Current and former members of the U.S. military can purchase an All Access membership for six months at a discounted rate of $199 (Reg. $269 for All Access). The membership will automatically renew every six months, unless canceled.

All Access includes the Ancestry benefits plus memberships to Fold3 and Newspapers.c​om.

Verify your U.S. military status 

You qualify for the military discount if you are U.S. military active duty, veteran, reservist, or National Guard.

1. Verify your military eligibility, by using SheerID. (We verify your military status through a third-party service called SheerID.)
2. After military verification is complete, you’ll receive an email from SheerID with a unique coupon code and a link.

Activate your All Access membership

Once your military status has been verified, you can activate a six-month All Access membership for $199 with the military discount.

1. After verifying your U.S. military status, you’ll receive an email from SheerID. Click the link in the email to redeem your military discount. 
2. Select Have a coupon? then enter your individual code, from your SheerID email.
3. If you aren’t signed in, sign in to your Ancestry account. If you don’t have an Ancestry account, create one.
4. Complete the checkout process. If needed, after signing in select the shopping cart icon in the top right corner.

Note: Your All Access membership will auto-renew every 6 months, unless it’s canceled. 

Frequently asked questions

What are the requirements for a military discount?
You need to currently be serving or at one time have been working for the selected Nation's Armed Services.

What documents do I need to verify for a military discount?
If asked to upload proof of eligibility, you'll need to provide a government-issued document that shows your:

1. First and last name
2. Branch of service
3. Your current affiliation with the armed services
4. Your discharge date (if applicable)

Any documents submitted to SheerID will be permanently deleted. Feel free to black out / cover up any sensitive information that is unrelated to proving your eligibility.

It is important that your name shown in the document matches the name you entered initially in the form. For verifying, please use only the name shown in your document.

You can submit one of the following documents:

Active Duty/Reservist

• Recent LES (within 90 days)
• Current Orders (issued within 1 year)

Veteran

• DD-214
• VA ID
• VA Benefits Letter
• Discharge Certificate (DD256)
• Driver's License with a Veteran designation

Retiree

• DD-214
• VA ID
• VA Benefits Letter
• Retirement Certificate
• Retirement Orders

Unacceptable documents
Please avoid uploading the document types listed below as they often do not show proof of eligibility:

• Email screenshots
• Business cards
• Dependent application for VA education benefits
• Documents that are not issued by the US government. For example:
  • Veterans Advantage Cards
  • VFW Membership
  • American Legion
  • USAA documentation

I’m a current Ancestry member. Can I get the discount?
If you are eligible for the military discount, you will need to cancel your current membership then you can join at the military rate at the end of your membership period.

How do you know I’m a military?
We verify your military status through a third-party service called SheerID. Learn more.

At what price will my membership renew?
Your membership will automatically renew every 6 months at $199.

Ancestry reserves the right to terminate the military discount offer at any time at its sole discretion.

How do I cancel my membership?
You can cancel your membership at any time by following the instructions for Canceling a Membership.

If I cancel my membership, can I get the Military discount membership again?
Yes, you’ll need to reverify military eligibility then you can sign up with the discount.