What is a DD-214, exactly?
Your DD Form 214 — Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty — is the single most important document you'll carry from your time in service. It proves you served, where, when, and under what character of discharge. The VA, employers, lenders, schools, Veteran service organizations, and funeral directors all rely on it.
If you've lost yours, never received one, or need an additional certified copy, this page walks you through how to get one — for free, from official sources.
Three ways to request your DD-214
1. eVetRecs (online) — fastest for most Veterans
The National Archives runs an online request system called eVetRecs. It's the fastest option for most Veterans, and it's free.
Start at archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records, then follow the link to request records online. You'll verify your identity, fill in your basic service information, and submit. Electronic records (most service after 2001) often come back in around 10 business days.
2. VA.gov — built into your VA account
If you already have a VA.gov account (with ID.me or Login.gov), the VA has a tool that connects directly to the National Archives for many post-1997 service records.
Sign in at va.gov/records/get-military-service-records and follow the prompts. It's the same underlying system as eVetRecs — just inside the VA portal you may already be using.
3. SF-180 by mail or fax — the paper backup
If online doesn't work for you (older records, special circumstances, or you'd rather mail it in), use Standard Form 180 (SF-180). Download it from the National Archives site, fill it out, and mail or fax it to the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, Missouri.
This route is slower — sometimes weeks, sometimes months — but it's reliable and covers cases the online tools can't handle.
What you'll need before you start
- Branch of service (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Space Force)
- Approximate start and end dates of your active service
- Your full legal name at the time of service
- Service number, or Social Security Number if you served after the SSN transition
- Your date and place of birth
- A way to verify your identity (a signature page, or ID.me / Login.gov for online requests)
Family members requesting the records of a deceased Veteran will also need to provide proof of death (death certificate or obituary) and proof of relationship.
Emergencies — funerals, medical, hardship
If you need a DD-214 urgently — for a Veteran's funeral, a hospital admission, or a documented hardship — the National Personnel Records Center can expedite the request. Same-day or next-day turnaround is possible for funerals when the funeral home requests it directly.
Contact NPRC directly for emergency requests. Their public contact information is listed on the National Archives website linked above.
About the 1973 NPRC fire
In July 1973, a fire at the National Personnel Records Center destroyed millions of personnel records — primarily Army personnel discharged between 1912 and 1959, and Air Force personnel discharged between 1947 and 1963 (alphabetically through roughly the "H" range). If your records were among them, all is not lost. NPRC reconstructs service history from alternative sources: final pay vouchers, VA claims files, unit morning reports, sick-bay records, and documents the Veteran or family can provide. It takes longer, but it works more often than people think.
A warning about third-party "DD-214" websites
Several private websites offer to "expedite" your DD-214 for a fee — sometimes hundreds of dollars. Don't pay them. They submit the same free request to NPRC that you can submit yourself. The only official, free sources are the National Archives (eVetRecs / SF-180) and VA.gov.
"You got your DD-214. Now use it."
Once your DD-214 arrives, here's what comes next
The DD-214 is the key. The lock is VA.gov, ID.me, and Login.gov — the digital systems Veterans must navigate to enroll in healthcare, file disability claims, use the GI Bill, request travel reimbursement, or attend telehealth appointments.
For many Veterans — especially older or disabled Veterans — those digital systems are the real barrier, not the paperwork. That's where we come in.
The Veterans DD-214 Project is a Texas nonprofit organization (501(c)(3) determination pending) providing free remote tech support to any Veteran with a DD-214. We help you log in, set up ID.me, attend your first telehealth visit, file travel claims, and — when needed — give you a refurbished computer at no cost. Always free.