OPM form DG-15 isn’t actually a form. DG-15 is the Document Group code the U.S. Office of Personnel Management uses to classify employment applications and resumes stored in a federal employee’s electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF). If you’re trying to get a copy of the application or resume that led to your federal appointment, you’ll request it from your agency’s HR office if you’re still employed, or from the National Personnel Records Center if you’ve separated.
What DG-15 Actually Covers
OPM’s Master Forms List designates DG-15 as “Employment Applications and Resumes” and classifies these documents as permanent records filed on the right (long-term) side of the Official Personnel Folder.1U.S. Office of Personnel Management. eOPF Master Forms List That permanent designation means the original application or resume stays in the folder for the life of the record.
Some attached materials come along under the DG-15 umbrella. The Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping directs agencies to file school transcripts (normally DG-05) on the right side of the folder when they are part of an application authorized for permanent retention under DG-15.2U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Operating Manual – The Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping Other hiring documents are filed separately: professional licenses required for the position go under DG-42, and veteran preference documentation is filed under DG-39 or DG-40.3Farm Service Agency. eOPF EHRI Master Forms List If you’re looking for one of those, requesting “DG-15” alone won’t produce it.
If You’re a Current Federal Employee
Contact your servicing human resources office. They’ll give you instructions for logging into your agency’s eOPF system, where you can view and download documents filed under each document group, including DG-15.4U.S. Office of Personnel Management. How Do I Access and Use eOPF? Access varies by agency. Some use single sign-on through the internal network; others issue separate eOPF credentials.
You have one Official Personnel Folder for your entire federal career, even if you move between agencies, so your DG-15 documents from every appointment should be there.5eCFR. 5 CFR Part 293 – Personnel Records
If You’ve Left Federal Service
Your Official Personnel Folder is transferred to the National Personnel Records Center within 120 days of separation.6National Archives and Records Administration. Official Personnel Folders (OPFs), Federal (Non-Archival) Holdings If fewer than 120 days have passed, write to your last employing agency. After that, request the records from the NPRC.
Under 5 U.S.C. 552a(b), every request must be submitted in writing, hand-signed in cursive, and dated within the past year. Include:
- Full name used during federal employment
- Date of birth
- Social Security number, if applicable
- Last employing agency and duty station location
- Beginning and ending dates of your federal employment
- A return address or fax number for the records
- A contact phone number in case staff have questions
Mail or fax your signed request to:
National Personnel Records Center, Annex
1411 Boulder Boulevard
Valmeyer, IL 62295
Fax: (618) 496-4903 or (618) 496-49046National Archives and Records Administration. Official Personnel Folders (OPFs), Federal (Non-Archival) Holdings
If your request is urgent, note the reason and the deadline in your letter. Faxing tends to draw a faster response than mail for time-sensitive requests.
How Long the Records Are Kept
DG-15 documents sit on the permanent side of the folder. The Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping defines long-term documents as records retained for 115 years from the employee’s date of birth.2U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Operating Manual – The Guide to Personnel Recordkeeping In practice, the NPRC keeps separated employees’ folders for 65 years after separation. Decades-old applications are still retrievable.
One reason to keep your own copy of anything you submit: if a folder is lost or destroyed, agencies reconstruct it under 5 CFR 293.309, and employees may be asked to furnish copies of their own application materials.
Related Document Groups You May Actually Want
If what you’re really after isn’t your application itself, the document you need probably lives in a different group:
- DG-05: Certified copies of school transcripts, unless filed as part of a retained application under DG-15
- DG-04: Certification of Investigation Notice, documenting background check results
- DG-30: Selective Service Registration Statement
- DG-38: Statements of Understanding of Employment Conditions
- DG-39 and DG-40: Documentation supporting 30-percent and 10-percent veteran disability preference
- DG-42: Professional licenses required for the position
The full Master Forms List, with every DG number, form name, and retention classification, is on OPM’s Enterprise Human Resources Integration page.1U.S. Office of Personnel Management. eOPF Master Forms List Your agency HR office can also identify which document group holds the specific record you need.