DA Form 5123 is the Army’s In- and Out-Processing Records Checklist, prescribed by Army Regulation 600-8-101 and used at the process control station to verify a soldier has the right documents and records when arriving at or departing from a duty station.1U.S. Army Fort Lewis-McChord. DA PAM 600-8-101 Personnel Processing It is the records check, not the sign-off sheet you walk from office to office. That job belongs to two other forms.
How DA Form 5123 Differs From the 137-1 and 137-2
Soldiers regularly mix up these three forms because they all show up in the same folder during a PCS, separation, or retirement. The distinction matters.
DA Form 5123 confirms your records are complete and portable. DA Form 137-1 is the Unit Clearance Record, and DA Form 137-2 is the Installation Clearance Record. Those two are where each agency physically signs off that you have met your obligations to that office.2AskTOP.net. DA Form 137-1 Unit Clearance Record All three are prescribed by AR 600-8-101, and together they build the paper trail that follows you between duty stations.
The 137-1 states its own purpose plainly: verify readiness before a PCS, close out personnel and finance records, and flag any debts to the government so they can be resolved before the soldier leaves.2AskTOP.net. DA Form 137-1 Unit Clearance Record DA Form 5123 feeds that process. If your medical file is missing pages or your personnel record is out of date, this is the checklist where the gap surfaces before it becomes a problem at your next unit.
What Documents the Checklist Covers
The exact line items on DA Form 5123 vary slightly by installation, but the categories are consistent Army-wide. Expect the checklist to account for:
- Personnel records, including your Enlisted or Officer Record Brief, a copy of your PCS or separation orders, and your DD Form 93 (Record of Emergency Data).
- Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance elections, verified and current.
- Complete medical and dental records that will move with you to the gaining installation or to the VA if you are separating.
- Documentation of your current security clearance status, which the gaining unit needs to establish access.
- For out-processing, proof you have cleared the Central Issue Facility and returned government-issued equipment.
Assembling these before your clearing papers arrive is the single most useful thing you can do for a clean transition. Waiting until the 14-day mark to start pulling records almost guarantees you will find something missing and lose days you cannot spare.
When It Happens: The IPPS-A Timeline
The Army now runs out-processing clearance through the Integrated Personnel and Pay System. Your unit S-1 submits a Personnel Action Request on your behalf no later than 20 calendar days before your departure date for a PCS, or your report date to a separation or retirement center.3U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii. Installation Out-Processing Briefing Inside IPPS-A, the PAR routes as Admin Records Correction, then Other, then Clearing Papers, with your DA 137-1 and DA 137-2 attached as supporting documents.4U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii. Out-Processing Clearance Briefing
Once the PAR reaches the Military Personnel Division’s Out-Processing Control Center, staff there review it and correct errors. That 20-day window exists so problems can be worked before your clearing papers need to be in your hands. Clearing papers are issued no later than 14 business days before your departure date.3U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii. Installation Out-Processing Briefing Miss the 20-day submission deadline and the PAR gets kicked back to the S-1 without being processed.4U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii. Out-Processing Clearance Briefing That is when timelines start collapsing.
Using the Checklist to Out-Process
With clearing papers issued, you visit each agency listed on the 137-1 and 137-2 to collect signatures. The process typically starts at your unit S-1, which issues the paperwork and gives you an initial briefing.5U.S. Army Fort Knox. Finance PCS Exit Briefing Out-Processing Information From there, the order is whatever the schedule allows.
Finance verifies pay accounts, works outstanding travel claims, and identifies debts that must be settled before departure. At many installations, the S-1 reviews your PCS paperwork first and then coordinates a finance appointment rather than sending you in cold.5U.S. Army Fort Knox. Finance PCS Exit Briefing Out-Processing Information Bring orders, any advance-pay documentation, and receipts for expenses over $75.
