UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
5000 DEFENSE PENTAGON
WASHINGTON, DC 20301-5000

APR 1 6 2020

INTELLIGENCE
AND SECURITY

MEMORANDUM FOR CHIEF MANAGEMENT OFFICER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF

DEFENSE

SECRETARIES OF THE MILITARY DEPARTMENTS

CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF

UNDER SECRETARIES OF DEFENSE

CHIEF OF THE NATIONAL GUARD BUREAU

GENERAL COUNSEL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

DIRECTOR OF COST ASSESSMENT AND PROGRAM
EVALUATION

INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONAL TEST AND EVALUATION

CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF
DEFENSE

ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR LEGISLATIVE
AFFAIRS

ASSISTANT TO THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR PUBLIC
AFFAIRS

DIRECTOR OF NET ASSESSMENT

DIRECTORS OF DEFENSE AGENCIES

DIRECTORS OF DOD FIELD ACTIVITIES

SUBJECT: Exception to Policy Allowing the Temporary Acceptance of Expired Department of
Defense Credentials during the COVID-19 National Emergency

References: (a) DoD Manual 5200.08, Volume 3, “Physical Security Program: Access to DoD
Installations,” January 2, 2019
(b) Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Memorandum,
“Policy Guidance for Identification Card Operations for COVID-19,”
April 7, 2020

In response to the threat of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and the COVID-19 disease it
causes, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and the Military
Departments are taking actions to reduce visits to Department of Defense (DoD) identification
(ID) card offices for basic actions such as renewal of expiring credentials. This memorandum
allows for the temporary acceptance of certain DoD-issued credentials presented for physical
access after the date printed on the card (“expired cards”), when they have been electronically
extended in the appropriate DoD databases, subject to certain conditions identified below.

Installation Access
DoD Manual 5200.08, Volume 3, paragraph 3.2.a(1) prohibits the acceptance of expired

credentials for installation access within the United States, including the continental United
States, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Effective on the date of this memorandum until


September 30, 2020, the Secretaries of the Military Departments and the Director, Defense
Logistics Agency may accept a DoD Common Access Card (CAC) or Uniformed Services ID
card (USID), such as those issued to dependents or retirees, for installation access after the
expiration date printed on the credential.

The printed expiration date on a qualifying USID or CAC must be January 1, 2020 or
later for USIDs and April 16, 2020 or later for CACs, and the credential must be successfully
verified using an electronic physical access control system (ePACS) that verifies continued DoD
affiliation against an authoritative DoD source. An expired USID or CAC that fails to
electronically verify shall not be accepted, but shall not be confiscated unless believed to be
counterfeit. Expired credentials of any other type shall not be accepted for installation access.
Individuals with such expired USIDs and CACs remain subject to continuous vetting through the
Identity Matching Engine for Security and Analysis, and therefore, meet the “current fitness”
requirement of Reference (a).

Facility and Building Access

Effective on the date of this memorandum until September 30, 2020, Heads of DoD
Components may accept expired CACs for access to facilities and buildings, on and off DoD
installations. The printed expiration date must be April 16, 2020 or later and the cardholder’s
continued DoD affiliation must be verified. Expired credentials of any other type shall not be
accepted for facility or building access.

The use of an ePACS that verifies CACs and their electronically-extended expiration
dates against the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS), or that properly
verifies a digital certificate stored on the CAC, is an acceptable method of affiliation verification.
The use of an ePACS that verifies CACs and their electronically-extended expiration dates
against a locally-managed database is an acceptable method of affiliation verification only when
measures are in place to verify continued affiliation either prior to extending the expiration dates
in that database or on a regular and recurring basis. ePACS that rely exclusively on the
expiration date contained within the Cardholder Unique Identifier (CHUID) stored on the CAC
will be unable to accept expired CACs, as this date cannot be extended. At facilities and
buildings that have an ePACS that does not verify continued DoD affiliation against an
authoritative source, or that do not have an ePACS, DoD Components must implement
appropriate steps to verify continued DoD affiliation.

The Director for Defense Intelligence (Counterintelligence, Law Enforcement, &
Security) may grant extensions to this memorandum, if necessary, while the national emergency
concerning the novel coronavirus remains in effect. The point of contact for this issue is
Mr. Josh Freedman at (703) 692-3724 or joshua.a.freedman.civ@mail.mil.

Cove
Joseph D. Kernan ae