To get a copy of your VA C-File, submit VA Form 20-10206 to the Department of Veterans Affairs online, by mail, by fax, or in person at a Regional Office. The form is a combined Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act request, and a first copy is free for non-commercial requesters. Processing can take anywhere from a couple of months to over a year, so file the request well before any claim or appeal deadline you’re working toward.
What You’ll Get
The C-File is the VA’s full administrative record on you. A complete copy includes your DD-214 and other service personnel records, service treatment records, VA medical records, private medical evidence you’ve submitted, Compensation and Pension exam reports, every application and piece of correspondence you’ve sent, rating decisions with their reasoning, and code sheets showing diagnostic codes, percentages, and effective dates.1National Archives. DD Form 214 Discharge Papers and Separation Documents
This is broader than what you can pull from My HealtheVet. That portal shows your VA treatment records; the C-File is the full evidence file an adjudicator sees when deciding a claim.
Information to Have Ready
Before you fill out Form 20-10206, gather the following:2Department of Veterans Affairs. VA Form 20-10206 Information and Instructions
- Your full legal name as it appeared during military service, especially if it has changed since.
- Your Social Security Number.
- Your VA file number, if you have one. Including it helps the agency locate your record faster.
- Your service dates (entry and discharge), which the VA checks against National Personnel Records Center data.
- A working mailing address and phone number.
The form has a field where you describe the records you want. To get everything, write “entire Claims File (C-File)” in that section. If you list specific documents instead, the VA will send only what you described, and you may miss records you didn’t know were there.
One boundary to know: Form 20-10206 is only for requesting your own records.3Veterans Affairs. Request Personal Records A surviving spouse, dependent, or anyone else requesting a veteran’s records has to submit a FOIA request through the VA’s Public Access Link (PAL) portal instead.
Use the current version of the form from va.gov/vaforms. An outdated version can get the request bounced back and add months to the wait.
How to Submit the Form
You have four options for filing.4Veterans Affairs. About VA Form 20-10206
- Online, through the VA’s website. This is the fastest submission channel.
- By mail to the Department of Veterans Affairs Evidence Intake Center, PO Box 4444, Janesville, WI 53547-4444.2Department of Veterans Affairs. VA Form 20-10206 Information and Instructions
- By fax to (844) 531-7818.5FOIA.gov. Freedom of Information Act – Office of the Executive Secretary
- In person at your local VA Regional Office, where staff can scan the form into the system.
Sign the form before sending. Unsigned requests get returned.
Timeline, Fees, and How the File Arrives
Once the VA receives your request, it assigns a tracking number and starts processing. Timelines vary a lot. Simple FOIA requests average about 42 working days at the VA, but C-File requests usually run longer because of the volume of records involved. A large file, or a backlog at the office handling your request, can push the wait past a year.
Costs are modest for most veterans. Non-commercial requesters get the first 100 pages of reproduced documents free. After that, paper copies run $0.15 per page and CDs or DVDs run $3.00 each.6eCFR. 38 CFR 1.561 – Fees Because most C-Files are large, the VA typically delivers them on a CD or DVD rather than paper, so the out-of-pocket cost for a first request is often zero.
When the file arrives, go through it carefully. Compare what’s there against the claims and treatment you know should be documented. Missing records are more common than you’d expect, and catching gaps early gives you time to file a follow-up request or find substitute evidence before a deadline.
A Faster Path Through an Accredited Representative
If you’ve appointed a Veterans Service Organization as your representative using VA Form 21-22, that organization gains authorized access to your records.7Veterans Benefits Administration. VA Form 21-22 – Appointment of Veterans Service Organization as Claimant’s Representative Accredited VSO representatives and VA-recognized attorneys can view your electronic claims folder (the eFolder) in real time through the Veterans Benefits Management System. Veterans themselves don’t have direct VBMS login access.
Working with a representative can therefore be a faster way to see what’s in your file than waiting for FOIA processing to deliver a copy. A representative can pull up your eFolder, flag missing evidence, and walk you through prior rating decisions. The Form 21-22 authorization stays in effect until you revoke it in writing or appoint a different representative.
Asking for Expedited Processing
If you have an urgent need, you can ask for expedited processing of your FOIA request by explaining in writing why your situation qualifies under 38 CFR 1.551. The VA evaluates these requests case by case, and a denial of expedited processing can itself be appealed.8Department of Veterans Affairs. FOIA Frequently Asked Questions
This is separate from priority processing of a disability claim, which is a different request (VA Form 20-10207) that speeds up the claim itself rather than the records request.
If the VA Denies or Ignores Your Request
Under FOIA, the VA has 20 business days to make an initial determination on your request.9FOIA.gov. Freedom of Information Act Statute If the agency denies the request in whole or in part, or fails to respond within that window, you can file an administrative appeal.
Send appeals in writing to the VA Office of the General Counsel (024), 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420, and mark the envelope or fax “Freedom of Information Act Appeal.” The appeal must be postmarked or received within 90 calendar days of the adverse determination.10eCFR. 38 CFR 1.559 – Appeals The agency then has another 20 business days to decide the appeal.9FOIA.gov. Freedom of Information Act Statute If the appeal is denied, or the VA misses that deadline too, you can take the matter to federal court.
Why Your C-File May Be Thin: the 1973 NPRC Fire
Not every C-File is complete. In July 1973, a fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis destroyed an estimated 16 to 18 million military personnel records. About 80% of Army records for personnel discharged between November 1912 and January 1960 were lost, along with about 75% of Air Force records for personnel discharged between September 1947 and January 1964.11National Archives. Remembering the 1973 NPRC Fire Fact Sheet
No master list of destroyed records exists, so you won’t know whether your file was affected until you request it. If records are missing, the National Archives will send a response letter explaining what happened and providing whatever it could reconstruct from alternative federal sources. NARA staff can also issue a document that substitutes for a DD-214 when you need proof of service for a benefit application. If your service falls within the affected periods and your C-File comes back thin, the fire is likely why, and working with an accredited representative to build alternative evidence becomes especially important.