Military Dog Tag Text Formats
Standard U.S. military dog tag text layouts by service branch. The formats below show traditional line-by-line engraving order and are provided as a general reference for layout and placement.
U.S. Army — Standard Format
- Line 1: LAST NAME, FIRST NAME, MIDDLE INITIAL
- Line 2: DOD ID NUMBER (Service Number)
- Line 3: BLOOD TYPE
- Line 4: RELIGION
Social Security Numbers were discontinued in November 2015. Department of Defense ID numbers are now standard.
U.S. Air Force — Standard Format #1
- Line 1: LAST NAME, FIRST NAME, MIDDLE INITIAL
- Line 2: SERVICE NUMBER or SSN + "AF"
- Line 3: BLOOD TYPE
- Line 4: (Blank)
- Line 5: RELIGION
U.S. Air Force — Standard Format #2
- Line 1: LAST NAME
- Line 2: FIRST NAME, MIDDLE INITIAL
- Line 3: SERVICE NUMBER or SSN + "AF"
- Line 4: BLOOD TYPE
- Line 5: RELIGION
Service numbers are recommended over Social Security Numbers.
U.S. Marine Corps — Standard Format
- Line 1: LAST NAME
- Line 2: FIRST NAME, MIDDLE INITIAL; BLOOD TYPE
- Line 3: SERVICE NUMBER or SSN (123 45 6789)
- Line 4: BRANCH ("USMC"); GAS MASK SIZE (S / M / L)
- Line 5: RELIGION or MEDICAL ALLERGY (red medical tag)
U.S. Navy — Standard Format
- Line 1: LAST NAME, FIRST NAME, MIDDLE INITIAL
- Line 2: SERVICE NUMBER or SSN + "USN"; BLOOD TYPE
- Line 3: RELIGION
Numbers are traditionally engraved without dashes or spaces.
U.S. Coast Guard — Standard Format
- Line 1: LAST NAME, FIRST NAME, MIDDLE INITIAL
- Line 2: SERVICE NUMBER or SSN + "USCG"
- Line 3: BLOOD TYPE
- Line 4: RELIGION
Important Safety Notice
To protect personal identity, we do not recommend engraving Social Security Numbers on dog tags. Service numbers or Department of Defense ID numbers are strongly encouraged.
The formats listed above are provided as general reference information based on commonly used historical layouts. They are not official military regulations or authorized Department of Defense policy.