How to Request Your Military Service Records: SF-180 and eVetRecs

To request military service records, file a Standard Form 180 with the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, or submit the same request online through the eVetRecs portal at vetrecs.archives.gov. Either route reaches the same office and produces the same result: a copy of the veteran’s DD Form 214, personnel file, or medical records, sent at no charge to the veteran or eligible next of kin.1National Archives. Request Military Personnel Records Using Standard Form 180

Who Can Request Records

Veterans can request their own records freely. When the veteran is deceased, the SF-180 instruction sheet allows the following next of kin to request records: the unmarried surviving spouse, father, mother, son, daughter, sister, or brother.2General Services Administration. Standard Form 180 – Request Pertaining to Military Records Next of kin must submit proof of the veteran’s death with the request. Any of these will do:

  • A copy of the death certificate
  • A newspaper obituary or death notice
  • A coroner’s report of death
  • A funeral director’s signed statement of death
  • A verdict of a coroner’s jury
  • DD Form 1300 (Casualty Report)

The signed SF-180 itself serves as your declaration of relationship; no separate affidavit is usually required.2General Services Administration. Standard Form 180 – Request Pertaining to Military Records

Third parties, including researchers, attorneys, and former employers, generally need written, signed authorization from the veteran (or next of kin, if deceased) before the NPRC will release restricted information under the Privacy Act.3National Archives. Access to Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) – Veterans and Next-of-Kin Records become archival and open to the public 62 years after the veteran’s separation from service. For 2026, that covers anyone who separated in 1964 or earlier.4National Archives. Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF), Non-Archival Holdings Archival copies carry a fee; requests by veterans and next of kin do not.

Information to Gather Before You Start

Incomplete requests are the most common reason for delays. Before you fill anything out, pull together:

The form also asks what you want. Most requesters need the DD Form 214, the Report of Separation, but you can also ask for the complete personnel file, medical and health records, or specific documents like award citations. The more precisely you name what you want, the less back-and-forth the NPRC needs.

Submitting the Request: SF-180 vs. eVetRecs

Both methods run the same search at the NPRC, so pick whichever is easier for you. The SF-180 is a fillable PDF available from the National Archives site or GSA.gov. Type your information in, print it, sign it in cursive, and date it within the past year. Unsigned or undated requests are rejected.

eVetRecs presents the same fields in a web form, but you still have to print, sign, and mail or fax a signature verification page at the end. Federal law requires a handwritten signature to authorize release of personal records.5National Archives. Military Service Records The online portal now also requires you to verify your identity through an ID.me account before you can begin.6National Archives. eVetRecs Help If you don’t already use ID.me and want to move quickly, the paper form is often faster to get in the mail.

Send the completed request through one of three channels:

There is no fee for veterans or next of kin.

Emergency, Funeral, and Burial Requests

If you need records urgently for a funeral or medical emergency, use the expedited route rather than the standard one. Write “Emergency” in the purpose section of the SF-180 and fax it to the Customer Service Team at 314-801-0764, not the standard fax number.8National Archives. Funeral Home Director Information Include proof of death. For questions about emergency requests, call 314-801-0800.

If the veteran will be buried at a VA National Cemetery, skip the NPRC entirely. Contact the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117; they coordinate directly with the NPRC to verify service eligibility for burial benefits. For burials at non-federal cemeteries, fax the SF-180 with proof of death to 314-801-0764, and the NPRC will prioritize the request so the DD Form 214 is available in time for military funeral honors.9National Archives. Emergency Requests

How Long It Takes and Checking Status

The NPRC does not publish guaranteed turnaround times. Response speed depends on the complexity of the request, the age of the records, and current workload.10National Archives. Request Military Service Records As a rough benchmark, standard requests can take 90 days or more. Requests that require reconstruction after the 1973 fire may take six months or longer.

Give it about 10 days before you check status. Then:

  • If you have a request number, go to vetrecs.archives.gov and select “Check status of existing request”
  • If you don’t, use the status update form at archives.gov/personnel-records-center/forms with your name, address, phone number, and the veteran’s branch of service11National Archives. Check the Status of a Request for Military Service Records

You can also call 314-801-0800. Hold times are often long; the quietest hours are before 10:00 a.m. and after 3:00 p.m. Central Time.10National Archives. Request Military Service Records If a request has been pending for an unreasonable length of time, contacting your member of Congress is a legitimate step. Congressional offices work with a dedicated NPRC casework liaison at 314-801-0816 and can often move stalled cases.12National Archives. Congressional Information

If the Records Burned in the 1973 Fire

A fire at the NPRC on July 12, 1973, destroyed roughly 16 to 18 million Official Military Personnel Files. Two cohorts were hit hardest: Army personnel discharged between November 1, 1912, and January 1, 1960 (about 80 percent lost), and Air Force personnel with surnames alphabetically after “Hubbard, James E.” who were discharged between September 25, 1947, and January 1, 1964 (about 75 percent lost).13National Archives. The 1973 Fire, National Personnel Records Center

If your records fall in one of those windows, still submit the SF-180. The NPRC has spent decades reconstructing service information from surviving sources and can often piece together enough to verify service dates, rank, and discharge status. Include every scrap of detail you have: old copies of documents, unit assignments, duty stations. The more alternate identifiers you supply, the more places the NPRC can look. Expect a longer wait.

Medals and Corrections: What the SF-180 Does and Does Not Cover

Replacement medals and decorations run through the same channel. Submit an SF-180 or use eVetRecs, specify that you need replacement medals, and the NPRC verifies eligibility before forwarding the request to the veteran’s branch of service for issuance. A copy of the DD Form 214 speeds things along because it lists the awards received. There is no charge. For Air Force and Coast Guard veterans whose records are archival (62 or more years old), the branch may not process next-of-kin medal requests directly; families then need to obtain a copy of the personnel file and buy replacement medals from a commercial source.14National Archives. Replace Veterans’ Medals, Awards, and Decorations

The SF-180 will not correct errors in a record. If a discharge characterization, award, rank, or other entry is wrong, that requires a separate application on DD Form 149 to the Board for Correction of Military Records (or, for Navy and Marine Corps, the Board for Correction of Naval Records).15Washington Headquarters Services. Application for Correction of Military Record Under the Provisions of Title 10, U.S. Code, Section 1552 The statutory deadline is three years from discovery of the error, though the boards can waive it in the interest of justice.16Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 1552 – Correction of Military Records: Claims Incident Thereto Filing an SF-180 first is often a sensible move: you need to see the record before you can say what’s wrong with it.