Veterans ID Card
What is a Veteran ID Card?
What information is included in a Veteran ID Card?
The VIC will include:
- A picture of the veteran,
- Name of the veteran, and
- An Identification number.
The VIC will NOT include:
- Any personal identifying information,
- Date of birth, and
- Social Security Number.
Who is eligible for a Veteran ID Card?
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Eligibility for a VIC includes:
- Having served on active duty, in the Reserves, or in the National Guard, and
- Having received an honorable or general discharge (under honorable conditions). [link to discharge page]
How do I apply for a Veteran ID Card?
To apply for a VIC a veteran first needs to create or sign-in to their military account through the department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
To create an account, the following are required:
- A Social Security number,
- A digital copy of their DD214, DD256, DD257 or NGB22,
- A digital copy a current and valid government-issued ID such as a driver’s license, passport, or a state identification card, and
- A digital passport photo.
Are service members who are non-citizens eligible for a Veterans ID Card?
Service members who are in the military but are not U.S. citizens, might not be able to qualify for a VIC since a Social Security number is required.
Instead of a VIC, these service members may be eligible to a Common Access Card (CAC) through the Department of Defense. Service members who might not have a Social Security number should be eligible for a CAC.
What should I expect after applying?
After submitting a VIC application, the VA will verify:
- The veteran’s discharge status,
- The ID submitted (driver's license or passport) is valid, and
- The submitted passport photo meets all photo requirements.
What can I NOT use a Veterans ID Card for?
Service members may not use their VIC to:
- Prove eligibility for any federal benefits,
- Access military bases or installations,
- Access military commissaries or exchanges,
- Present as a form of identification at the airport,
- Check into a VA hospital,
- Show as proof of retirement from Armed Forces, or
- Show as proof of wartime service to get a special license plate from the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Are there other forms of ID instead of a Veterans ID Card to receive discounts from businesses?
Veterans may use the following IDs instead of a VIC to receive discounts:
- Veteran’s Health Identification Card (VHIC),
- Department of Defense (DoD) Identification Card (either a common Access Card (CAC) or Next Generation Uniformed Services ID Card), or
- State-issued driver’s license or ID with a Veteran’s designation.
Service members who already have one of these cards no longer need to apply for a VIC, but they may still if they want to.
Can I get Veteran Designation on my Arizona driver’s license?
A Veteran designation on an Arizona driver’s license or identification card is available to U.S. military veterans or active-duty service members. If approved, the word “VETERAN” will be printed on the front of the service member's license.
To apply for a Veteran designation, the initial application should be submitted to any MVD office with one of the following documents to prove status.
- Active-duty military identification card;
- American Legion card;
- Certificate of Honorable Discharge;
- Disabled American Veteran card;
- Form DD214, 215, 2 (Retired), 2 (Reserve), or DD217 (originals or copies);
- Inactive duty card;
- Military Officers of America card,
- Military Order of the Purple Heart;
- Statement of Honorable Service from the Department of Veteran Affairs or Arizona Department of Veteran’s Services;
- Veterans Administration Medical card;
- Veterans of Foreign Wars card; or
- Vietnam Veterans of America card.
Once the Veteran designation is approved and a new card is issued, replacements may be ordered online at AZMVDNOW.org and it should have the VETERAN designation.