TRENTON – Mercer County Clerk, Paula Sollami Covello reminds veterans from Mercer County that the new and improved Veteran ID card is free during the week before and after Fourth of July.  The new Veteran ID card has an increased expiration period of ten years (instead of five).

“Fourth of July reminds us to remember our Country’s independence and to honor our U.S. soldiers for making great sacrifices to preserve our freedom.  It also seems a fitting time to remind residents that the Mercer County Clerk’s Office offers Veteran ID cards, which received a new look last year,” said Clerk Sollami Covello.

The certificate of honorable discharge, known as a DD-214 Form for short, is generally issued when a service member is honorably discharged from active military duty. The document contains information normally needed to verify military service for benefits, retirement, employment, and membership in veterans' organizations.  It also shows where the veteran’s discharge is located. The recording of a DD-214 form is free of charge to Mercer County Veterans.

Clerk Sollami Covello added, “Because military papers can get damaged or lost, Veterans should take advantage of the opportunity to file copies of their DD-214 discharge papers with the Clerk’s Office.  I am particularly sensitive to the need for recording such papers since the County Clerk’s office maintains and preserves official documents and records for Mercer County.  If a copy of one’s discharge papers is needed in the future, a veteran, an immediate family member or a legally recognized representative of their estate may obtain one with proper identification.”

ID cards that indicate a Veteran’s status have become very useful as many local retailers now offer discounts to veterans.  In fact, the County Clerk’s Office recently compiled a list of vendors and shops in Mercer County where Veterans can obtain a discount using their Vet ID card.

Veterans can receive their photo ID card by visiting the Mercer County Clerk’s Office located at 240 West State Street in Trenton. The Clerk’s Office is open from Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

The requirements for a Mercer County ID card are:

• Must be a Mercer County resident for at least 6 months.
• Must produce the following:
• A valid birth certificate with a raised seal or a naturalization certificate.
• A valid NJ Motor Vehicle License or voter registration card or, lease agreement.
• To have their US military veteran status designated on the ID card, veterans must also produce AND register their DD-214 honorable discharge papers with the Mercer County Clerk's Office.

Most Veteran ID cards are issued during the week of and the week after Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Veteran’s Day, and Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, when they are free.

However, if a card is needed at another time during the year, the fee is $10, which is half the price of a regular County ID card.  More information on Veteran ID cards and County ID cards can be found on the Mercer County Clerk’s website located at www.mercercounty.org under “services”.

Last year, Clerk Sollami Covello unveiled the redesigned Peddler’s License. The license is now a digital card, also modernized with a new look. The Peddler’s License is always free to veterans that are honorably discharged, according to New Jersey state law.

For further information on how to obtain a Mercer County Veteran identification card, please call 609-278-7108.