If you’ve got the 28th off, you probably already have a short list: a real meal out, something to do with the kids, maybe the hardware-store errand that’s been waiting. We read each business’s own page, and most of them don’t do anything extra on National First Responders Day itself. Only a handful put the day, or the weeks around it, in writing. The others say yes to your ID all year, so a trip on the 28th works the same as any other.
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Lowe’s will give you $10 if you verify through ID.me by 10/31, Tractor Supply takes an extra 10% on the day itself, and five attractions give first responders free admission. Four of them, LEGOLAND New York, LEGOLAND Florida, SEA LIFE Orlando and Madame Tussauds Orlando, are free for visits through 11/30, and Crayola Experience gives a free annual pass. After those come standing discounts from restaurants, a gas-station chain and a run of shopping brands that honor first responders every day.
Lowe’s: $10 MyLowe’s Money If You Verify By 10/31
Lowe’s lists a $10 MyLowe’s Money offer for eligible first responders who verify through ID.me between 10/1 and 10/31, along with MyLowe’s Rewards Silver status. The page names active or retired firefighters, EMT/paramedics, police officers and 9-1-1 dispatchers. Verify early: Lowe’s says to allow up to 10 days after verifying before the $10 can be claimed, and it has to be claimed by 11/7.
Tractor Supply: An Extra 10% On National First Responders Day
Tractor Supply’s release lists First Responders Day, 10/28, among the select days when verified Neighbor’s Club members get an extra 10%. Join Neighbor’s Club (the company says it’s free), then verify through ID.me; the page names law enforcement officers, firefighters and EMTs. It also lists 2% back every day. It doesn’t say whether the extra 10% works online or at every store, so call yours before a big purchase.
LEGOLAND New York And Florida: Free Entry Through 11/30
Both parks’ pages say first responders get free entry for visits from 10/1 through 11/30, plus 50% off tickets for up to 6 guests who visit with them. The pages name law enforcement officers, EMS personnel, EMTs and firefighters. Start with the Select Service button on the park’s offers page; the page doesn’t name a verification service, so follow what the ticket page asks for.
SEA LIFE Orlando: Free Entry, Bought Online
SEA LIFE Orlando’s page gives first responders free entry from 10/1 through 11/30, plus 50% off tickets for up to 6 guests. Tickets are online only, through a link that sends you to ID.me, and the page says they aren’t sold at the park. It names law enforcement officers, EMS personnel, EMTs and firefighters.
Madame Tussauds Orlando: The Same Offer, Next Door
Madame Tussauds Orlando prints the same free entry and 50% off for up to 6 guests for visits from 10/1 through 11/30, verified through ID.me during an online ticket purchase. Its page says SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium and The Orlando Eye are steps away at ICON Park, and each of them sells its own tickets.
Crayola Experience: A Free Annual Pass In Orlando And Easton
Crayola Experience’s Orlando and Easton pages offer firefighters, law enforcement and EMTs a free annual pass: unlimited visits for 1 year, 20% off on-site purchases and 20% off family and friend tickets. You sign up in person with photo ID and a valid US employee identification card at the admissions counter. The page says spouses and family members aren’t eligible for the pass itself, and it’s for US residents.
1st Tix: Free Event Tickets, A Small Delivery Fee
1st Tix provides tickets to currently serving and retired law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs and 911 dispatchers, and you pay a small delivery fee to receive them. You sign up online and 1st Tix verifies your service. What’s available depends on the events listed when you look, and the home page doesn’t print the fee.
Casey’s General Store: A Free Coffee Or Fountain Drink, Year-Round
Casey’s says in its own release that it offers coffee and fountain drinks at no cost to on-duty, uniformed first responders, including law enforcement, fire and EMS, year-round. The words that matter are on-duty and uniformed. The release doesn’t say how a store applies the offer or checks it, so ask at the register.
RaceTrac: A Free Drink Every Day
RaceTrac’s page says first responders get a free any-size fountain drink, frozen drink or coffee every day, redeemed once per day. You sign up for RaceTrac Rewards and verify through ID.me. It isn’t a day out, but it’s the one item on this list that fits into a shift.
Dave & Buster’s: 15% Off Food And Non-Alcoholic Drinks
With a valid military or first responder ID, Dave & Buster’s page lists 15% off food and non-alcoholic drinks for you and up to 4 guests. Show your ID to your server to redeem it. It’s a standing discount at the restaurant, not a one-day event.
