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How to get a DD-214
This is the document that unlocks the free VA headstone, and it is the thing families spend the longest looking for. Every legitimate way to get it is free.
Next of kin can request a deceased veteran's DD-214 free from the National Archives — online via eVetRecs, or by mailing Standard Form 180 to the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. Include proof of death. Routine requests take about ten working days; burial-related requests are expedited.
Before you start: don't pay anyone
Search for "DD-214" and the first results will often be companies offering to retrieve it for $90 to $150. They are submitting the same request to the same government office that you can submit yourself, for free, in about fifteen minutes. The VA has publicly warned veterans about these services.
Every method below costs nothing.
Three ways to request it
| eVetRecs | The National Archives online portal at archives.gov. The main route for next of kin, and the fastest for most requests. |
|---|---|
| SF-180 | The paper form. Works for any era of service and is the standard method when a signature, proof of death, or an unusual file issue is involved. |
| milConnect | For a living veteran requesting their own record. Can produce an immediate download if the file is digitized. Not the route for next of kin. |
What next of kin must provide
The National Archives recognises the un-remarried widow or widower, son, daughter, father, mother, brother, or sister as next of kin. You must send proof that the veteran has died. Any one of these works:
- A copy of the death certificate
- A letter from the funeral home
- A published obituary
The obituary surprises people. If the death certificate is still weeks away from being issued, a copy of the printed obituary will move the request forward now.
The SF-180 route
Download the form from archives.gov. It runs three pages. Complete sections I through III, sign it, and mail it to the address that matches the branch and era of service — page 3 of the form has the table that tells you which address applies.
For most post-WWII records that address is:
National Personnel Records Center
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, MO 63138
One request per person. If you're requesting for two relatives, that's two forms.
And ask for the undeleted copy. A deleted copy blacks out the authority for separation, the reason for separation, and — for separations after June 30, 1979 — the character of separation. Character of separation is precisely what headstone eligibility turns on, so a deleted copy can leave you unable to prove the claim.
If a burial is coming up
Mark the request EMERGENCY and say why. Requests tied to an impending burial get expedited handling and are typically processed in one to five business days rather than weeks. This applies to medical emergencies and homelessness as well.
Realistic timelines
| Emergency (burial pending) | 1–5 business days |
|---|---|
| Routine online request | Around 10 working days |
| Mailed SF-180 | 2–6 weeks |
| Pre-1950 or full personnel file | Longer, sometimes considerably |
If the records burned
In July 1973 a fire at the National Personnel Records Center destroyed something on the order of 16 to 18 million official military personnel files. Army and Air Force records from before 1973 were hit hardest.
This is not the end of the road. The NPRC reconstructs service information from alternative sources — pay records, unit rosters, morning reports. Send whatever you have: service number, dates, unit, place of discharge. Every detail narrows the search.
And for the headstone claim specifically: file it anyway. The VA will attempt to obtain the records it needs to make an eligibility determination. Don't hold the claim hostage to a document that may take months.
One request that costs money
Records become archival 62 years after separation, which in 2026 means anyone who separated before 1964. Archival requests require purchasing a copy of the personnel file — $25 for files of five pages or fewer, $70 for longer files, which is most of them.
If you only need to prove service for a headstone claim, say so in the request. You may not need the full file.
Procedures follow National Archives guidance current for 2026. Fees and timelines are set by NARA and can change. Requests go through archives.gov — no third party is required.