What Is an SCRA Report and How Do You Get One?

An SCRA report is a free certificate from the Defense Manpower Data Center that confirms whether a specific person is on active military duty as of a date you choose. You get one at scra.dmdc.osd.mil using the person’s Social Security Number, and the site generates a downloadable PDF that courts accept as proof of military status.¹

What the Certificate Actually Confirms

The certificate answers three questions about the person you search: whether they are on active duty as of your chosen date, whether they left active duty within 367 days of that date, and whether they have received a notification to report for active duty.¹²³

The Defense Manpower Data Center is the central source for identifying and authenticating Department of Defense personnel, which is why courts treat its output as the standard evidence when deciding whether SCRA protections apply.⁴

Who Needs to Pull One

Anyone seeking a default judgment in a civil case has to check. Federal law bars a court from entering a default judgment until the plaintiff files an affidavit stating whether the defendant is in military service, and the SCRA certificate is the standard exhibit backing that affidavit.⁵ Creditors, collections firms, landlords pursuing eviction, and lawyers handling any civil matter where the defendant may not appear all fall into this group.

The pool of people who might be covered is broader than many plaintiffs expect. Active duty members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, and Coast Guard are covered. So are National Guard members called to active service for more than 30 consecutive days under a federally funded national emergency authorized by the President or Secretary of Defense, and commissioned officers of the Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on active service.⁶

What You Need Before You Search

The online search requires the individual’s Social Security Number. The site recommends adding the correct last name to ensure an accurate match. First name, middle name, and date of birth are optional and can help narrow results.⁷

Without an SSN, the online system is closed to you. The alternative is a written request by mail to the DMDC with the person’s full name and date of birth and a self-addressed stamped envelope, sent to the Defense Manpower Data Center at 1600 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 400, Arlington, VA 22209-2593. Responses come back by fax or mail only.⁷ If you have any way to obtain the SSN, use the online route.

How to Get the Report

The whole process runs through scra.dmdc.osd.mil, and the service is free.¹

Create an account or log in. Registration is required for both single and batch searches and takes a few minutes.
Pick your search type. A Single Record Request checks one person on one date. A Multiple Record Request runs a batch of individuals or a batch of dates for the same person.¹
Enter the identifying information. SSN and last name at minimum, plus the active duty status date you want the certificate to reflect. Choose that date carefully; it should match the date relevant to your court filing or transaction.
Complete the attestation confirming your identity and the basis for your inquiry.
Download the PDF certificate. Save it and print a copy for the court file.

Firms processing high account volumes should use the Multiple Record Request. Upload a batch file, download the resulting certificates together, and match them back to your matters.

Reading the Result

The certificate will land in one of a few states, and each one changes what you do next.

Active Duty

An active duty finding lists the branch of service, date of entry into active duty, and date of termination if service has ended. If no termination date appears, the person is still serving. SCRA protections apply, and you cannot proceed to default judgment without the court appointing an attorney for the defendant.⁵

No Match

A “No Match” result means the person does not appear in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System as being on active duty, having left active duty within 367 days, or having received orders as of the date you searched. Your civil action can generally proceed without SCRA constraints. Keep the certificate; it is your proof that you checked.

Left Active Duty Within 367 Days

This result flags someone who recently separated. Certain protections continue past the last day of service. The 6% interest rate cap on pre-service mortgage debt runs for a year after discharge, and a servicemember has 60 days after discharge to move to reopen a default judgment if military service prejudiced their defense.²³ Work out which protections still apply based on how recently service ended.

A Note on National Guard Coverage

The SCRA website certifies Title 10 active duty status.¹ National Guard members serving on Title 32 orders for more than 30 consecutive days in response to a presidential national emergency are covered by the SCRA but may require separate confirmation.⁶ A “No Match” is not a green light if you have reason to believe the person is on qualifying Guard orders.

Using the Certificate in Court

Getting the certificate is the first step; the affidavit is the second. Before entering a default judgment, the court requires an affidavit stating one of three things: the defendant is in military service, the defendant is not in military service, or the plaintiff cannot determine the defendant’s military status. The affidavit must include facts supporting the conclusion, and attaching the SCRA certificate is the standard way to meet that requirement.⁵

When the affidavit says the defendant is on active duty, the court must appoint an attorney to represent the servicemember before entering any judgment. When the affidavit says military status could not be determined, the court can require the plaintiff to post a bond to cover losses if the judgment is later set aside.⁵

What Happens If You Skip the Check

Filing a false military status affidavit is a federal crime. Anyone who knowingly makes or uses a false affidavit or certificate under the default judgment protections can be fined under Title 18 or imprisoned for up to one year, or both.⁵

The civil exposure is real too. A default judgment entered against a servicemember during active duty or within 60 days of discharge can be reopened when the servicemember shows military service prejudiced their defense and they have a valid defense to some or all of the claims.³ Months or years of collection work can unwind at that point. The free DMDC check takes minutes and forecloses the risk.

1
SCRA. SCRA: SCRA (50 USC Appx. 3901 et seq. as amended)
2
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 50 U.S. Code 3937 – Maximum Rate of Interest on Debts Incurred Before Military Service
3
United States Courts. Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA)
4
Defense Manpower Data Center. DMDC Web
5
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 50 USC 3931 – Protection of Servicemembers Against Default Judgments
6
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 50 USC 3911 – Definitions
7
U.S. Courts. Verification of Military Status