New VA ID Cards Only Available For Some Veterans


Soyeon Kim
Military VA Loan contributor

If you’re one of the many Vets waiting to register for their new ID card, you might want to read this first.

Cards won’t be available to veterans with other-than-honorable discharges. There isn’t much confirmed about the cards, other than it will be available some time in November. It’s unsure how long it will take to process applications for them or what the final design will look like.

The card is a hard-copy photo ID eliminates the need to carry around documents with sensitive information. Currently, veterans have to carry a DD-214 form to show proof of service, but it causes a security concern.

The DD-214 form is an official document issued by the military used to redeem discounts and services. The form contains personal information like a social security number and birth date, which could pose an identity theft threat. Due to these concerns, the Department of Veteran Affairs is issuing a photo ID to all honorably discharged veterans.

To apply for the card, veterans must register with Vets.gov, to authenticate themselves through the ID.me system.