DOD issuing new Uniformed Services ID cards

The Defense Department is updating the Uniformed Services Identification cards used by military family members, dependents, retirees, forward-deployed civilians and other eligible card holders since 1993.

The current laminated paper card will be replaced with a durable plastic one carrying enhanced security features similar to those in the common access cards used by military members and DOD civilians, Michael Sorrento, director of the Defense Manpower Data Center, said in a DOD video.

“It’s essentially the CAC card without the chip,” Sorrento said. It will be easier to produce, better protect the personal information of the cardholder and make it easier for physical security personnel to authenticate people coming onto bases for the PX or accessing other military benefits, he said.

For example, users of the Next Generation Uniformed Services Identification may eventually be able to go online and order a card through a proper vetting process and have it directly distributed to them by mail, rather than sit in a Real-Time Automated Personnel Identification Card System (RAPIDS) office and wait for a card to be made.

Sorrento said the new card is a key step toward a future where ID are digital because the underlying technology lays the groundwork for expanded capabilities to cardholders.

While the Next-Gen USID card can be used at all locations where current USID cards are accepted, only about 20 RAPIDS offices are currently capable of issuing them. All RAPIDS sites worldwide likely will have the new equipment by the end of the year, Sorrento said.

The complete transition to the new ID card is targeted for January 2026, Sorrento said. In the meantime, the current cards will continue to work.