Editing Defense Commissary Agency (section)

== Authorized commissary patrons ==
Authority to shop at Commissaries is normally determined by presentation of the [[United States Uniformed Services Privilege and Identification Card|U.S. Uniformed Services Privilege and Identification Card]] or a [[Common Access Card]]. At some military bases authorized patrons are allowed to bring guests into the commissaries. Guests are not authorized to make commissary purchases, and patrons are not permitted to make commissary purchases for guests. Base commanders can order the restriction of guests to the commissaries.

Commissary privileges overseas are covered under [[Status of forces agreement|Status of Forces Agreements]] (SOFA), Visiting Forces agreements, treaties, etc. Since products sold in overseas commissaries pass across international borders and are customs, duty, and tax free; there are shopping restrictions.

=== Authorized patrons ===
* Active duty members of the [[Uniformed Services of the United States|United States Armed Forces]].
*DeCA employees
* Members of the Reserve and [[United States National Guard|National Guard]].
* Retired members of Active Duty, Reserves, and the National Guard.
* Retired Reservist and National Guardsmen not yet age 60 (Gray Area).
* Honorably discharged veterans with 10-100 percent service-connected disability certified by the [[Department of Veterans Affairs]] (VA).
* Recipients of the [[Medal of Honor]].
*Since Jan 2020, Recipients of the [[Purple Heart]].
*Since Jan 2020, Disabled Veterans*.
*Since Jan 2020, Caregivers for Disabled Veterans*.
*Since Jan 2020, former POWs.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>Patron eligibility documentation required is primarily based on VA letter for caregivers and VA VID. Some newly categorized patrons receive an additional charge on top of regular Surcharge to satisfy U.S. Treasury fees to avoid a hit on taxpayers.

=== Eligible dependents ===
* Spouses of Military Servicemembers, Military Retirees, Recipients of the Medal of Honor and Veterans with 40-100 percent service-connected disability are entitled to full commissary privileges.
* Children until their military-parent leaves the service (without a full combat related disability) or they reach the age of 21 or age 23 if enrolled in college full-time.

=== Survivors ===
* Spouses of fallen Servicemembers in combat have unlimited commissary privileges.
* Unmarried children of the deceased servicemembers in the line of duty may use commissary privileges, until they are twenty-one, or twenty-three if enrolled in a full-time course of study in a secondary school or in a full-time course of study in an institution of higher education.

=== Personal agent ===
Authorized Commissary patron may designate an agent or representative, on a temporary basis not to exceed one year, to accompany and assist an authorized patron to the commissary under the following conditions:
* In extreme hardship cases.
* When no adult dependent member is capable of shopping due to injury, illness, incapacitation or being stationed away from their household (i.e. deployment, TDY, school, training).
* Any person chosen by a blinded or other severely disabled eligible patron to assist the patron.

The personal agent will be provided official agent credentials or an approval letter, and then may enter any commissary to shop on behalf of the authorized patron. Only an installation commander can authorize agent privileges.