Housing inspects and clears government quarters if you occupied them. Medical and dental facilities update and close out your health records so care can continue at your next location. Separating soldiers use this step to obtain the records they will need for VA disability claims or civilian healthcare enrollment.
The Central Issue Facility is where most out-processing snags happen. Every piece of organizational clothing and individual equipment issued to you has to be accounted for. Missing or damaged items produce a Statement of Charges, and an unresolved CIF debt can stall the entire clearance. Bring your clothing record printout and know your inventory before you show up. Items issued through unit supply, such as JSLIST protective gear, usually go back through unit channels rather than to CIF directly.
Depending on the installation, the clearance list may also include the Transportation Office for your household goods move, vehicle registration, the library, and your training shop. Each signature confirms you have no outstanding obligation to that agency. Once every stop on both papers is signed off, you return to your unit for final clearance from your commander or first sergeant.
Using the Checklist to In-Process
On the receiving end of a PCS, DA Form 5123 flips to its in-processing role. The process control station at your new installation uses it to confirm you arrived with the documents needed to integrate into the gaining unit.1U.S. Army Fort Lewis-McChord. DA PAM 600-8-101 Personnel Processing In-processing mirrors out-processing: you visit many of the same types of offices, but now you are opening accounts instead of closing them.
A typical in-processing packet includes your PCS orders, ID card, clearing papers from your prior unit, your most recent NCOER or OER (or a memo explaining why it was not completed before departure), advance-pay documentation, government housing paperwork from your previous installation, and supporting documents like marriage certificates and dependent birth certificates.6U.S. Army Recruiting Command. New Soldier In-Processing Checklist You cannot in-process without the clearing papers from the losing unit, so losing those mid-move creates a genuine problem.
Beyond S-1, expect stops at S-4 for equipment issue and vehicle registration, the training shop for fitness and weapons qualification records, and the resource manager for government travel card and DTS setup.6U.S. Army Recruiting Command. New Soldier In-Processing Checklist If you are enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program or have a Family Care Plan, bring that documentation as well.
Where Soldiers Get Tripped Up
The same handful of mistakes account for most out-processing pain.
Starting late is the biggest one. A PAR submitted outside the 20-day window is returned without action, and now you are chasing clearing papers while the report date stays fixed. Push your S-1 to submit on time and follow up to confirm the PAR was accepted.
CIF is the second reliable failure point. Soldiers who wait until the last week to inventory their gear discover items they thought were in a connex or loaned to another soldier months ago. Start reconciling your clothing record well before clearing papers arrive. Replacing a missing item through unit supply is manageable with time, and a Statement of Charges is worse than a rushed replacement.
For in-processing, the common failure is arriving without clearing papers from the losing installation. Without them, the gaining unit cannot process you in, which stalls pay actions, housing assignments, and the rest of what makes life functional at a new duty station. Keep physical copies in a folder you personally carry rather than shipping them with household goods.
Boundaries: Separation, Retirement, and Travel Claims
DA Form 5123 handles the records side of your move. It does not cover two adjacent processes that separating and retiring soldiers still owe attention.
The Transition Assistance Program is mandatory for soldiers leaving the Army, and the Army expects you to begin no later than 365 days before your anticipated separation date, with the Capstone event as the final TAP requirement. Reserve component soldiers mobilized for 180 days or more also fall under TAP; soldiers who completed it within the past 36 months with no change in tier level may be exempt.7MyArmyBenefits. Army Transition Assistance Program (TAP)
Travel claims continue after clearance. PCS travel claims go to DFAS Rome, and personally procured move claims run through the Transportation Office with your DD 1351-2, DD 2278, orders, weight tickets, and receipts. Separating soldiers must complete all travel within 180 days of their separation date, limited to the home of record or place of entry into active duty. Retiring soldiers have three years from the retirement date on their orders and can claim travel to any U.S. location where they plan to reside.8DFAS. End of Military Service Miss those deadlines and reimbursement is forfeited. No one will remind you once you are out.