FYI
On July 20, 2015 the President signed H.R. 91, which authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to issue to any Veteran who presents a DD-214. The DVA will charge a fee for the card. H.R. 91 will take effect September 20. We will update this page with application instructions as soon as the DVA issues them.
Congress has approved the creation of a veterans' identification card, making it easier for veterans to prove military service without having to produce a military service record or some other valuable document.
The House had already passed the bill in June and sent it on to the Senate. The Senate also passed the legislation, but a minor clerical amendment required a second House vote, which it took late Tuesday afternoon.
"Today is a good day for our nation's veterans," said bill sponsor Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Florida. "This bill is a prime example of what we can accomplish when we put partisanship aside and the needs of the country first."
Both House votes and the Senate vote were unanimous. The bill now heads to the White House where President Obama is expected to sign it.
Buchanan currently serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, but previously served on the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
Currently, individuals needing to prove military status routinely have to provide a DD-214, a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, to prove their status, said Vietnam-era veteran Donald DiNunzio of Florida.
"I have been asked many times to prove that I am a vet but carrying around my DD-214 form is difficult and impractical," he said. "My DD-214 form is a large 8.5 x 11 carbon copy, delicate, old and quite brittle and thin. Having a permanent veteran ID card would be a much simpler way of proudly proving my veteran status."
A number of states, and even counties, will issue veterans ID cards. Among the states that do so are Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia and Michigan, which retailers and restaurants will accept when offering veterans' discounts, according to The American Legion.
The bill text references these kinds of benefits to veterans, but also notes its usefulness in proving veteran status "without having to carry and use official Department of Defense form DD–214 discharge papers."
Retired service members have long been issued IDs. The Veterans Affairs Department issues IDs to veterans who are enrolled in VA health care.
The veteran ID card had support from a number of veterans' organizations, including AMVETS, Vietnam Veterans of America and Concerned Veterans of America.
But the Veterans of Foreign Wars believes demand for the new card is unnecessary and will only burden an already backlogged VA bureaucracy, which is the agency designated to issue the cards.
VFW national spokesman Joe Davis said there will now be a new demand on the VA to process and issue the cards to millions of veterans who do not require or need VA care. That means time and manpower devoted to verifying honorable discharges.
"The states have the authority to indicate veteran [status] on driver's licenses and voter IDs," Davis said. "It would have been far simpler to have left the responsibility with them."
-- Bryant Jordan can be reached at [email protected]
Contact VA Representatives are available Monday-Friday, from 7AM–7PM CST excluding federal holidays online
or by phone at 1-877-222-8387. Select option 0 from the menu and you will be transferred to one of our Contact
Representatives. Thank you for contacting the Department of Veteran Affairs.
I called the VA rep today at this number and he had no clue about the id card program.
If it goes into effect Sept 22, my guess it will be a few month before they have the program up and running.
Also for all you NH residence ....
Veteran Indicator
Effective July 1, 2014, RSA 263:40 allows a Veteran with an Honorable Discharge to request to have a Veteran Indicator on their New Hampshire Driver License,
Commercial Driver License or Non-Driver ID card for the purposes of identification for receiving benefits and services under New Hampshire law.
To obtain a Veteran Indicator, please fill out the appropriate application (
or Commercial Driver License
), and bring it to any one of our DMV locations around the State, along with proof of Honorable Discharge, as defined in RSA 21:50.
If you wish to add this indicator during your renewal, there will be no additional cost; however, if you wish to add the indicator outside of your renewal period please be advised that there is a $3.00 fee for the replacement license or ID card.
For Mass residence:
All Massachusetts residents who are Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces and were honorably discharged can choose to have a Veteran’s Indicator on their Driver’s License, Learner’s Permit, Massachusetts ID card, or Liquor ID card. If they choose this, the word “Veteran” will be printed on the lower right corner of their license or ID card, or in the bottom center of their learner’s permit. There is no additional fee for the
Veteran’s Indicator, but all regular transaction fees will apply.
Not sure if its a good thing or not to indicate if you are a vet on a drivers license.... however this what is out there if you don't want to keep pulling out your DD-214 for discounts.
Actually I did some research and it seems all states have programs that will issue a vet indicator on their drivers license !
http://militarybenefits.info/veterans-id-on-drivers-license-id-card-by-state/
Enjoy
On July 20, 2015 the President signed H.R. 91, which authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to issue to any Veteran who presents a DD-214. The DVA will charge a fee for the card. H.R. 91 will take effect September 20. We will update this page with application instructions as soon as the DVA issues them.
Congress has approved the creation of a veterans' identification card, making it easier for veterans to prove military service without having to produce a military service record or some other valuable document.
The House had already passed the bill in June and sent it on to the Senate. The Senate also passed the legislation, but a minor clerical amendment required a second House vote, which it took late Tuesday afternoon.
