Editor’s Note: This article is part of MOAA’s 2024-25 TRICARE Guide, brought to you by MOAA Insurance Plans, administered by Association Member Benefits Advisors (AMBA). A version of the guide appeared in the November 2024 issue of Military Officer magazine. 

An up-to-date DoD ID card is critically important for active duty family members and retirees and their dependents and survivors to access TRICARE and other earned military benefits.

Two important references military families should bookmark on their internet-capable devices are:

• DoD ID Card Reference Center at cac.mil.
• ID Card Office Online (commonly called the RAPIDS Locator) at https://idco.dmdc.osd.mil/idco.

The ID Card Reference Center provides information on ID card life cycles, news and updates, and other resources. USID cards may be renewed within 90 days of expiration, although some high-traffic offices will not renew cards unless they are within 30 days of expiration.

The RAPIDS locator facilitates the update or management of ID card information and helps to locate ID offices and schedule appointments online for card renewal.

[RELATED: Have a DoD ID With Indefinite Expiration? It May Be Time for a Replacement]

Visit this link to find and schedule an ID appointment using RAPIDS (Real-Time Automated Personnel Identification System). Under “Search for Site by Address,” enter your city, state, ZIP code, and country and a distance you’re willing to travel for an appointment (default is 10 miles). Then select “search” for your results, which will be produced on a map and listed in order of vicinity to the location entered.

“Select” each facility to note office address, phone number, office, and walk-in hours of operation (if available). Always check “More Site Info” for any site-specific details.

Select “Schedule an Appointment” to check availability in current and future months. Select your day and time slot to book your appointment, after entering required personal information.

RAPIDS offers a pilot program, “online USID Card Renewal,” under the Family ID Cards block on its homepage. A sponsor must have a DS Logon (DS stands for “DoD Self-Service”) or a CAC (Common Access Card) to access this program. Once logged in, you will only see this option if a USID card is eligible for the pilot. Under the pilot, sponsors can request card renewals online from anywhere.

Cards will be mailed to the cardholder via U.S. mail, with no in-person requirement for most renewals.

[MORE RESOURCES: MOAA.org/id-cards]

Additional Requirements

• You must be requesting a renewal of an active USID card.
• Sponsor and cardholder must have email addresses listed in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) that they have authorized DoD to use for contacting them.
• Sponsor’s personnel status must extend at least 30 days into the future.
• Cardholder has a photo saved in DEERS taken in the past 12 years.
• Cardholder’s mailing address is present in DEERS and is in the U.S. USID cards cannot be shipped to P.O. boxes.