To request NGB Form 55, the Army National Guard Honorable Discharge Certificate, complete a Standard Form 180 (Request Pertaining to Military Records) and send it to the state military department where you served, or submit the request online through the National Archives’ eVetRecs portal. On the SF-180, write out “NGB Form 55 — Honorable Discharge Certificate” by name so a clerk doesn’t send you a different separation document by mistake.
The certificate itself is a one-page document titled “Honorable Discharge from the Armed Forces of the United States” that confirms you were discharged from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve with honor.1Army Board for Correction of Military Records. Army Board for Correction of Military Records Docket Number AR20190000173 It does not list your dates of service, units, rank, specialty, or awards.2U.S. Department of Defense. Documentation Needed to Receive Funeral Honors For that information you want NGB Form 22, the National Guard Report of Separation and Record of Service, which records enlistment and discharge dates, pay grade, decorations, education, and character of service.3National Guard Bureau. NGB Form 22 Sample Many veterans request both at the same time. If you served in the Air National Guard instead, your honorable discharge certificate is DD Form 256AF, not NGB Form 55.
One other boundary worth knowing: NGB Form 55A is issued to soldiers who left the Army National Guard by transferring to Army Reserve control rather than being fully discharged.1Army Board for Correction of Military Records. Army Board for Correction of Military Records Docket Number AR20190000173 Only soldiers whose service was characterized as Honorable at separation receive NGB Form 55.
Filling Out the SF-180
Download the SF-180 from the National Archives website or the General Services Administration forms portal.4National Archives. Request Military Personnel Records Using Standard Form 1805General Services Administration. Request Pertaining to Military Records Three sections matter:
In Section I, put down your full legal name as it appeared during service, your Social Security Number, your service identification number, your branch (Army National Guard), your exact enlistment and discharge dates, and your last unit or duty station. Your date and place of birth help staff locate the file if your service number isn’t available.
In Section II, check “Other” and write in “NGB Form 55 — Honorable Discharge Certificate.” If you also want your NGB Form 22, list both. Being specific here is the single most important step in the whole request.
Section III of the form tells you where to send the completed request based on your branch and service dates. For most Guard veterans, that’s the state where you served.
Where to Send the Request
National Guard discharge records are held by the state where you served, not by a single federal archive.6National Guard Bureau Publications and Forms Library. Service Records Send your SF-180 to that state’s Adjutant General office or its military records division. Contact information is available through each state’s National Guard website.
Online Through eVetRecs
The National Archives runs an online request system called eVetRecs that accepts electronic submissions instead of a mailed SF-180.7National Archives and Records Administration. Request Veteran Records For National Guard requests, the system notes that the request may be forwarded to the Adjutant General of the appropriate state, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico. You can also use eVetRecs to check status and retrieve the response once it’s ready.
Older Records at the National Personnel Records Center
If your file has been transferred from state custody to federal archives, which happens with older records, send the SF-180 to the National Personnel Records Center instead:8National Archives. National Personnel Records Center
National Personnel Records Center
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, MO 63138
A July 1973 fire at the NPRC destroyed millions of military personnel files. Records from before the mid-1970s may have been affected, which can delay a request or make full reconstruction impossible. The National Archives publishes guidance on alternative documentation for veterans whose files were lost.
Processing Time
There is no single published timeline. How quickly you hear back depends on the state’s workload and whether your records are on hand or need to be pulled from archives. Keep a copy of the SF-180 you sent and any mailing receipts. If several weeks pass without a response, contact the state military records office directly for a status check.
If the Veteran Is Deceased
Certain family members can request NGB Form 55 on a deceased veteran’s behalf. The National Archives defines eligible next of kin as an un-remarried surviving spouse, parent, son, daughter, brother, or sister.4National Archives. Request Military Personnel Records Using Standard Form 180
Attach proof of death with the SF-180. A death certificate copy, a letter from the funeral home, or a published obituary is acceptable.9National Archives. Military Service Records The person submitting the request must sign and date it. Otherwise the process is the same: fill in the veteran’s service details and send the packet to the state military department or through eVetRecs.
If There’s an Error, or You Didn’t Get an Honorable Discharge
If your certificate has an incorrect name or date, apply for a correction using DD Form 149 (Application for Correction of Military Record) to the Army Review Boards Agency, which handles Army National Guard cases.10U.S. Department of Defense. DD Form 149 – Application for Correction of Military Record Applications are due within three years of discovering the error, though the board can waive that deadline in the interest of justice. The Army offers an online portal, which is faster than mailing paper.
If you didn’t receive an Honorable characterization at separation, you weren’t issued NGB Form 55, but you can apply for a discharge upgrade. Within 15 years of discharge, submit DD Form 293 to your branch’s Discharge Review Board; the form lists “Guard” as a selectable component.11U.S. Department of Defense. DD Form 293 – Application for the Review of Discharge or Dismissal from the Armed Forces After 15 years, apply instead to the Board for Correction of Military Records using DD Form 149.12National Archives. Correcting Military Service Records If the board upgrades your discharge to Honorable, you become eligible for NGB Form 55 and the board’s decision will also trigger corrections to your NGB Form 22.