New ID cards necessary for U.S. military retirees, dependents

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A graphic shows examples of four old military ID cards, designated by branch, stacked up on the left column. They will become obsolete with the start of 2026. They will be replaced by the new USID card, shown in a solitary example to the right.
The Department of Defense is making the switch from the old ID cards (on the left) to a new format for a USID card (on the right.) -- U.S. Air Force graphic by Tech. Sgt. Lucas M. Weber

All U.S. military retirees, veterans, spouses and dependents will want to make note of a wide-sweeping change that will impact them in the next few months.

The Department of Defense (DoD) has announced that those individuals will need to replace their older, laminated paper ID cards with new, more secure Next Generation Uniformed Services Identification (USID) cards before the end of this year, said Kerr County Veterans Service Officer Jenna Sanchez

“This transition is happening, because the older cards will no longer be accepted for access to benefits, privileges or military bases, starting Jan. .1, 2026,” Sanchez said.

The new military ID cards will prove the individual’s identity and confirm his/her connection to the Department of Defense, giving access to certain military services and programs.

“Again, the deadline to get your cards replaced is before the start of 2026 – just a few short months from now. So, the sooner you address this and get your replacement card, the better off you’ll be. Taking card of this now will make sure you don’t suffer any adverse consequences or interruption of services,” she added.

To get the new, updated identification card, individuals are required to have two original documents in their record. They are asked to bring those documents with them to the ID card renewal site. If the documents are not in the person’s record, they cannot use their current CAC as a required identity document. To see a list of acceptable documents as well as detailed information related to the USID cards and the Common Access Cards (CAC – for active duty military personnel) visit www.cac.mil/.

To schedule an appointment with the nearest site to replace an ID card, visit https://idco.dmdc.osd.mil/idco/locator. The nearest site to Kerr County is in San Antonio.