MLA Database, Military Lending Act Website

The Military Lending Act or MLA database is a Department of Defense Manpower website that allows consumers, banks, credit card companies, and other lenders to verify if a consumer is a “covered borrower” as defined by the Military Lending Act of 2006.

You can access the Military Lending Act website at https://mla.dmdc.osd.mil/mla/

The Military Lending Act protects servicemembers, spouses, and dependents from certain lending practices, such as charging more than 36% annual interest on loans.

Some credit card companies and banks waive annual fees on their credit cards to comply with the strict rules of the MLA law.

Learn more about getting your annual fee waivers on Chase and American Express cards in the podcast episode below or in my Ultimate Military Credit Cards Course.

You may use the MLA database to look up your record, a spouse's record, or a dependent's record.

The Defense Manpower Data Center will verify an individual's covered borrower status by verifying if the social security number provided is on active duty, a spouse of an active duty servicemember, or a dependent of an active duty servicemember.

For National Guard and Reservists, if you are on 30+ day active duty orders you should be in the MLA database and should be covered borrowers. Your spouses should also be covered borrowers while you are on active duty orders.

The text you want to see when you pull an MLA report is:

“Based on the information you provided, DMDC does possess information indicating that the individual is either on active duty for more than 30 days or a family member of a service member on active duty for more than 30 days based on the Status Inquiry Date.”

Military Lending Act Credit Cards

Many banks and companies choose to waive annual fees for MLA covered borrowers. This makes compliance with the law easier for them. There are many credit cards that waive annual fees for military. I listed some of the best below.

Amex MLA Database

American Express waives annual fees on their cards for covered borrowers such as military servicemembers members on active duty orders and their spouses.

The Platinum Card^® from American Express
Learn how to apply on our partner's secure site

• $695 annual fee*. Reduced to $0 with American Express special military protections
• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership
• Earn 5x points on airfare booked directly with airline or on amextravel.com up to $500,000 per calendar year
• Earn 5x points on prepaid hotels at amextravel.com
• $200 Annual Hotel Credit: Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card^®. Note that The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card^® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card® Members can get $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction. Enrollment required.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at 1 qualifying airline. Enrollment required.
• $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $199 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
• This is a MAJOR time saver–$120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA PreCheck® official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®! Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• With American Express Global Lounge Collection®, enjoy access to over 1,400 airport lounges globally, including The Centurion® Lounge, Unlimited Delta Sky Club® Access when flying an eligible Delta flight, EscapeLounges, Lufthansa Lounges when flying Lufthansa Group, Plaza Premium, Priority Pass™ Select Lounges, & Additional Global Lounge Collection Partner Lounges subject to visit limitations. Lounges may have their own rules, like additional access rules and guest fees, and for Priority Pass Select, you need to enroll and there are unlimited airport lounge visits for Card Members. With Delta Sky Club Access, Card Members will receive 10 Visits to the Delta Sky Club to be used from February 1 until January 31 of the next calendar year and can unlock Unlimited Delta Sky Club Access by spending $75,000 in eligible purchases on their Card in a calendar year. To find a lounge, visit the membership section in the American Express® App or visit http://www.americanexpress.com/findalounge#/loungefinder.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax.
• Up to $100 annual Saks Fifth Avenue credit, enrollment required
• Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
• No foreign transaction fees
• Enrollment is required for select benefits
• The Platinum Card^® from American Express – learn how to apply
• Read my full review of the Amex Platinum card for military, terms apply

American Express^® Gold Card
Learn how to apply on our partner's secure site

• Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
• 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year- includes OCONUS Commissaries
• 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
• 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
• 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
• No foreign transaction fees – great for the 4x on restaurants when traveling for fun, OCONUS TDY, or PCS!
• $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That's up to $120 Uber Cash annually! Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made at restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
• $84 Dunkin' Credit: You can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment required.
• $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. Enrollment required.
• Go explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
• Read my full review of the Amex Gold card for military, terms apply
• Enrollment is required for select benefits
• $325 Annual Fee* See more details about American Express protections for you and your spouse 

Chase MLA Database

Chase also waives annual fees for covered borrowers like active duty military servicemembers and their spouses.

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card
Learn how to apply on our partner's secure site

• Best Offer This Year! Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
• 3x points on dining (includes takeout, delivery, and dine-in), select streaming services and online groceries
• 2x on all other travel purchases
• 1x on all other purchases
• $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠ . Example- 60,000 points would be worth $750 toward travel.
• No foreign transaction fees, great for overseas OCONUS assignments, TDY, and PCS
• Primary rental car insurance coverage & trip cancellation/interruption insurance, and more.
• DashPass access is complimentary which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
• Upgrade to a Chase Sapphire Reserve after 1 year (compare Reserve vs Preferred)
• $95 annual fee waived for military and spouses with Chase Military Lending Act
• Member FDIC

Chase Sapphire Reserve^® Card
Learn how to apply on our partner's secure site

• $550 annual fee waived to $0 for US military + spouses with Chase MLA policy
• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually.
• 3x Points on other Travel (airfare, hotels) after earning the $300 travel credit
• 3x Dining restaurants, takeouts, delivery
• Chase Ultimate Reward Points redeemed through Chase Travel℠ are worth 1.5 cents, a 50% bonus.
• Priority Pass lounge and restaurant access with over 1300+ airport lounges worldwide
• Up to $120 application fee credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS every 4 years
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Primary coverage with Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• No foreign transaction fees, Member FDIC
• Learn more in the Chase Sapphire Reserve review

How to Use the MLA Database

You can run a search for you or your spouse by selecting “single record request.” You will need to create a free account.

You will need your Social Security Number (SSN), birthday, and at least your last name.

If you are having issues with the MLA database, make sure your information is correct in DEERS. Double check birthdays, SSNs, and spelling of names.

FAQ