Military retirees and dependents who hold traditional laminated paper military ID cards are not required to upgrade to new IDs until their current cards expire.
Time to Renew? DoD Retirees and Dependents Now Getting Redesigned ID Cards
The Next Generation USID military retiree card incorporates an updated design and security features to deter counterfeiting and fraud, and it is printed on a plastic cardstock. (Defense Department)
3 Mar 2021
Military retirees and family members renewing or getting their first military identification cards this year are nearly guaranteed to receive the Next Generation Uniform Services Identification, or USID, Card, the first update to Defense Department IDs for non-active duty beneficiaries in nearly 30 years.
According to Pentagon data, 97% of the DoD s ID renewal offices, known as Real-Time Automated Personnel Identification Card System, or RAPIDS, sites worldwide are issuing the new cards, which more closely resemble Common Access Cards used by troops and DoD civilians.