Outback Steakhouse: 10% Off The Whole Check, Every Day
Outback’s page lists 10% off the entire check all day, every day, for police, firefighters and first responders with a valid service ID, with a maximum of one discount per table. The offer page says the discount isn’t available via online ordering, so plan on a dine-in visit.
Carrabba’s Italian Grill: 10% Off With Any Visit
Carrabba’s page invites Service Members and First Responders to receive 10% off with any visit. The full terms sit on the page, so read them before you book a table for the family.
Ford’s Garage: 10% In Uniform, Not On Alcohol
Ford’s Garage’s FAQ says it offers 10% for first responders in uniform, not including alcohol. That’s the whole description of the offer: it doesn’t say how an ID is checked or whether every location takes part, so call the restaurant first if you won’t be in uniform.
adidas: 30% Off Full-Price And Sale Items
ID.me’s adidas listing says 30% off full price and sale price items for first responders. You verify through ID.me before you shop. The listing doesn’t spell out exclusions, so check the discount in your cart before you pay.
Under Armour: 20% Off, 10% At The Outlet
Under Armour’s page lists 20% off for first responders and for active police, fire, nurses, doctors and EMT customers on UA.com, in the app and at UA Brand House, with 10% at UA Factory House, all verified through ID.me. It can’t be combined with other promo codes, sitewide promotions or gift card purchases, and the page says the discount may be greater during promotional timeframes.
Crocs: 15% Off Select Styles
Crocs’ page says first responders get 15% off select styles after verifying through ID.me, with exclusions that apply. For anyone who’s on their feet through a shift, the clogs are the obvious thing to price out.
Nike: 10% Off Most Items, Online And In The App
Nike’s help page offers 10% off most items on Nike.com and in the Nike App to eligible first responders in the US, naming EMTs, firefighters and law enforcement among them. You complete a verification form (you may be asked to upload documentation), then get a single-use promo code, and you need to be a Nike Member. A new code is available once every seven days.
GNC: 10% Off Sitewide
ID.me’s GNC listing says 10% off sitewide for first responders. Verify through ID.me and check that the discount shows up in your cart.
Safariland: 15% Off Through GovX
Safariland’s page says it partnered with GovX to offer 15% off your order at Safariland.com, and it lists first responders including law enforcement, fire and EMS among those eligible. You verify with a GovX ID and get a single-use code at checkout, and there’s a limit of one discount code per day.
Q&A
Q: Is there a first responder discount on National First Responders Day itself?
A: Tractor Supply lists the day, 10/28, among its extra-10% days, and Lowe’s $10 offer has a verification window that includes it. Everything else here is a standing program or a longer window, so the 28th works the same as the days around it.
Q: Do the free admissions only work on the 28th?
A: No. LEGOLAND, SEA LIFE Orlando and Madame Tussauds Orlando all say visits from 10/1 through 11/30.
Q: What do I have to verify, and where?
A: Lowe’s, Tractor Supply, SEA LIFE Orlando, Madame Tussauds Orlando, RaceTrac, adidas, Under Armour, Crocs and GNC send you through ID.me. Safariland uses GovX, and Nike uses its own verification form. Dave & Buster’s and Outback ask for ID at the table, Ford’s Garage asks you to be in uniform, Casey’s wants you on duty and in uniform, Crayola Experience wants photo ID and an employee identification card at the counter, and 1st Tix checks your service when you sign up.
Q: Which of these give you something free every day?
A: Casey’s, which says it offers coffee and fountain drinks at no cost to on-duty, uniformed first responders year-round, and RaceTrac, which gives a free drink once per day. The attractions are free too, but only inside their visit windows.
Q: Is TGI Fridays on this list?
A: No. TGI Fridays’ own site doesn’t mention a first responder offer, so we left it out.
Q: Does Academy Sports + Outdoors have its 10% this year?
A: Academy’s page calls its military and first responder discount seasonal and says it isn’t currently running. Our Academy Sports + Outdoors page has the details.
Q: Which of these should I do first?
A: Lowe’s, if you want the $10: verify through ID.me by 10/31, claim it by 11/7, and allow up to 10 days between the two. Tractor Supply’s extra 10% is for the day itself, so get your account verified before then.
More Information:
Offers change, and every date above comes from each business’s own page, so confirm before you go. For more places that say yes to your ID all year, browse our first responder discount guides, including the restaurant chains and home improvement stores guides.
