Children

Unmarried biological children, adopted children, and stepchildren are eligible for TRICARE until age 21 (or 23 if in college—see “College Students” below).

• Eligibility may extend beyond these age limits if your child is severely disabled.
• At age 21 or 23, your child may qualify to purchase TRICARE Young Adult.  

Register in DEERS

To do this, the sponsor must go to a Uniformed Services ID card office and present the child’s official birth certificate or SF-240 Consular Report of Birth Abroad, record of adoption, or letter of placement of your child into your home by a recognized placement or adoption agency or the court. Learn more about required documents.

What kind of certificate is needed?

If the child is ...	Then you need:
Born in the U.S.	An original or certified-copy of the official birth certificate
Born overseas	A Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America
Adopted	A record of adoption or a letter of placement of the child into the home by a recognized placement/adoption agency or the court before the final adoption

Is a Social Security number required?

No. You don’t need your child’s SSN to register them in DEERS. But remember to update DEERS with the SSN as soon as you have it.

To get an SSN for your child, you can apply for a Social Security number online or call 800-772-1213.

“Registered in DEERS” doesn’t mean “enrolled in TRICARE”

Registering your child in DEERS doesn’t automatically enroll them in any TRICARE health plan option. Visit Getting TRICARE for Your Child to learn more.

Child Scenarios

Stepchildren

• Stepchildren are eligible for TRICARE as long as the parent of the child and sponsor are married.  
• If the marriage ends in divorce, the stepchildren lose eligibility on the date the divorce decree is final.
• If the sponsor adopts their stepchildren, the stepchildren remain covered as adopted children even if the marriage ends in divorce.

Children With Special Needs

TRICARE offers several services under the basic TRICARE benefit and some special programs for those with special needs.

College Students

Eligibility can be extended up to age 23 if:

• Your child is enrolled in a full course of study at an approved institution of higher learning.
• You (the sponsor) still provide more than half of their financial support.

The sponsor must visit a military ID card issuing facility to update the student status on their child's DEERS record. The school’s registrar’s office must provide TRICARE a letter with proof of full-time enrollment in an accredited college in pursuit of an associate’s degree or higher. Learn more about updating your child’s student status in DEERs.

Eligibility ends on your child’s 23rd birthday or when they are out of school—whichever comes first. At age 23 (or after ending college) your child may qualify to purchase TRICARE Young Adult  

Learn more about TRICARE options for college students.

Surviving Children

Children whose sponsor died while serving on active duty remain eligible for TRICARE until they lose eligibility for TRICARE due to age, marriage, or any other reason.

Other Scenarios

Children in the following scenarios may be eligible for TRICARE under certain conditions:

• If born out of wedlock 
• When placed in the custody of a sponsor, either by a court or recognized adoption agency, in anticipation of legal adoption