To download your VA award letter online, sign in at VA.gov/records/download-va-letters with a verified Login.gov or ID.me account and select the Benefit Summary and Service Verification Letter. That is the document the VA issues as your official award letter, and it prints as a PDF you can save or send within a few minutes. If your account is already set up and verified, the whole process takes about five minutes. If you still need to create an account and verify your identity, plan on 15 to 30 minutes the first time.
Sign In With Login.gov or ID.me
VA.gov accepts only two sign-in providers now: Login.gov and ID.me. The older options are gone. My HealtheVet sign-in was retired on March 5, 2025, and DS Logon was removed on November 18, 2025.1Veterans Affairs. Prepare For VA’s Secure Sign-In Changes If either of those is what you used to use, you’ll need to create a Login.gov or ID.me account before you can go any further.
Setup at either provider looks about the same. You give a personal email, create a password of at least 12 characters, and set up multifactor authentication using a text code, an authenticator app, or face or touch unlock on a compatible device.2Login.gov. Issues With Face or Touch Unlock
Verify Your Identity
A signed-in account is not enough on its own. VA.gov requires identity verification before it will show you benefit letters. Have these ready before you start:
- A valid photo ID. Login.gov accepts a U.S. driver’s license or state-issued ID. ID.me also accepts a U.S. passport or passport card.
- A smartphone or tablet with a camera. ID.me will also let you upload images from a computer.
- Your Social Security number.
You’ll photograph your ID, and the system may compare it to a selfie.3Veterans Affairs. Verifying Your Identity on VA.gov If the automated check can’t verify you, ID.me offers a video call with a live agent as a fallback.
Downloading the Letter
Once you’re signed in with a verified account, the steps are short:
- Go straight to va.gov/records/download-va-letters, or from your dashboard click Records and then Download your benefit letters.
- Check the mailing address the VA has on file. That address prints on the letter. You can update it, but the letter is valid either way.4Veterans Affairs. Download VA Benefit Letters
- Select “Benefit summary and service verification letter” from the list of available letters.
- Download the PDF. You’ll need a current version of Adobe Acrobat Reader to open it. Reader is free.
Which Letter to Choose
The download page lists several letter types, and the wrong pick is a common snag. Two of them account for almost every real-world request.
The Benefit Summary and Service Verification Letter is what people usually mean by “award letter.” It shows your combined disability rating, service dates, and discharge status. Lenders, employers, state tax offices, and housing programs almost always want this one because it confirms your current benefits at a glance.4Veterans Affairs. Download VA Benefit Letters
The Decision Letter is different. It explains the VA’s reasoning on a specific claim: which conditions were granted or denied, the rating assigned to each, the effective date, and your appeal options. If you recently filed or appealed a claim, the decision letter appears on your download page once the VA finishes processing.4Veterans Affairs. Download VA Benefit Letters
The page also offers a civil service preference letter, commissary letter, minimum essential coverage letter (for Affordable Care Act purposes), and a proof of service card. Pick those only if a specific program has asked for that specific document.
When Sign-In or the Letter Won’t Work
The single most common problem is a failed sign-in, and the fix almost always lives with your sign-in provider, not with the VA. If you forgot your Login.gov or ID.me password, reset it directly through that provider. VA call center agents cannot reset those passwords.5Veterans Affairs. Signing In To VA.gov
If you’ve reset your password and still can’t get in, call MyVA411 at 800-698-2411 and press 0.5Veterans Affairs. Signing In To VA.gov For VA.gov technical problems specifically, call the same number and press 9, then 3.6Veterans Affairs. Contact Us
If you can sign in but your letters page is empty, or a decision letter you’re expecting isn’t there, the claim is probably still being processed. A pending claim doesn’t produce a downloadable decision letter until the rating is finalized. Call the VA benefits hotline at 800-827-1000, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET, to check the status of a specific claim or ask about a missing letter.7Veterans Affairs. Helpful VA Phone Numbers
Getting the Letter Without Signing In
If online access isn’t working for you, there are three offline routes. Call the VA benefits hotline at 800-827-1000 and ask for the benefit summary letter to be mailed or faxed.7Veterans Affairs. Helpful VA Phone Numbers Visit your local VA regional office in person and ask a representative to print a copy. Or, if you work with a Veterans Service Organization such as the VFW, DAV, or American Legion, your representative can often pull the letter for you.