If you separated in 1994 you almost certainly do not have a military ID in your wallet, and we would rather that was not the reason you never called. Any of these is fine.
- Still servingYour CAC or military ID is all we need. Nothing else to dig out.
- The easiest one for veteransNorth Carolina puts a free VETERAN designation on driver licences and ID cards. If you already have it, you are done. If you do not, it is worth adding at your next renewal.
- VA or retiree IDA VA health identification card or a retiree ID works perfectly well.
- Nothing to hand?Call anyway. We would far rather have the conversation than have you talk yourself out of it over a card.
One thing worth saying out loud. A DD-214 does prove your service, and plenty of veterans carry a copy for exactly that reason. It also has your Social Security number printed on it. Show it if you like, but do not leave a copy with anybody, and that includes us. We do not need one, and a discharge document sitting in somebody's filing cabinet is an identity theft problem waiting to happen. The designation on your licence exists precisely so you never have to carry that document around.
Do not have the designation yet? North Carolina adds it free to a driver licence or ID card. You take a proof of honorable discharge, a DD-214 or equivalent, to a driver licence office. There is no charge for the designation itself, though the usual fee applies if you are ordering a duplicate rather than doing it at renewal. Worth ten minutes, and not just for us.
Designation details from the North Carolina DMV, services for military personnel.