Common questions
How do I get a copy of my DD-214?
Many recent veterans can download it from milConnect. Everyone else can request it free from the National Archives with eVetRecs online or a signed SF-180 by mail or fax. The tool above shows which applies to your branch and the year you left.
Does it cost anything?
No. Official requests are free for records less than 62 years old. Some companies charge for copies you can get free. Records 62 or more years old are archival and carry a copying fee set by the National Archives.
Do I need my DD-214 to apply for VA benefits?
No. VA requests your DD-214 when it gets your application. It also requests your service medical records. A free VA-accredited representative can help you file. Mission-Ready Tools does not file or represent claims.
Can family get a veteran's records?
Yes. Next of kin is a surviving spouse who has not remarried, a parent, a child, or a sibling. Send proof of death, such as a death certificate, funeral home letter, or published obituary. For a burial in a VA national cemetery, you or the funeral director can call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117; if you do not have the DD-214, they will try to find the records. For a living veteran who cannot sign, a court-appointed legal guardian or someone with power of attorney can sign and attach a copy of that paper.
I was in the Guard. Do I have a DD-214?
For federal active duty periods: usually 90 or more days in a row, or more than 30 days on orders for a contingency operation such as a deployment. Each qualifying period gets its own DD-214. Your Guard separation record is the NGB Form 22, kept by your state's Adjutant General office. Left the Guard or Reserve in 2025 or later? A DoD rule requires a DD Form 214-1 (a summary of Guard or Reserve service) with your final DD-214. Check both for errors; if something is wrong or missing, ask the office that issued it for a correction on a DD Form 215. Retired and never got a DD-214? It is not automatic. Ask your last personnel office. Air Force and Air Guard members can also use Ask a Question in myFSS and ask the Air Reserve Personnel Center (ARPC) for one.
What if my records burned in the 1973 fire?
Ask anyway. The fire hit Army discharges from November 1912 to January 1960 and Air Force discharges from September 1947 to January 1964 (last names after Hubbard). The records center rebuilds files from other sources. Add your place of discharge, last unit, and place of entry to the request.
How long does it take?
It varies, and the Archives gives no set time. Wait 90 days before you send a follow-up, and check status in eVetRecs or by phone at 314-801-0800.
Official links
Help keep this accurate
The National Archives and your branch are the official sources, and the office that holds the record decides. Something outdated, or works differently for your branch? Send us a note with the tool name, what to change, and a source. Please never include your SSN, DoD ID, or medical details.
Version 1.1. Checked October 28, 2026, against archives.gov, va.gov, the SF-180, DoDI 1336.01, and ARPC.
The fine print
A planning aid, not a guarantee. Independent free tool, not affiliated with DoD, the military services, the National Archives, or VA. Not legal advice. We never file or represent VA claims.
More free tools
Missing Retirement Records Request Kit (Air National Guard), Leaving the Military Deadline Calculator, VA Claim Organizer, Family Emergency Records Kit. See all Veterans tools or all free tools.
Free tool · All services · Planning aid
Where do I ask for military records?
Answer five questions. You get the right office, the fastest way to ask, and what to have ready. The records office decides what it can send. Nothing you type is saved or sent; we count which options are picked, never the year or personal details.
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Mission-Ready Tools is an independent resource, not affiliated with DoD, the military services, the National Archives, or VA. Official requests for records less than 62 years old are generally free. Rules and offices change; the office that holds the record decides. Version 1.3, checked October 28, 2026, against archives.gov, va.gov, the SF-180, DoDI 1336.01, and ARPC.
How to Get Your DD-214 and Military Records
Lost your DD-214, or need a parent's records for a burial or benefits? Answer five questions and see which office to ask, the fastest way to ask, and what to have ready. Free, all services.