise not accept a inability rating. The U.Due south. government created the Veterans Identification Card Act 2015 which authorizes the VA to outcome veteran ID cards to all veterans with an honorable discharge. The VA began issuing these cards in Nov 2017.

Veterans ID Cards – Ii Types

At that place are two types of veteran ID cards issued by the VA. The veteran ID card (VIC) and the ID menu are used for health intendance services.

Veterans ID Cards

The VA began issuing official DoD-issued war machine veteran ID cards to veterans with an honorable discharge starting Nov 2017.

Please notation these veteran ID cards are not military ID cards. They simply show you served honorably in the U.Southward. Military, and will non role to provide military benefits, base of operations access, or other veterans' benefits. If you served in the military and have since separated from, but didn't retire from the military, you lot may not exist eligible for a military ID card.

Veterans must have an honorable discharge to exist eligible for this new Veterans ID card. Learn more than about how to upgrade your war machine belch characterization.

Veteran Health Identification Cards

The VA besides problems veteran health identification cards for veterans who are in the VA medical system.

Many veterans believe they demand to be receiving service-connected disability benefits in guild to be eligible for VA health care benefits. This is not the case. All veterans are potentially eligible, based on unlike criteria, including when and where they served, whether or not they have a service-connected health condition, if they were discharged for medical reasons, served in a war zone, recently returned from an overseas deployment, or other conditions. Each situation is unique and each veteran should contact the VA to determine their eligibility status.

Update: Beginning on January i, 2020, veterans with a VA Health Identification Card are eligible to access military installations to apply the Base Exchange, Commissary, and certain MWR activities.

Other Means to Prove Military Service

A military ID card is an official way to prove your military affiliation. But some people adopt not to pull their ID carte du jour out in public. And of form, many veterans wish to show proof of service but are no longer eligible for a military ID Card. In those cases, you lot need a different way to prove your military service.

Your DD 214 Will Testify Military Service

The easiest way to prove your armed forces service without one of the above ID cards is with a DD Form 214, which is the document that serves every bit your service record. This is issued to all military members when they separate from military service (the military used to issue a wallet-sized DD Grade 214, but so far as I know, this is no longer the case).

Unfortunately, carrying around a letter of the alphabet-size document is inconvenient. One tip nosotros have received from many veterans is to have your DD Form 214 to an office supply store such as Office Depot, Office Max, Fed-Ex/Kinkos, etc., and ask them to shrink the menu to a wallet-size version and have it laminated. This will requite you a wallet-sized document that will bear witness your service.

Notation: Your DD Form 214 is one of the most important documents you will receive, so continue good care of it! Here are more details on the DD Form 214, including how to get a new DD 214.

If you do not have admission to the above veterans ID card options, you may all the same be able to bear witness your war machine service in other means.

How You Can Get a Different ID Card to Prove Military Service

Unfortunately, a DD Grade 214 isn't a photo ID, it is only a certificate. Thankfully in that location are many other ways to prove your war machine service.

If you are looking for a photo ID or other wallet-sized ID to show your military service, then these may be proficient options for yous:

Land Commuter'due south License or ID Card.

Many states now include a veteran endorsement on their state-issued driver'southward licenses or ID cards. If this is the case, you should be able to get an ID bill of fare through your land. Phone call your state Section of Motor Vehicles or licensing co-operative for more than information. Yous will probable need to bring your DD Form 214 to prove your military machine service.

Land or County Veterans ID Carte program.

Some counties or other communities issue veteran ID cards. These aren't "official U.s. or state authorities IDs," but they may be valuable in the local community, as many restaurants and retailers will extend discounts as a "thanks for your service." These cards may also be good for local or county benefits programs, but these vary past locale.

Veterans Service Organization Membership Card.

Many veterans service organizations such as the DAV, VFW, American Legion, and other organizations accept membership cards. Check with your local military machine organization for eligibility requirements.

Practice y'all know of any other forms of ID that can be used to prove military service? If and so, please contact usa. We will add it to the list.

VA ID Card photo source: WikiMedia Commons

Ryan Guina is The Armed forces Wallet'south founder. He is a writer, minor business possessor, and entrepreneur. He served over six years on agile duty in the USAF and is a current member of the Illinois Air National Guard.

Ryan started The Military Wallet in 2007 afterwards separating from active duty armed services service and has been writing about financial, small concern, and armed services benefits topics since and then. He also writes nigh personal finance and investing at Cash Money Life.

Ryan uses Personal Capital to rail and manage his finances. Personal Capital is a complimentary software plan that allows him to runway his net worth, balance his investment portfolio, rails his income and expenses, and much more. You can open a complimentary Personal Capital account here.

Featured In: Ryan'south writing has been featured in the following publications: Forbes, War machine.com, Us News & World Report, Yahoo Finance, Reserve & National Guard Mag (print and online editions), War machine Influencer Mag, Cash Money Life, The Military machine Guide, USAA, Get Banking Rates, and many other publications.