WASHINGTON (NNS) — Photocopying of military identification cards and common access cards (CAC) from military personnel is strictly prohibited.
There have been recent incidents reported of commercial establishments photocopying U.S. government identification to verify military affiliation or provide government rates for service. These incidents are a violation of Title 18, U.S. Code, Part I, Chapter 33, Section 701 and are punishable by fine and/or imprisonment.
Although commercial establishments may request to see military/government identification, they may not photocopy or duplicate it in any way. Many military personnel and commercial establishments are unaware of the prohibition and the reasons it exists, which results in this being a fairly common practice.
Because of the access the cards grant, criminal elements and terrorist organizations place obtaining U.S. government identifications at a premium when planning acts against the U.S. military. If a copied military or government identification fell into the wrong hands, it could spell disaster for the Armed Forces and the nation.
Unfortunately, there are no safeguards in place to prevent a counterfeit military/government identification card from being produced based on a photocopy provided to a commercial establishment. For this reason, personnel are requested to remain vigilant in ensuring they do not allow anyone to photocopy their identification cards.
CNIC recommends that all personnel, both military and civilian, provide a state drivers license or other form of photo identification to be photocopied when there is a request for such information by a commercial establishment.