How To Register Family In DEERS | TRICARE Eligibility Guide

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## Quick answer To register a family member in DEERS, the sponsor must visit a RAPIDS ID card office in person with the family member’s original birth certificate, Social Security card, and/or marriage certificate. Once the sponsor adds the family member to the DEERS database, they become eligible to enroll in a TRICARE health plan.

Details

Registering a family member in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) is the "Step Zero" for all TRICARE benefits. Without an accurate DEERS record, medical claims will be denied, and pharmacy benefits through Express Scripts will be unavailable.

### Qualifying Life Events (QLEs) Registering a family member is typically triggered by a Qualifying Life Event. You have **90 days** (stateside) or **120 days** (overseas) from the date of the event to update DEERS and enroll in a TRICARE plan.

* **Marriage:** You must provide the original marriage certificate and the spouse's Social Security card and photo ID. * **Birth/Adoption:** You must provide the birth certificate or certificate of live birth. Note: For newborns, you must update DEERS within the 90/120-day window to ensure back-dated coverage to the date of birth. * **Divorce:** You must provide the final divorce decree to remove a former spouse (though some former spouses may retain eligibility under the 20/20/20 rule).

### How to Register 1. **Find a RAPIDS Office:** Use the [ID Card Office Online (IDCO)](https://idco.dmdc.osd.mil/idco/) locator to find a site near you. Appointments are highly recommended as walk-in wait times can be several hours. 2. **Required Documents:** Bring original or certified copies of documents. Photocopies are generally not accepted. 3. **The Sponsor’s Role:** The service member (sponsor) must usually be present. If the sponsor is deployed, the spouse must have a valid Power of Attorney (POA) to make changes to the DEERS record. 4. **Verify Information:** Once the record is created, ensure the address and contact information are correct. As of 2026, TRICARE relies heavily on digital communication; an incorrect email in DEERS can result in missing critical enrollment windows.

### After DEERS Registration: Plan Enrollment Simply being in DEERS does not mean the family member has a health plan. After the DEERS update is processed (usually 24 hours), you must then: * Log into the **Beneficiary Web Enrollment (BWE)** portal. * Select a plan (TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select). * For **TRICARE West** (managed by TriWest) or **TRICARE East** (managed by Humana Military), confirm that the enrollment has been processed before seeking non-emergency care.

## Who this affects * **Active Duty Service Members:** Required for all dependents. * **Retirees:** Necessary for designating eligible spouses and children. * **National Guard & Reserve:** Critical for maintaining TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) eligibility. * **Survivors:** Required to maintain transitional or long-term survivor benefits.

## Sources * **TRICARE.mil:** [Updating DEERS](https://www.tricare.mil/deers) * **Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC):** [ID Card Office Online](https://idco.dmdc.osd.mil/idco/) * **Humana Military (East):** [Eligibility and DEERS](https://www.humanamilitary.com) * **TriWest Healthcare Alliance (West):** [New Beneficiary Information](https://www.triwest.com)