"Today is a good day for our nation's veterans," said bill sponsor Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Florida. "This bill is a prime example of what we can accomplish when we put partisanship aside and the needs of the country first."
Both House votes and the Senate vote were unanimous. The bill now heads to the White House where President Obama is expected to sign it.
Buchanan currently serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, but previously served on the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
Currently, individuals needing to prove military status routinely have to provide a DD-214, a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, to prove their status, said Vietnam-era veteran Donald DiNunzio of Florida.
"I have been asked many times to prove that I am a vet but carrying around my DD-214 form is difficult and impractical," he said. "My DD-214 form is a large 8.5 x 11 carbon copy, delicate, old and quite brittle and thin. Having a permanent veteran ID card would be a much simpler way of proudly proving my veteran status."
A number of states, and even counties, will issue veterans ID cards. Among the states that do so are Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia and Michigan, which retailers and restaurants will accept when offering veterans' discounts, according to The American Legion.
The bill text references these kinds of benefits to veterans, but also notes its usefulness in proving veteran status "without having to carry and use official Department of Defense form DD–214 discharge papers."
Retired service members have long been issued IDs. The Veterans Affairs Department issues IDs to veterans who are enrolled in VA health care.
The veteran ID card had support from a number of veterans' organizations, including AMVETS, Vietnam Veterans of America and Concerned Veterans of America.
But the Veterans of Foreign Wars believes demand for the new card is unnecessary and will only burden an already backlogged VA bureaucracy, which is the agency designated to issue the cards.
VFW national spokesman Joe Davis said there will now be a new demand on the VA to process and issue the cards to millions of veterans who do not require or need VA care. That means time and manpower devoted to verifying honorable discharges.
"The states have the authority to indicate veteran [status] on driver's licenses and voter IDs," Davis said. "It would have been far simpler to have left the responsibility with them."
-- Bryant Jordan can be reached at [email protected]
Contact VA Representatives are available Monday-Friday, from 7AM–7PM CST excluding federal holidays online
or by phone at 1-877-222-8387. Select option 0 from the menu and you will be transferred to one of our Contact
Representatives. Thank you for contacting the Department of Veteran Affairs.
I called the VA rep today at this number and he had no clue about the id card program.
If it goes into effect Sept 22, my guess it will be a few month before they have the program up and running.
Also for all you NH residence ....
Veteran Indicator
Effective July 1, 2014, RSA 263:40 allows a Veteran with an Honorable Discharge to request to have a Veteran Indicator on their New Hampshire Driver License,
Commercial Driver License or Non-Driver ID card for the purposes of identification for receiving benefits and services under New Hampshire law.
To obtain a Veteran Indicator, please fill out the appropriate application (
If you wish to add this indicator during your renewal, there will be no additional cost; however, if you wish to add the indicator outside of your renewal period please be advised that there is a $3.00 fee for the replacement license or ID card.
For Mass residence:
All Massachusetts residents who are Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces and were honorably discharged can choose to have a Veteran’s Indicator on their Driver’s License, Learner’s Permit, Massachusetts ID card, or Liquor ID card. If they choose this, the word “Veteran” will be printed on the lower right corner of their license or ID card, or in the bottom center of their learner’s permit. There is no additional fee for the
Veteran’s Indicator, but all regular transaction fees will apply.
Not sure if its a good thing or not to indicate if you are a vet on a drivers license.... however this what is out there if you don't want to keep pulling out your DD-214 for discounts.
Actually I did some research and it seems all states have programs that will issue a vet indicator on their drivers license !
http://militarybenefits.info/veterans-id-on-drivers-license-id-card-by-state/
Enjoy
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EFINITION OF A MASSACHUSETTS VETERAN, M.G.L. C.4, SEC. 7,cl 43rd as amended by the Acts of 2004 – Effective August 30, 2004. To be a “veteran” under Massachusetts law a person is required to have either: 180 days of regular active duty service and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions Such member does not need to have any wartime service. – OR – 90 days of active duty service, one (1) day of which is during “wartime”, and a last discharge or release under honorable conditions. The one-day need not have actually been served in a war zone. For Guard Members to qualify they must have 180 days and have been activated under Title 10 of the U.S. Code – OR – Members who were activated under Title 10 or Title 32 of the U.S. Code or Massachusetts General Laws chapter 33, sections 38, 40 and 41 must have 90 days, at least one of which was during wartime. The Members’ last discharge or release must be under honorable conditions. Full time National Guard duty is only considered such when National Guard members are activated to regular service and does not include weekend drills or active duty for training Minimum Service Exception (for Death or Disability) It is not necessary that an applicant have completed the minimum service for wartime or peacetime campaign if he/she served some time in the campaign and was awarded the Purple Heart, or suffered a service-connected disability or died in the service under honorable conditions. Training Duty Exception – Active service in the armed forces as used in this clause shall not include active duty for training in the Army or Air National Guard or active duty for training as a Reservist in the Armed Forces of the United States.
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