DD-214 Explained

The DD-214 is your Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. It records your service dates, your character of discharge, your decorations and your reason for separation — which makes it the document nearly every benefit application asks for.

Your records are held by the National Archives, at the National Personnel Records Center, not by the VA or your former service.

There are three ways to get a copy:

  • Online — the National Archives' eVetRecs tool, signing in with an identity-verified ID.me account.
  • By mail or fax — Standard Form 180, sent to the address for your branch and separation date.
  • In person — at the National Personnel Records Center.

One thing worth knowing before you queue for it: if you are applying for VA benefits, the VA requests your DD-214 for you when it receives your application. You do not need to chase a copy first for that purpose.

Who is eligible?

Veterans can request their own records by any of the three routes.

Next of kin of a deceased veteran — an unremarried surviving spouse, parent, child or sibling — can request records with proof of death.

The general public can access records for anyone discharged 62 or more years ago, which is when they become archival.

Other parties can obtain limited information with authorization from next of kin.

If the DD-214 is wrong, corrections go through the military rather than the Archives: DD Form 149 for a records correction, or DD Form 293 to a discharge review board for a characterization change. Which form depends on what you are trying to fix, and using the wrong one costs months.

How do I apply?

  • Check whether you need it at all right now: The VA pulls it for you on a benefits claim. Requesting a copy first is often unnecessary work.
  • Use eVetRecs for the fastest route: Online through the National Archives, with an ID.me account.
  • Fall back to SF-180 by mail: The correct address depends on your branch and separation date, so use the current list rather than an old one.
  • Store a digital copy somewhere you will find it: You will be asked for this repeatedly, by employers as well as agencies.
  • Use DD-149 or DD-293 for corrections, not the Archives: 149 corrects a record, 293 asks a review board to change a discharge characterization.
  • Check block 24 while you have it open: That is your character of discharge, and it gates other benefits.

Common questions

Who holds your DD-214?

The National Archives, at the National Personnel Records Center — not the VA and not your former service.

How do you request a DD-214?

Online through the National Archives' eVetRecs tool with an ID.me account, by mail or fax on Standard Form 180, or in person at the National Personnel Records Center.

Do you need a DD-214 before claiming VA benefits?

Usually not. The VA requests it for you when it receives your application.

Can family members request a veteran's records?

An unremarried surviving spouse, parent, child or sibling can, with proof of death. Records become open to the public 62 years after discharge.

How do you correct a DD-214?

DD Form 149 for a records correction, or DD Form 293 to a discharge review board to change the characterization. Corrections go through the military, not the Archives.

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