DOD Army ID Card Photo

Military ID Photo Guidelines

The Army ID cards are for active-duty, armed forces, national guards, reserves, DOD civil servants and select contractor workforce. They provide access to many services and benefits such as legal assistance, education benefits, commissaries, Tricare, use of morale and welfare activities, exchanges and even discounts at many restaurants and stores. 

In this guide, you meet the types of military ID cards, how to take a photo to your army ID card, you will meet the requirements regarding DOD and you will find out how to get one!

Military ID photo specifications

Each document, especially one which can be alternate for a national ID card, needs to have a photograph to help authorities be able to recognize the identity of its holder military ID card, if necessary.

Army ID photo size

The military ID card requires you to submit one photograph in a passport or driving licence size 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm) and not bigger than 3MB.

Other specifications regarding Military ID card photos:

• The background of the photo should be white or light-coloured and uniform.
• Facial expressions should be neutral with the mouth closed, try not to smile 
• The person's face should not be obscured, evenly lit and fully visible. 
• The face should face the lens, eyes must be open and visible. 
• You shouldn’t upload a photo taken later than 6 months before the date of submitting the application for an identity document.
• The photo must be high-quality printed on a photo paper, not on a home printer.
• The head (from the chest to the forehead) should be straight and not covered by any hats, hairs, etc.
• Head covering (e.g. a headscarf) can be worn only for religious or medical reasons but the facial features from the jaw to the forehead and from one ear joint to the face must be visible.
• Glasses are allowed, however, it is better to take them off because they can reflect the light; don’t wear sunglasses or glasses with very thick frames.
• If you have a beard, make sure that you do not grow it just before the photo but it is your actual look.

Types of military ID cards

There are plenty of types of DOD ID cards. However, The Department of Defense issues three main types of ID cards:

• The Common Access Card (CAC) is the standard ID for active-duty service members, Department of Defense civilian employees, Selected Reserve members, and other contractors. The CAC facilitates physical entry to installations and buildings, documents your affiliation with the Department for use of military services, programs and benefits for which you may be eligible. It also enables logical access to systems and secured computer networks. 

• The Uniformed Services ID Card is for family members of the military, i.e. for military spouses and dependent children over 10, retirees and former service members, members of the inactive National Guard and Individual Ready Reserves. Its holder can use some military services and programs. Others eligible for military benefits are because of their affiliation with the Defense Department, like 100% disabled veterans, eligible foreign military, former spouses who have not remarried, Transitional Health Care recipients, and other eligible populations as described in DOD policy. 

• The Department of Defense Civilian Retiree Card is for retired civilians from any Department of Defense agency.

The types above are the main and the most popular ones, we recommend visiting the Department of Defense’s official army ID cards website for more information about the eligibility, card types, renewal and some other services.

Military ID Card Photo Tool

As everything in the army has to be sorted, your photo to your military ID card should be sorted too!

We know that photos for documents might cause a lot of trouble. To make the process of applying for an army ID card easier, you can take a photo for your ID online! Find help on the Passport Photo Online site which measures the size, removes the background and works like a photo editor which automatically meets the official government requirements. 

If you need a photo to your military ID card and you decided to try taking photos at home, you should try our photo booth app or website which will perfectly edit any photo to the document you want. Get sorted it now!

How to renew, change or replace your army ID card?

To renew, change or replace your ID card, your profile in DEERS will need to be up to date. 

You can check or change your DEERS information online.

If your card expires in the next 90 days or maybe you leave your duty soon, you need to have your ID reissued. To renew or change your ID you have to do it in the way you got it but with some small changes depending on the reason why you need to get a new military ID card:

• If you lost your ID you can apply for a new one at a RAPIDS site or through the ID Card Office Online. That the ID card is missing should be reported by Service members CACs to their chain of command.

• To renew or replace your military ID card, you can apply to the Department of Defense online using the ID Card Office Online.

You can go to the MilConnect website to change your status. There should be a pre-arrival checklist to learn more about renewing your military ID.

Photocopying military ID cards

Once you manage to get your military ID card, it is important to keep it safe. Make sure you have it in your wallet, badge holder or safely in the pocket of your backpack.

Popular is photocopying and you might be aware of this if someone asks you to photocopy your military ID card, this is a violation of Title 18, US Code Part I, Chapter 33, Section 701.

Even while being on holiday and trying to rent something or book a hotel, don’t let anyone photocopy your card!

Often, both military personnel and commercial establishments are unaware of this law while verifying the military identity for government rates, discounts or deals on services, lodging or products.

Last update: 1/22/23