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DoD Response to Coronavirus/COVID-19 – DoD ID Cards and Benefits
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The Department is committed to the safety of our personnel and beneficiaries, including retirees and
other high-risk populations. This includes ensuring continued access to healthcare and other benefits
during this time of increasing precaution and restrictions in response to coronavirus/COVID-19. The
following FAQs are provided to assist DoD ID card holders. These procedures will remain in place
until June 30, 2021 for Uniformed Services ID (USID) cardholders only.
List of Questions
QUESTION 1: My DoD ID card has expired or is expiring soon; what do I do? ......................... 1
QUESTION 2: I need to enroll a new family member; what do I do?.......................................... 2
QUESTION 3: I need to update my status; what do I do? ............................................................. 2
QUESTION 4: Is my local ID card issuing facility open? ............................................................. 2
QUESTION 5: My local ID card issuing facility is closed; what do I do? .................................... 3
QUESTION 6: I’m a civilian transferring from Army to Air Force; can I keep my CAC? .......... 3
QUESTION 1: My DoD ID card has expired or is expiring soon; what do I do?
Answer: Through June 30, 2021, DoD will temporarily allow USID cardholders to use an
expired DoD ID card to access bases and benefits.
Uniformed Services ID Cards
USID cards that expire on/after January 1, 2020 may continue to be used to access military bases
and benefits. In order to use the expired USID card, the cardholder must have a current
affiliation with DoD and must be eligible for benefits. For example:
An ID card issued to a spouse typically expires every four years; however, as long as the
spouse remains married to the Service member, the spouse continues to have a current
affiliation and is eligible for benefits.
o As a result, a spouse MAY use the expired DoD ID card to access benefits.
An ID card issued to a child of a Service member expires when the child turns 21 years
old. Unless attending school as a full-time student, approved as an incapacitated
dependent, or enrolled in TRICARE Young Adult, the child’s affiliation ends when the
ID card expires and is not eligible for continued benefits.
o As a result, a child who has turned 21 and is not eligible for continued benefits
MAY NOT use the expired DoD ID card to access benefits.
NOTE: A child under age 21, or who is eligible for continued benefits, MAY use the
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expired DoD ID card to access benefits.
USID cards are issued to retirees, family members, and other eligible individuals. If you have
questions about whether you have, or are eligible for, a USID card, visit the following website:
https://www.cac.mil/Next-Generation-Uniformed-Services-ID-Card/.
If you have questions about the status of your benefits, please use DoD’s online self-service
resources before contacting DoD and Uniformed Service help desks by telephone. You can login
to milConnect, https://milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect, using the DoD Common Access
Card or DS Logon account. TRICARE coverage is found within the “Medical, Dental and
Pharmacy” drop-down under “the Benefits” tab.
Common Access Cards
Individuals with an expired, or soon-to-expire, CAC will need to visit their local RAPIDS site
for card reissuance. If unable to visit a local RAPIDS site, you may contact your Service Project
Office which is identified in DEERS Enrollment and USID Card Issuance During COVID-19.
Please visit ID Card Office Online at https://idco.dmdc.osd.mil/idco to find your nearest ID card
issuing facility and schedule an appointment.
QUESTION 2: I need to enroll a new family member; what do I do?
Answer: Through June 30, 2021, DoD will temporarily allow new family members to be
enrolled by mail or fax. Family members over age 14 will also be eligible for DoD ID card
issuance by mail. All ID cards will be issued for up to 1 year, and original documents must be
provided to a DoD ID card issuance facility before the card expires in order for the cardholder to
remain eligible for benefits.
View our detailed guide at CAC.MIL.
QUESTION 3: I need to update my status; what do I do?
Answer: Through June 30, 2021, DoD will temporarily allow updates by mail or fax. This
includes updates such as enrolling a child turning age 21 as either a full-time student or an
incapacitated dependent.
Updates to personnel segments, such as the status of a Service member, civilian, or contractor,
will continue to be provided by the authoritative systems, like MilPDS, DCPDS, and TASS.
View our detailed guide at CAC.MIL.
QUESTION 4: Is my local ID card issuing facility open?
Answer: You can find your nearest ID card issuing facility and schedule appointments at
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https://idco.dmdc.osd.mil/idco. Some sites are only allowing appointments and increasing the
time between customers to support social distancing measures. DoD ID card issuing facilities
are keeping their hours and availability up to date on this resource, as well as local phone lines
and websites.
QUESTION 5: My local ID card issuing facility is closed; what do I do?
Answer:
Common Access Cards
Transactions related to the CAC must be performed in person, including PIN resets and
renewal/reissuance. Please visit ID Card Office Online at https://idco.dmdc.osd.mil/idco to find
your nearest ID card issuing facility and schedule an appointment.
Uniformed Services ID Cards
Please see questions 1-3 about alternatives to visiting a DoD ID card issuing facility in person.
If you have a question not addressed by these FAQs, please contact us at
QUESTION 6: I’m a civilian transferring from Army to Air Force; can I keep my
CAC?
Answer: Yes! DoD policy allows DoD civilians who are transferring between DoD
Components (e.g., from Army to Air Force; from OSD to Navy) to retain their CAC through
its expiration date.
References:
https://www.cac.mil/Portals/53/Documents/DODM-1000.13_vol1.pdf
DoD Memorandum, "Common Access Card Retention for Department of Defense Civilian
Personnel Transferring Between Department of Defense Components"
