Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Last Updated: Monday, September 10, 2012


 
Identification Cards
Frequently Asked Questions

Attention Non-Army Personnel:
Please see bottom of FAQs for areas that cannot be cross-serviced.
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What regulation covers ID cards?
    ° Army - AR 600-8-14 (Adobe PDF format - see Section 508, bottom of the page)
Identification Cards for Members of the Uniformed Service, their Eligible Family Members, and other Eligible Personnel

• What does DEERS stand for?
    ° Defense Enrollment and Eligibility Reporting System
• What are the operating hours for the ID Card Section?
    ° Monday thru Friday
      0730 Hrs. – 1615 Hrs.
• Does my sponsor have to be with me to get an ID card?
    ° Yes, with the following exceptions:
        - If the sponsor signs DD Form 1172 (Application for Uniformed Services           Identification Card/DEERS Enrollment) in front of a Verifying Official, the family           member may bring this form unaccompanied by the sponsor.
        - If the sponsor signs DD Form 1172 (Application for Uniformed Services           Identification Card/DEERS Enrollment) and has it notarized, the family member           may bring this form unaccompanied by the sponsor.
        - The family member may sign the DD Form 1172 (Application for Uniformed           Services Identification Card/DEERS Enrollment) using a general power of attorney           (P.O.A.).
        - If none of the above, a 90 day temporary card may be issued
• What documentation is needed to add, remove or make changes to DEERS?
    ° The sponsor will always need original or true certified supporting documentation to        make any changes, (i.e. Birth, Death, Marriage Certificate, Social Security        Cards, Divorce, Adoption, and Custody Decrees)
• Once the DD Form 1172 (Application for Uniformed Services Identification   Card/DEERS   Enrollment) is signed, how long is it good for?
    ° Up to 90 days.
Can an ID card be issued by mail?
    ° Yes. A person needing an ID card and who is unable to travel (incapacitated) to        the nearest ID card facility or lives 50 or more miles from an ID Card Center        may request this either by mail or phone. Upon request, instructions and a DD        Form 1172 (Application for Uniformed Services Identification Card/DEERS        Enrollment) will be mailed by the ID Card Center. The sponsor will then return        the signed and notarized DD Form 1172 (Application for Uniformed Services        Identification Card/DEERS Enrollment) along with a notarized photograph of        the card recipient.

Mailing Address for the Fort Belvoir ID Card Center:

      
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, US ARMY GARRISON
DIRECTORATE OF HUMAN RESOURCES, ID CARDS/DEERS
5815 20TH STREET, SUITE 108
FORT BELVOIR, VIRGINIA 22060-5920

 

• What is the earliest an ID card can be renewed before expiring?
    ° 30 days for Common Access Card (CAC)
    ° 90 days for dependents, with the following exceptions:
        - card is damaged
        - promotion of sponsor
        - significant change in appearance
• If the sponsor is deployed, how can a family member receive an ID card?
    ° The dependent should bring documentation stating deployment, and legal        documentation if someone needs to added to sponsor's record in DEERS.
• Are the hours of lunchtime (1130 - 1300) a good time to get an ID card?
    ° No. While the ID Card Section does not close for lunch, the office is minimally       staffed. This can create delays.
• What is the minimum age a dependent can receive an ID card?
    ° Age 10, with the following exceptions:
        - dependent dual active service members
        - sponsor is a single parent
        - dependent is not residing in sponsor's household

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• How long may a dependent keep an ID card?
    ° Up to age 21. At age 21 if the dependent is enrolled FULL TIME in an accredited       institution of higher learning, that dependent may have an ID card until the date of       graduation or their 23rd birthday, whichever occurs first. EXCEPTION: If the       dependent is incapacitated, a child dependency packet needs to be completed. This       packet can be obtained from our office and then forwarded to DFAS.
• What is needed to establish a dependent as a full-time student in DEERS?
    ° A letter from the school's registrar's office stating the dependents full-time status and       anticipated graduation date.
• Can a retiring sponsor on terminal leave be issued a retirement ID card before   the retirement date?
    ° Yes, up to 90 days prior. Although the system allows for this, it is not recommended        due to the possibility of a gap in TRICARE coverage when  entering a date before        the actual retirement date.
• Can a parent, step-parent, or parent-in-law be added as a dependent to DEERS?
    ° Yes. There are forms available at the ID Card Center that must be filled out and sent        to DFAS for approval. Once approved the service member should bring the forms        and the newly established dependent to the ID card center to be entered into        DEERS and to receive an ID card.
• How is a spouse added to DEERS?
    ° The sponsor will bring in the marriage certificate, birth  certificate, social security        card and picture ID (i.e. Drivers License, State ID, etc.).
• How are children added to DEERS?
    ° It is dependent on the following:
          - A female sponsor needs only bring the child's birth certificate and Social                   Security card.
          - An unmarried male sponsor must have the child's birth certificate, Social                   Security card, and judicial determination (i.e. court-ordered child support or             divorce  decree naming children as his own). If no judicial determination has been             made forms are available at an  ID Card Center that must be sent to DFAS for             approval.
          - If a male sponsor is married and his wife is already on DEERS, he need                   only bring the child's birth certificate and Social Security Card.
• Can step-children be added to DEERS?
    ° Yes, as long as they reside with that service member and are not already the       dependents of  another service member (unless the sponsor's spouse has physical       custody, in which case such document must also be presented.
• Can a ward of a service member be added to DEERS?
    ° Yes. The service member must bring the court document(s), the birth certificate(s) of        the dependent(s), the Social Security card(s), and picture ID(s), if applicable.        The ward(s) must reside with the sponsor and be dependent on the sponsor for over        half of their support.
• Can an Unremarried Former Spouse (URFS) of a sponsor keep their ID card and    benefits?
    ° Yes, when the following conditions are met:
          - The sponsor performed at least 20 years of service
          - The spouse was married to the sponsor at least 20 years
          - The 20 years of marriage were during the 20 years of the sponsor's service. All              the above being met, the URFS is entitled to full benefits so long as they do not              remarry.
            - OR -
          - The sponsor performed at least 20 years of service
          - The spouse was married to the sponsor at least 20 years
          - The 20 years of marriage were during at least 15 years of the sponsor's             service All the above being met, the URFS is only entitled to medical             coverage for 1 year
• What is required for a Disabled American Veteran (DAV) to receive an ID card?
    ° To receive a DAV ID card, the person must bring:
          - The letter from the Office of Veteran Affairs (VA) stating that they are 100%             disabled and has entitlements to the Commissary and Post Exchange.
          - The Service Members DD214 (Honorable Discharge from Active Duty)
          - Picture ID and supporting documentation for any and all family members to be             added.
            NOTE: A Disabled American Veterans ID card entitles them to Commissary and             Post Exchange privileges only. Medical is handled by VA.


• **What cannot be cross serviced by this ID Card Center?

     1. Initial verification for unremarried or unmarried former spouses.
     2. Incapacitated children.
     3. Other individuals who require a dependency determination (over 50 percent         support) (i.e. wards, parents, parents-in-law.)
     
4. Retirees from other services and former members not currently enrolled in          DEERS.
     5. Illegitimate child of a male sponsor, when paternity has not been judicially         determined.
     6. Illegitimate child of sponsor's spouse, when the sponsor is a member of  another          Service.
     7. Navy and Marine Corps dependents residing in the Philippines.
     8. Abused dependents.

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