Lost your DD-214? How to get a copy
Where to ask, what it costs (usually nothing) and how long to wait.
What it is
Your DD-214 is your discharge paper, the Report of Separation. VA, employers, state agencies and lenders often ask for it. VA's records page says you can request your DD214 or other separation documents, your orders and endorsements, and your military medical records with Standard Form 180 (SF-180).
Who can ask
- You, the veteran.
- If the veteran has died: a surviving spouse who has not remarried, or the veteran's parent, child or sibling (proof of death is required).
Three ways to get it
- Online, National Archives (eVetRecs). Select Make a new request and sign in with an identity-verified ID.me account. You may be asked to take a live selfie with your phone.
- By mail or fax, SF-180. Fill out the Request Pertaining to Military Records, then mail or fax it to the address or fax number the form gives for your branch and separation date.
- milConnect, if you left recently. VA's page says to use milConnect if you were discharged after these dates: Air Force after 1 October 2004, Army after 1 October 2002, Marines after 1 January 1999, Navy after 1 January 1995. You need a milConnect account. The National Archives page also says some veterans can get copies from their state, county or municipal veterans agency.
What it costs and how long
The National Archives says there is generally no charge for basic military personnel and medical record information for veterans, next of kin and authorized representatives from federal (non-archival) records. Records 62 or more years old are archival and carry fees ($25 for 5 pages or fewer, $70 for 6 or more). The National Archives says to allow about 90 days before following up.
Archival record fees
Tips and traps
- If your records may have been involved in the 1973 St. Louis fire, add your place of discharge, last unit and where you entered service. The Archives may rebuild your service data from other sources.
- The National Archives has separate pages for burial and emergency requests. Call the number below if you need it fast.
- Applying for VA benefits? VA says that when you apply, it requests your DD214 for you. Follow any extra document requests VA sends.
- Check on a request. If you have your request number, use “Check status of existing request” on eVetRecs. If you do not have it, the National Archives has an Online Status Update Request form. Wait until about 90 days have passed before you follow up.
Where to call and where to go
Phone
- National Personnel Records Center (NPRC): 314-801-0800, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CT. Fax: 314-801-9195. Source: National Archives
- NARA toll-free: 1-866-272-6272 (1-86-NARA-NARA). Source: National Archives veterans FAQ
- VA benefits hotline: 1-800-827-1000. Source: va.gov/records
Official pages