Your DD-214 is the single document almost every VA claim, burial request, and benefits application asks for first. If you don't already have a copy on hand, getting one takes some lead time — which is exactly why waiting until a family emergency is the wrong moment to start looking for it.
What Is a DD-214, and Why Does It Matter So Much?
A DD-214 is the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. It's the official record of your service dates, character of discharge, decorations, and rank. Funeral homes ask for it to arrange military honors. VA regional offices ask for it to process burial allowance and other benefit claims. Cemeteries ask for it to confirm eligibility for burial in a national or state veterans cemetery. Without it, every one of those processes slows down or stalls.
How Do You Actually Request a Copy?
According to VA.gov, there are a few ways to get your DD-214 or other service records:
- Online, through eVetRecs. This is the National Archives' online request tool. You sign in with an identity-verified account and submit your request electronically.
- By mail or fax. You complete Standard Form 180 (SF-180) and send it to the address or fax number listed for your branch of service and separation date.
- In person. You can visit the National Personnel Records Center directly.
- Through a state or county veterans agency, or an independent researcher, if you'd rather not handle the request yourself.
If you're already enrolled in VA benefits or have a VA.gov account, there's a more direct route. VA's records hub lets you review and print documents from your official military personnel file — including your DD-214 — right from your account, without a separate mail-in request.
One thing VA.gov is explicit about: if you're applying for VA benefits and don't already have a copy, you often don't need to track one down yourself. VA states that if you're applying for benefits, it will request your DD-214 for you when it receives your application. That's useful to know if you're mid-crisis and can't locate the original — but it also means the request goes through VA's own timeline, on top of whatever else is being processed.
Who Is Allowed to Request It?
Veterans can request their own records through any of the methods above — no special permission needed. If the veteran has died, next of kin can request the record too. That includes an unmarried surviving spouse, parents, children, or siblings. You'll need to provide a death certificate or a letter from the funeral home confirming the death. People who aren't next of kin can generally only access the record once the discharge is more than 62 years old.
How Long Does It Take?
Neither VA.gov nor the request forms publish a guaranteed turnaround time, and it varies by request volume, branch of service, and how the record is stored — some older paper records take longer to locate than digital-era ones. What's consistent across every method is that it is not instant. A mailed SF-180 involves postal time on both ends plus processing. Even the online eVetRecs system requires identity verification before a request is accepted. Budget for this to take real time — not something you can resolve in an afternoon when a funeral home is waiting on paperwork.
Comparing the Request Methods
| Method | Who it's best for | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Online (eVetRecs) | Veterans with an identity-verified account | ID.me-verified login |
| Mail or fax (SF-180) | Veterans or next of kin without online access | Completed SF-180 form |
| In person | Local requesters near the National Personnel Records Center | Valid ID |
| VA.gov records hub | Veterans already enrolled in VA benefits | VA.gov account login |
Why Get It Now Instead of Later?
The families who struggle most with VA burial paperwork are usually the ones searching for a DD-214 for the first time after a death, often while also handling everything else that comes up in the first 72 hours. A DD-214 is one of the core documents a family needs on hand when a veteran dies, alongside the death certificate and marriage certificate if a spouse will also be interred. Requesting a copy now, while the veteran is alive and can verify their own identity, is faster and simpler than a next-of-kin request made under time pressure later.
What to Do About It
If you're a veteran and don't know where your DD-214 is, start today, not when you need it. Try VA.gov first if you already have an account — it may already be sitting in your records hub. If not, submit an SF-180 by mail or use eVetRecs online. Once you get a copy, make at least two more: one for your own records, and one you give to whoever will be handling your affairs — an adult child, a spouse, or an executor. Store it somewhere they can actually find it, not in a safe deposit box that requires a court order to open after death. If you're a family member trying to locate a deceased veteran's DD-214 right now, gather a death certificate and reach out to the National Personnel Records Center as a next-of-kin requester, and ask the funeral home whether they can assist with the request as well.