VA Exposure Registries Explained

VA runs a set of environmental exposure registries and free health evaluations. The thing to be clear about first: a registry is not a claim. Joining one does not start a disability claim, does not confirm you were exposed, and has no effect on your entitlement either way. It is a research and health-monitoring tool. If you want compensation, you file a claim.

The Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry changed in 2024, and this is the headline. It used to require completing a long questionnaire, which is why participation was low. On August 1, 2024, VA and the Defense Department announced a redesign that broadened the participation criteria, added automatic inclusion based on DoD records, and added a clear opt-out. Automatic inclusion covers deployments to Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and New Dawn between August 2, 1990 and August 31, 2021, plus designated countries and areas — and you do not need to have been knowingly exposed or to have any health concerns to be in it.

So the practical question is no longer "should I sign up" but "am I already in, and do I want to be". You can check with your local VA Environmental Health Coordinator, and there is an opt-out form and a route back in if you change your mind.

The registry health evaluations are a separate thing — a free, voluntary medical assessment with an exposure history, medical history, physical exam and any tests needed:

  • Agent Orange Registry — Vietnam (1962–1975), the Korean DMZ (1967–1971), Thailand air bases (1962–1976), C-123 aircraft crew and maintainers (1969–1986), plus locations added by the PACT Act including Laos, Cambodia, Guam, American Samoa and Johnston Atoll.
  • Gulf War Registry — including Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn.
  • Ionizing Radiation Registry — Cold War-era exposures.
  • Depleted Uranium Follow-Up Program.
  • Toxic Embedded Fragment Surveillance Center.

Who is eligible?

Eligibility runs by where and when you served, and it differs per registry. The two rules that hold across all of them:

  • You do not need to be enrolled in VA health care to take part or to have an evaluation.
  • The evaluation is free, with no copay.

Those two facts are why this is worth doing even for someone who has deliberately stayed out of the VA system. A documented exposure history and physical exam, on record, costs you nothing and can matter years later.

What it will not do is prove exposure for claim purposes. VA is explicit that a registry evaluation "is separate from VA's disability compensation process and does not confirm exposure." For a claim, VA checks military records to verify exposure — and the PACT Act presumptions are usually the more useful route there.

Note that VA's own registry-evaluation page lists the burn pit registry evaluation as having ended in 2021, while the registry itself continues with automatic inclusion. If you want an exam rather than registry membership, ask the Environmental Health Coordinator which evaluation you qualify for.

How do I apply?

  • Ask your VA Environmental Health Coordinator: They arrange registry evaluations and can tell you whether you are already in the burn pit registry.
  • Assume you are already in the burn pit registry: Automatic inclusion covers listed deployments from 2 August 1990 to 31 August 2021, with no exposure or symptoms needed.
  • File a claim separately if you want compensation: A registry is not a claim and does not confirm exposure.
  • Check the PACT Act presumptions first for a claim: They are usually a stronger route than an exposure history.
  • Have the evaluation even if you are not enrolled: No enrollment is required and there is no copay.
  • Opt out if you would rather not take part: There is an online form, and you can rejoin later.

Common questions

Do you still have to sign up for the burn pit registry?

No. Since the 1 August 2024 redesign, VA includes eligible veterans and service members automatically based on DoD records, with an opt-out form if you would rather not take part.

Does joining a VA exposure registry count as filing a claim?

No. VA states that a registry evaluation is separate from the disability compensation process and does not confirm exposure. A claim has to be filed separately.

Does a VA registry health evaluation cost anything?

No. It is free with no copay, and you do not need to be enrolled in VA health care to have one.

Which VA exposure registries exist?

The Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, the Agent Orange Registry, the Gulf War Registry, the Ionizing Radiation Registry, the Depleted Uranium Follow-Up Program and the Toxic Embedded Fragment Surveillance Center.

Which deployments are automatically in the burn pit registry?

Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and New Dawn between 2 August 1990 and 31 August 2021, plus designated countries and areas — with no need to have been knowingly exposed.

Learn More