Under the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018, veterans who are rated 100% permanent and total (P&T) by the VA are entitled to a Uniformed Services ID card (the same type of card issued through RAPIDS/DEERS) that grants access to base commissary, exchange, and MWR privileges. This is separate from the VA's own Veteran Health Identification Card and separate from a dependent ID card you may already hold as a military spouse.
The short answer is yes, your own eligibility needs to be established in DEERS as a 100% P&T disabled veteran before the ID card office can issue you a card in that category. If your DEERS record currently only shows you as a dependent spouse, the system will keep pulling up that profile because that is the only eligibility type linked to your record. You need a separate sponsor record created for you as the veteran, which reflects your own service history and your VA disability rating, not your spouse's sponsorship.
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
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Analyze my claim free →To get this corrected, you generally do not do it entirely online. Call or visit your nearest ID card office (search 'ID card office locator' or RAPIDS site locator to find one) and explain that you are a 100% P&T disabled veteran seeking your own Uniformed Services ID card under the 2018 law. Bring your DD214 showing your discharge characterization, and bring your official VA rating decision letter or VA disability compensation award letter that clearly states you are rated 100 percent and that the rating is permanent and total. Some offices will also want to verify your identity with a driver's license or passport. The office staff will need to establish your own DEERS record as a veteran, separate from the dependent record tied to your spouse, before they can print a card in your name.
Processing can vary by location since some ID card offices are more familiar with this category than others, so it can help to call ahead and confirm they handle 100% P&T veteran ID cards before you make the trip, and to ask specifically what documents that office wants to see. If the first representative seems unfamiliar with the benefit, politely ask to speak with a supervisor or site lead, since this is a relatively newer category compared to retiree or active duty dependent cards.
The concrete next step is to call your local ID card office ahead of time, confirm they process 100% P&T veteran ID cards, and bring your DD214 along with your VA rating decision letter showing the 100% permanent and total determination when you go in.
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