About the DD-214

In response to inquiries about the form DD-214, Report of Separation:

The DD-214 can now be requested online, but ONLY BY:

• A military veteran, or 
• Next of kin of a deceased, former member of the military. 

The next of kin can be any of the following: surviving spouse that has not remarried, father, mother, son, daughter, sister, or brother. Persons fitting one of these two categories can request military records online from the eVetRecs Website at: http://www.archives.gov/research_room/vetrecs/. Be sure to read all instructions before beginning the request process.

If you are not the veteran or next of kin, you must complete the Standard Form 180 (SF 180). You can obtain this form from Fax-on-Demand, or download it, then mail or fax it to the appropriate address on the form.

The Defense Department issues to each veteran a DD-214, identifying the veteran's condition of discharge - honorable, general, other than honorable, dishonorable or bad conduct.

For complete instructions on how to apply for a copy of your DD-214, see Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) including Active Duty Health Records from the National Archives and Records Administration.

To apply for a copy of your DD-214, you will need to submit a form SF-180 Request Pertaining to Military Records, which you can download from: http://www.archives.gov/research_room/obtain_copies/standard_form_180.pdf

Be sure to download and complete BOTH SIDES of the SF-180. The back of the form contains important mailing addresses and instructions.

You will need the free Adobe Acrobat .pdf file viewer to print the SF-180. Download Adobe Acrobat.

The Standard Form 180 is formatted for legal size paper (8.5" x 14").  Please print that way if your printer can accommodate that.  If your printer can only print on letter size paper (8.5" x 11"), select "shrink to fit" when the Adobe Acrobat Reader "Print" dialog box appears.

Costs and Response Time
"Generally there is no charge for military personnel and health record information provided to veterans, next-of-kin, and authorized representatives. If your request involves a service fee, you will be notified as soon as that determination is made. Response time varies dependent upon the complexity of your request, the availability of records, and our workload. Please do not send a follow-up request before 90 days have elapsed as it may cause further delays."
       -- National Archives and Records Administration

Here are some more useful resources:

National Military Personnel Records Center
This site is provided for those seeking information regarding military personnel, health and medical records stored at National Personnel Records Center. It includes complete instructions for preparing and submitting requests.