Question Period Note: VETERAN’S SERVICE CARD

• The Veteran’s Service Card was announced September 11, 2018 and is available to all Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces who have been honourably discharged and have completed Basic Training.
• The Veteran’s Service Card provides a tangible symbol of recognition for former members, and encourages an enduring affiliation with the Canadian Armed Forces.
• The Veteran’s Service Card is issued and distributed by the Canadian Armed Forces.
• A backlog of approximately 11,000 Veteran’s Service Card applications currently exists. To address this, a dedicated team has been hired and trained to process the applications as efficiently as possible.

In 2012, the Office of the Veterans Ombud (OVO) recommended that Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) develop and implement a national Veteran’s Identification Card. The OVO felt that Veterans lacked a tangible means of identifying themselves as Veterans. At the time of the Ombud’s report, a number of cards were available for Veterans for specific purposes but no single card addressing all requirements existed. Further, in February 2016, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) discontinued the NDI 75 card that had been issued to retired Canadian Armed Forces members who had at least ten years of service. The NDI 75 provided a record of service.
The Government of Canada responded to a call for action by Canadian Armed Forces members, Veterans, and the Veterans Ombud, and introduced the Veteran’s Service Card in September 2018. It was implemented in three stages, with stage 3 being launched on September 20, 2019. In August 2019, VAC, CAF and Libraries and Archives Canada (LAC) signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding to deliver the Veteran’s Service Card. Under this agreement, VAC provided CAF with $3.7M over 5 years, out of operational funds, to support the program. This funding was designated to support card production for Veteran applicants including service verification conducted by LAC.
Although this is a joint CAF/VAC initiative, CAF is now the lead agency for Veteran’s Service Card application processing, card production, and funding. In April 2025, the CAF started hiring and training a new team who is dedicated to the processing of the Veteran’s Service Cards. Since the start of June 2025, this team has now started processing applications with the goal of clearing the backlog of applications as soon as possible.

Q1 – Is the Veteran’s Service Card an official identification card? Are there advantages associated with the card?
The Veteran’s Service Card provides a tangible symbol of recognition for former members, and encourages an enduring affiliation with the Canadian Armed Forces. It is important to note that the Veteran’s Service Card is not intended to be, nor recognized as, an official identification card, pursuant to Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and other guidelines on identification cards. Some companies and organizations offer discounts to Veterans, but any commercial or other benefits that may accrue to a Veteran’s Service Card holder will be at the discretion of the granting entity.
Q2 – How many Veteran’s Service Cards have been issued?
Since the Veteran’s Service Card was introduced in 2018, approximately 90,000 cards have been issued to Veterans and to Canadian Armed Forces members as they transition to life after service.
Q3 – How many cards are in the backlog?
Currently, there are approximately 11,000 applications that are beyond the service standard. The Canadian Armed Forces has hired and trained a new dedicated Veteran’s Service Card Production team and changed the review process. Starting in June 2025, the new team has begun processing applications. Their goal is to reduce the backlog as soon as possible.