To get a DD214 for a deceased relative, next of kin submit a Standard Form 180 to the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, along with proof of the veteran’s death and proof of your relationship. The request is free. You can mail or fax the form, or start it online through eVetRecs. If a funeral is imminent, there is a separate emergency track that can turn the record around in a day or two.
Who Counts as Next of Kin
The National Archives limits access to a deceased veteran’s full, unredacted DD214 to next of kin and authorized representatives. Next of kin means the unremarried surviving spouse, a parent, child, brother, or sister of the deceased veteran.1National Archives. Access to Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) – Veterans and Next-of-Kin
You’ll need to provide two things with your request: proof the veteran has died, and proof of your relationship. Acceptable proof of death includes a death certificate, a letter from the funeral home, or a published obituary.2National Archives. Request Military Service Records – Who Can Request Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF)
If you aren’t next of kin but you’re serving as executor or administrator of the estate, you may still request the record as an authorized representative. The NPRC will want documentation of that legal authority, such as letters testamentary or a court appointment order.
One boundary worth noting. Once 62 years have passed since the veteran’s separation from service, the file becomes an archival public record and anyone can order it, but NARA charges a copying fee in that case. For most families dealing with a recent death, this doesn’t apply, and the next-of-kin route above is free.3National Archives. Request Military Service Records
Information to Gather Before You File
The NPRC needs enough identifying detail to locate the right file. Before you fill out anything, pull together as much of the following as you can:3National Archives. Request Military Service Records
- Full name used during service, including maiden name if applicable
- Service number or Social Security number
- Branch of service (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard)
- Dates of service, at least approximately
- Date and place of birth, which helps when the service number is unknown
Missing an item or two won’t necessarily kill your request, but gaps slow it down. Old discharge papers, enlistment documents, veterans’ organization membership cards, and letters the veteran sent home during service can all contain clues that fill in the blanks.
How to Submit a Standard Request
When the request isn’t tied to an urgent burial, you have three practical routes.
Standard Form 180 by Mail or Fax
The SF-180 (revised March 2024) is the main form for requesting military records. Download it from the National Archives website. Fill in Section I with the veteran’s identifying information. In Section II, check the box for “DD Form 214 or equivalent” and note the separation year; Section II also lets you specify that you want an unredacted copy, which is what you’ll usually need for benefits. Section III asks for your name, address, relationship to the veteran, and signature.3National Archives. Request Military Service Records
Mail the signed form, together with proof of death and proof of relationship, to:
National Personnel Records Center
Military Personnel Records
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, MO 631384eCFR. 36 CFR Part 1253 – Location of NARA Facilities and Hours of Use
To fax instead, send everything to 314-801-9195.5National Archives. Request Military Personnel Records Using Standard Form 180
Online Through eVetRecs
The eVetRecs system at the National Archives lets you start the request digitally. You fill out the veteran’s information and select the type of record you need. The system may still require you to print a signature verification page and mail or fax it before the request is fully processed, so read the instructions after you submit.6National Archives. eVetRecs – Request Veteran Records
Help From a Veterans Service Officer
If the paperwork feels like a lot, an accredited Veterans Service Officer can walk you through it at no charge. The VA maintains a directory of accredited representatives searchable by location.7U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Find A VA Accredited Representative Or VSO State and county veterans agencies can also submit records requests on behalf of next of kin.8U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Request Your Military Service Records (Including DD214) This route is particularly useful for older relatives who aren’t comfortable navigating federal forms.
Emergency Requests for Burial and Funeral Honors
When the DD214 is needed for a burial or for military funeral honors, the standard process is too slow. Use one of the two emergency paths instead.
For interment at a VA national cemetery, call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117. That office coordinates directly with the NPRC to verify service, so you don’t need to send a separate SF-180.9National Archives. Emergency Requests
For any other burial or for funeral honors, fill out the SF-180, note the urgency in the “Purpose” section, include proof of death and next-of-kin documentation, and fax everything to the NPRC Customer Service Team at 314-801-0764.10National Archives. NPRC Funeral Home Director Information Page You can also submit an emergency request through eVetRecs by selecting “Emergency Request” in the drop-down for the reason.9National Archives. Emergency Requests
Questions about an emergency request go to the NPRC Customer Service Line at 314-801-0800. Staff are available 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Central Time, and hold times tend to be longest between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.9National Archives. Emergency Requests
A DD214 showing honorable service establishes eligibility for military funeral honors. If the document can’t be located in time, the funeral director may be able to work with the NPRC and the relevant service branch to verify service through other means, but having the DD214 in hand avoids last-minute problems.
How Long It Takes and How to Check Status
The NPRC asks you to allow about 10 days for receipt and initial processing before checking on a request.11National Archives. Check the Status of a Request for Military Service Records In practice, straightforward requests often take a few weeks. Complicated ones can stretch to several months, especially when the file requires additional searching.
The DD214 arrives by mail at the address you gave on the SF-180. To check on the request, use the online status tool on the National Archives site. You’ll need the SR number assigned to your request; if you don’t have it, you can still submit an inquiry using your name, address, phone number, and the veteran’s branch of service. Or call the NPRC Customer Service Line at 314-801-0800.11National Archives. Check the Status of a Request for Military Service Records
If the Records Were Lost in the 1973 Fire
A fire at the National Personnel Records Center in July 1973 destroyed an estimated 16 to 18 million military personnel files. The hardest-hit records were Army personnel discharged between November 1912 and January 1960 (roughly 80 percent lost) and Air Force personnel discharged between September 1947 and January 1964 whose surnames fell alphabetically after Hubbard (roughly 75 percent lost). Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard records were stored separately and were not affected.12National Archives. Remembering the 1973 NPRC Fire Fact Sheet
If your relative falls in that range, the NPRC will try to reconstruct the record from unit records, morning reports, and hospital admission records maintained by the Surgeon General’s office, and may contact other agencies for supporting documentation.13Veterans Affairs. Reconstruct Military Records Destroyed in NPRC Fire
You may receive NA Form 13075, a questionnaire asking for any details you can provide about the veteran’s service. This form exists specifically to help rebuild files that were destroyed or can’t be located from the original information.14National Archives. NA Form 13075 – Questionnaire About Military Service Dig through family papers before returning it. Old enlistment contracts, discharge certificates, letters with unit details, VA correspondence, and photographs showing unit insignia can give the NPRC enough to work with. The more you provide, the better the chance of a successful reconstruction.
Correcting Errors on the DD214
Sometimes the DD214 arrives with mistakes, or the family wants to pursue a discharge upgrade. Next of kin and survivors can request corrections, but the process runs through the veteran’s service branch rather than the National Archives.15National Archives. Correcting Military Service Records
- For minor factual errors on records where the veteran separated fewer than 62 years ago, contact the personnel command for the branch (for example, Army Human Resources Command or Navy Personnel Command).
- For errors on archival records (separated 62 or more years ago), apply to the review board for the relevant service branch.
- For a discharge upgrade, the next of kin or surviving spouse may file DoD Form 293 for a review of the discharge characterization. That board can change discharges that were not issued by a general court-martial.
- For broader corrections, including court-martial discharges or any discharge more than 15 years old, file DD Form 149, Application for Correction of Military Records, with the appropriate Board for Correction of Military Records.
The National Archives no longer creates the DD Form 215 supplemental correction document; under updated Department of Defense guidance, corrections now go through the service branches directly.15National Archives. Correcting Military Service Records