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Every discharge document the VA accepts

The DD-214 has only existed since 1950. If you have found an unfamiliar military document in a box of papers, there is a good chance it is one the VA will accept — and this is the list nobody publishes in plain English.

This matters more than it sounds. Families regularly assume that because they can't find a DD-214, they can't claim the headstone. Often what they have in front of them — a yellowed certificate with an unfamiliar number in the corner — is exactly what the VA is asking for.

Three conditions worth reading first

• A DD Form 256 or 257 must show a period of active duty service dates to be valid for eligibility purposes.
• The DD Form 214 has been issued by all services since January 1, 1950. Before that, several similar forms were used.
• An NGB Form 22 establishes eligibility only if it shows prior active federal service other than for training, or a minimum of 20 years total service for pay.

The full list

Grouped by era and branch, because that is how families actually search for them.

Modern separation documents (1950 onward)

Honorable and general discharge certificates

Identification cards

Army — War Department era

Army — Adjutant General era

Navy

Marine Corps

Coast Guard

Bureau of Investigation forms

Other agencies and VA-issued records

If you have none of these

File anyway. The VA will attempt to obtain the records it needs to make an eligibility determination, and there is no cost or penalty for a claim that gets denied.

In parallel, you can request a replacement from the National Archives free of charge. If a burial is imminent, mark the request as an emergency — those are typically handled in one to five business days.

Records for service before World War I work differently. The VA requires detailed primary documentation: Compiled Military Service Records, extracts from official state files, federal pension documents, or land warrants.

This list reflects the National Cemetery Administration's published table of Veterans Military Discharge Documents. Send copies to the VA, never originals — documents cannot be returned. Questions: 800-697-6947.