Veterans: This card (coming soon?) from the VA can help you get business discounts

It took a couple of years, but it appears the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will soon start issuing veterans ID cards so those who’ve served can prove they’ve done so, and take advantage of promotions and discounts.

Beginning sometime in November, the cards will be available to all honorably discharged veterans who apply through the VA’s website, Military.com reported.

And, that outlet reported, there is no planned fee for the cards. There is no timeline for when, precisely, the application process will open. Nor is there a timeline for how long it will take to receive a card.

The move comes two years after Congress passed the 2015 Veterans Identification Card Act.

“The new cards won’t replace VA medical cards or official defense retiree cards, and will not carry any force of law behind them,” according to the Military Times.

A benefit of the cards: veterans won’t have to carry around their discharge paperwork with them to get business discounts and benefit from other promotional opportunities. Carrying that paperwork is impractical, some feel, and can open veterans up to identity theft and fraud.

In South Carolina, people who’ve served in the military can add a “veterans” designation to their driver’s licenses, according to the S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles.

This story was originally published October 9, 2017 at 9:10 AM with the headline "Veterans: This card (coming soon?) from the VA can help you get business discounts."