National Personnel Records Center

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Access to Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF)for the General Public

(Information for the Veteran or Next-of-kin)

 

Please note: the following information, regarding access, pertains only to records of veterans who separated from service less than 62 years ago. Access records of veterans who separated from service 62 (or more) years ago.

Access to Records, Information for the General Public:

Without the consent of the veteran or next-of-kin, the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) can only release limited information from the Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) to the general public. You are considered a member of the general public if you are not the veteran, asking about a veteran who is of no relation to you or seeking information about a veteran who is a relative but for whom you are not the next-of-kin. The next-of-kin is defined as any of the following: the un-remarried widow or widower, son, daughter, father, mother, brother or sister of the deceased veteran.

Such access is intended to strike a balance between the public's right to obtain information from Federal records, as outlined in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and the veteran's right to privacy as defined by the Privacy Act. 

Different release procedures apply for records 62 years and older, see Archival Records.

What Type of Information is Releasable to the General Public?

The type of information releasable to the general public from Federal (non-archival) records is dependent upon whether or not a person is requesting information under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) or has access authorization from the veteran or next-of-kin.

With the Veteran or Next-of-Kin's authorization:
The veteran (or next-of-kin if the veteran is deceased) must authorize the release of any information not available to the public under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). In some cases, the veteran may already possess military documents that contain the information you are seeking. The authorization must:

  1. be in writing;
     
  2. specify what additional information or copies that the NPRC may release to you; and
     
  3. include the signature of the veteran or next-of-kin. A sample authorization is included for your review.

Please note: Next-of-kin must also provide proof of death of the veteran, such as a copy of the death certificate, a letter from the funeral home or a published obituary.

Without the Veteran or Next-of-Kin's authorization:
Without the consent of the veteran or next-of-kin, the NPRC can only release limited information from non-archival Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) to the general public. Click here for a list of information available under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. Greater access is granted for records 62 years and older, see Archival Records.

How do I request copies of records?

Federal law [5 USC 552a(b)] requires that all requests for records and information be submitted in writing. Each request must be signed (in cursive) and dated (within the last year).

Certain basic information needed to locate military service records, includes: the veteran's complete name as used in service; service number; Social Security Number (if applicable); branch of service; dates of service; date and place of birth. For records affected by the 1973 Fire, additional information, such as place of discharge; last assigned unit; and place of entry into service may be useful.

To access military service records, requesters may:

When sending a request via postal mail or fax, please use the Standard Form (SF) 180, Request Pertaining to Military Records. Although not mandatory, using the SF-180 is the recommended method to send a request for military service information. This form captures all the necessary information to locate a record. Provide as much information on the form as possible and send copies of any service documents that you may have.

Follow the instructions for preparing the SF-180. Check the Records Location Table and submit your request to the appropriate address.

Note: For the issuance and replacement of medals and awards, do not use the addresses on the SF-180. See Military Awards and Decorations for additional information on how and where to submit correspondence for issuance or replacement.

Costs: The NPRC processes most requests for limited information without cost. However, it is possible that a fee may be charged if the researching, processing and photocopying becomes excessive. If your request involves a service fee, you will be notified as soon as that determination is made. See Archival Records for information on archival holdings and associated copy fees: the NARA fee schedule authorizes the Agency to collect fees from the public for copies of archival records (44 USC 2116c and 44 USC 2307).

Emergency Requests:

If your request is urgent (e.g. upcoming surgery, funeral, etc.) please provide this information in the "Comments" section of eVetrecs or in the "Purpose" section of the SF-180 and fax it to our Customer Service Team at (314) 801-0764.  Please contact our customer service staff at (314) 801-0800 if you have questions or require emergency service. Due to the large number of calls we receive at this number, hold times can be long.

If your burial request involves internment at a Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery, contact the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at (800) 535-1117 or visit their website http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/burial_benefits/. We work directly with the Veterans Affairs staff to obtain records to verify service for burial benefits. If the veteran is not going to be interned at a National Cemetery, the requester may fax the SF-180 or signature page from eVetRecs (including signature of the next of kin and proof of death) to the Customer Service Team at (314) 801-0764.

NOTE:The 1973 Fire at the National Personnel Records Center damaged or destroyed 16-18 million Army and Air Force records that documented the service history of former military personnel discharged from 1912-1964. Although the information in many of these primary source records was either badly damaged or completely destroyed, often alternate record sources can be used to reconstruct the service of the veterans impacted by the fire. Sometimes we are able to reconstruct the service promptly using alternate records that are in our holdings, but other times we must request information from other external agencies for use in records reconstruction. In some instances, therefore, requests that involve reconstruction efforts may take longer to complete.

Checking the Status of a Request:

Response time varies and is dependent upon the complexity of your request, the availability of records and our workload. 

Checking the Status of Your Request:  Allow about 10 days for us to receive and initiate processing your request, then you may check the status of your request by using the Online Status Update Request form.  Please Note: These forms are ONLY for status updates for EXISTING requests from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC).  Visit the Request Military Service Records page to start a new request for military service records; online, by mail, or by fax.

Special Note on Calling by Phone: If you have already submitted a request and need to know its status you may speak to a Customer Service Representative. Staff is available to take your call as early as 7:00 am CST and as late as 5:00 pm CST. Our peak calling times are weekdays between 10:00 am CST and 3:00 pm CST:

Telephone: 314-801-0800

Telephone (Toll Free) 1-866-272-6272

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