Can a Divorced Military Spouse Use Military Discounts?

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(Stock photo)
(Stock photo)

After a divorce, can the child's dependent ID card be used to get military discounts for the non-service member parent?

My child has an ID card and stays primarily with my ex-wife. I was under the assumption that only active-duty members could receive discounts at places such as Disneyland and for airline tickets.

What I see you saying is that you want to make sure your ex-wife isn't taking advantage of her former military affiliation by using your daughter's ID card to get discounts for herself.

After all, you might think, she's not serving and she's no longer entitled to an ID card. Why should she take advantage of your daughter's connection?

There is no way anyone can control what military discounts a private business decides to give or who they decide to give them to, nor should there be. Many businesses, for example, simply require you to show a military ID to take advantage of a specific discount for food or goods. They don't care if that ID is an active-duty one or not.

Other businesses, like Disney, have specific discounts for active-duty ID card holders, and other discounts for non-active duty ID card holders.

And then some companies, like many airlines, often require you to actually be on orders to receive a discount.

So how do you keep your ex-wife from using your daughter's ID card to get discounts? Well, you can't. Sorry. 

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