The Department of Defense (DoD) recently announced they are removing Social Security Numbers from all DoD issued military ID cards in an attempt to make them more secure and help prevent identity theft. In my opinion, this move is long overdue, and was the subject of an article I wrote about how military members are prime targets for identity theft.
New guidelines regarding the issuing of DoD ID Cards.
The new process for issuing DoD identification cards will eventually phase out the requirement for printing SSN’s on DoD ID Cards, including ending the requirement to enter SSN information in the bar codes of CAC cards. This change will affect all DoD ID card holders, including active duty military members, members of the Guard and Reserve, family members, retirees, contractors, and anyone else who receives a DoD ID card. As part of the directive, SSNs should not be relied on as a unique ID number.
These changes are being made by the Department to protect the identity information of cardholders. Changes to ID cards will occur when the cardholders’ expired cards are renewed.
Three phase removal of SSNs from DoD ID cards
The removal of SSNs will occur in three phases, all of which will occur when DoD ID cards are renewed (do not go to the Pass and ID section at your base and request a new card solely to get your SSN removed, they will probably not do it).
- Phase One: Remove Dependent SSNs To begin by end of calendar year 2008
- Phase Two: Remove printed SSNs from all cards* To begin by end of calendar year 2009
- Phase Three: Remove SSNs embedded in barcodes To begin during calendar year 2012
Removal of SSNs from DoD Retiree cards
DoD issued retiree cards usually have an indefinite expiration date. The earliest you will be able to replace your DoD issued retiree card for one without your SSN will be January 2010, as the priority will be to get active duty military members cards replaced first.
Additional information:
DoD card renewal locations: Updated DoD identification cards without the owner SSN will be issued at over 1,500 RAPIDS ID card centers worldwide. Visit the RAPIDS Site Locator to find a DoD ID card renewal location near you.
Required items: Be sure to bring two forms of identification, including at least one state or federal photo ID.
For more information call you local Pass & ID center or the nearest RAPIDS Site.
Comments
This is a great change that the government is making especially for members of the military who are punished by a spouse losing ID cards with the sponsor’s social on it!
Hank: I think it’s an excellent program and should have been done twenty years ago. I think military members should get a unique military ID number, which could be used instead of using social security numbers on every form imaginable. When I was living in the dorms and eating in the chow hall, we were required to write our full SSN on a sheet of paper which was left out in the open. I still don’t know how my ID was never stolen.
Ryan: You’re right. The military should bring back serial numbers like our grandfathers had in WWII that have nothing to do with your finances.
The SSN has been a joke for over 30 years. Everybody wanted to get your SSN to control you and it ended up slapping everybody in the face. Some states like Virginia and Washington, D. C. required you to place your SSN on your drivers license until someone got smart and filed a class action suite reminding them that it was a privacy act. Now isn’t that funny? The trick is to maintain One world order and they are constantly trying to figure out how to proceed. Take another look at your bank statement and even though it has been changed from one bank to another, you have the same account number. I realized after about 8 years and the banks changing hands, that I had the same account number for over 20 years. Now isn’t that a kick in the head? You see the SSN is not the only set of numbers controling people.
I went to the bank ‘Golden1′ today and they refuse to take my military id because it doesn’t have my social security # on it. I don’t understand that because CA state license doesn’t even contain that kind of information so why so strict on the military id?
Samantha, I don’t believe businesses or financial institutions are required to take military ID cards as a form of identity. I’ve not had good luck with it in the past, with the exception of when I was on base or in a military community. Many people outside of military communities aren’t trained to recognize official military IDs like they are state IDs such as driver’s licenses or official state ID cards.
Thanks Ryan! You answered my question. =D
As a retired military person living in the boonies of PA there is no need for my military ID except when my family goes to get medical attention. The requirement for the ID card so my wife can verify my SSN for Tri-care is necessary. Is the Government going to send out notifications to medical providers about our new identification for health care and that our SSN is no longer availble? Are we going to get Social Security Cards with our pictures on it? I say a picture ID with thumb print is an idea. I have no problem with taking off SSN especially since I was stationed in Virginia where we had our SSN on our license until they took it off. Although that created some problems for awhile until people got used to it.
Hello, Thanks for the good info…But still I can not figure out how to secure a replacement retirement DOD Id card–not because of the SS#, but because
it is lost. I have spent hours on the WEB and nothing is clear.
The program RAPIDS can not the accessed from my computer for
some reason. Any advice? I am in Charlotte NC.
Cornelia, you need to contact the closest base for more information. They can help you get a replacement card.