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Common Access Card
The common access card, also commonly referred to as the CAC, is the standard identification for active duty United States defense personnel. The card itself is a smart card about the size of a credit card. Defense personnel that use the CAC include the Selected Reserve and National Guard, United States Department of Defense (DoD) civilian employees, United States Coast Guard (USCG) civilian employees and eligible DoD and USCG contractor personnel. It is also the principal card used to enable physical access to buildings and controlled spaces, and it provides access to defense computer networks and systems. It also serves as an identification card under the Geneva Conventions (especially the Third Geneva Convention). In combination with a personal identification number, a CAC satisfies the requirement for two-factor authentication: something the user knows combined with something the user has. The CAC also satisfies the requirements for digital signature and data encryption technologies: authentication, integrity and non-repudiation.
The CAC is a controlled item. As of 2026, DoD has a new card named the Uniformed Services Identification (USID) card. DoD has deployed an issuance infrastructure at over 1,000 sites in more than 25 countries around the world and rolled out more than one million card readers and associated middleware as of July 2002.
The CAC is issued to active United States Armed Forces (Regular, Reserves and National Guard) in the Department of Defense and the U.S. Coast Guard; DoD civilians; USCG civilians; non-DoD/other government employees and State Employees of the National Guard; and eligible DoD and USCG contractors who need access to DoD or USCG facilities and/or DoD computer network systems:
Future plans include the ability to store additional information through the incorporation of RFID chips or other contactless technology to allow seamless access to DoD facilities.
The program that is currently used to issue CAC IDs is called the Real-Time Automated Personnel Identification System (RAPIDS). RAPIDS interfaces with the Joint Personnel Adjudication System (JPAS), and uses this system to verify that the candidate has passed a background investigation and FBI fingerprint check. Applying for a CAC requires DoD form 1172-2 to be filled out and then filed with RAPIDS.
The system is secure and monitored by the DoD at all times. Different RAPIDS sites have been set up throughout military installations in and out of combat theater to issue new cards.
On the front of the card, the background shows the phrase "U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE" repeated across the card. A color photo of the cardholder is placed on the top left corner. Below the photo is the name of the cardholder. The top right corner displays the expiration date. Other information on the front includes (if applicable) the holders's: pay grade, rank, and federal identifier. A PDF417 stacked barcode is displayed on the bottom left corner. An integrated circuit chip (ICC) is placed near the bottom-middle of the front of the card.
There are three color code schemes used on the front of the CAC. A blue bar across the holder’s name shows that the cardholder is a non-U.S. citizen. A green bar shows that the cardholder is a contractor. Absence of a bar indicates all other personnel—including military personnel and civil workers, among others.
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Common Access Card
The common access card, also commonly referred to as the CAC, is the standard identification for active duty United States defense personnel. The card itself is a smart card about the size of a credit card. Defense personnel that use the CAC include the Selected Reserve and National Guard, United States Department of Defense (DoD) civilian employees, United States Coast Guard (USCG) civilian employees and eligible DoD and USCG contractor personnel. It is also the principal card used to enable physical access to buildings and controlled spaces, and it provides access to defense computer networks and systems. It also serves as an identification card under the Geneva Conventions (especially the Third Geneva Convention). In combination with a personal identification number, a CAC satisfies the requirement for two-factor authentication: something the user knows combined with something the user has. The CAC also satisfies the requirements for digital signature and data encryption technologies: authentication, integrity and non-repudiation.
The CAC is a controlled item. As of 2026, DoD has a new card named the Uniformed Services Identification (USID) card. DoD has deployed an issuance infrastructure at over 1,000 sites in more than 25 countries around the world and rolled out more than one million card readers and associated middleware as of July 2002.
The CAC is issued to active United States Armed Forces (Regular, Reserves and National Guard) in the Department of Defense and the U.S. Coast Guard; DoD civilians; USCG civilians; non-DoD/other government employees and State Employees of the National Guard; and eligible DoD and USCG contractors who need access to DoD or USCG facilities and/or DoD computer network systems:
Future plans include the ability to store additional information through the incorporation of RFID chips or other contactless technology to allow seamless access to DoD facilities.
The program that is currently used to issue CAC IDs is called the Real-Time Automated Personnel Identification System (RAPIDS). RAPIDS interfaces with the Joint Personnel Adjudication System (JPAS), and uses this system to verify that the candidate has passed a background investigation and FBI fingerprint check. Applying for a CAC requires DoD form 1172-2 to be filled out and then filed with RAPIDS.
The system is secure and monitored by the DoD at all times. Different RAPIDS sites have been set up throughout military installations in and out of combat theater to issue new cards.
On the front of the card, the background shows the phrase "U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE" repeated across the card. A color photo of the cardholder is placed on the top left corner. Below the photo is the name of the cardholder. The top right corner displays the expiration date. Other information on the front includes (if applicable) the holders's: pay grade, rank, and federal identifier. A PDF417 stacked barcode is displayed on the bottom left corner. An integrated circuit chip (ICC) is placed near the bottom-middle of the front of the card.
There are three color code schemes used on the front of the CAC. A blue bar across the holder’s name shows that the cardholder is a non-U.S. citizen. A green bar shows that the cardholder is a contractor. Absence of a bar indicates all other personnel—including military personnel and civil workers, among others.