Veterans Service Records

eVetRecs Help and FAQs

Watch the eVetRecs Process in Action

How to Initiate a Request for Military Personnel Records

  1. Click on the "Launch the eVetRecs System" button to start. This will launch a separate window.

  2. Enter the required information in the system to create your customized request form. There are 4 steps that you need to navigate. The system will guide you through the steps and tell you exactly which step you are on.

  3. In Step 2 of the on-line request form, you will be asked to make selections from drop down menus about the nature of the request and the types of documents you are requesting. If these menus do not include the items you wish to request (for example, "all documents in the Official Military Personnel File"), you will have the opportunity to expand your request in the Comments section in Step 3. If you want to request multiple items from the menu selections in Step 2 (such as "Outpatient Treatment Records", "Inpatient Treatment Records", and "Mental Health Clinic Records"), choose one of the items from the menu and then use the Comments section in Step 3 to ask for the additional documents. Please do NOT create multiple, separate requests for each of the menu selections available in Step 2 as that may delay the handling of your request.

  4. Print, sign and date the signature verification area of your customized form. If you don't have a printer, have a pen and paper handy and we will guide you through the process. This is important because the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) requires that all requests for records and information be submitted in writing. Each request must be signed and dated by the veteran or next of kin.

  5. If you are the next of kin (un-remarried widow or widower, son, daughter, father, mother, brother or sister) of a deceased veteran, you must provide proof of death of the veteran such as a copy of death certificate, letter from funeral home, or published obituary.

  6. Mail or fax your signature verification form to us, and we will process your request. You must do this within the first 20 days of entering your request, or your request will be removed from our system.

Other Frequently Asked Questions About eVetRecs

I can't get this to work with my browser. Will this incompatibility be fixed? What should I do?

We are aware of browser incompatibility issues with AOL and some Netscape browsers. If you are using AOL we suggest accessing the internet with AOL and then using either the Internet Explorer browser or a different Netscape browser to access the eVetRecs site to place your request. Please try again.

If the problem persists, please use Standard Form-180, which you can download and print from the NARA web site or order through the mail.

I can't get this to work with Windows XP.

We are aware of these issues. Please try again. If the problem persists, please use Standard Form-180, which you can download and print from the NARA web site or order through the mail.

I put a date in and the computer keeps telling me the date is incorrect.

The format for the dates in the eVetrecs site are specific.

  • For the Date of Birth, the prescribed format is MM/DD/YYYY.

  • For the Date of Separation, the prescribed format is MM/YYYY.

No other format is accepted by the system. Therefore, do not use dashes or spaces as separators. Only slashes, "/", should be used as separators.

If you are using this format and still getting errors, there may be a compatibility issue with your browser. In this case, leave these fields blank and provide as much information as possible in the comments section.

When I put in my serial number, the system says it is invalid or incorrect.

When entering your Service Number it should be entered without any slashes, dashes, spaces or letters. Enter just the numeric portion. Should you still receive an error than leave it blank and provide it in the comments section.

I could not get the page to print out.

On a blank sheet of paper, please provide the following:

  1. Today's Date
  2. The Service Request Number shown on the web site for the request
  3. The following declaration:

    I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the information that I provided on the web site (eVetRecs) related to the service request number listed above is true and correct.

  4. Tell us if you are the Veteran or their Next-of-Kin. If you are the Next-of-Kin, tell us how you are related.
  5. Print your Name
  6. Sign your name
  7. Mail it to the following address:

    NPRC WEB
    1 Archives Drive
    St. Louis, MO 63138

    or fax it to:
    (314) 801-9049

The button "Launch the eVetRecs System" does not work.

The problem you experienced is a known issue and we are working to resolve it as quickly as possible. The problem is due to some compatibility conflict with your browser or operating system.

Please try again to submit your request using the Internet Explorer browser if you were not using Internet Explorer. The Microsoft Internet Explorer browser comes equipped on most PCs. However, if you do not have it, you may download it for free from: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads

If the problem persists, please use Standard Form-180, which you can download and print from the NARA web site or order through the mail.

Is your web site secure? I would like to use it, but have concerns my personal information will be compromised.

Please be assured that any information that you send to the National Archives via the eVetRecs web site is 100% encrypted with 128-bit encryption. We have added an additional level of security to the application. However, some browsers are no longer supported as a result of this change.

I get a message that I need frames to view your web site. What can I do?

We are aware of browser incompatibility issues regarding frames. There are no plans to make the interface compatible with browsers that don't support frames. We suggest that you upgrade your browser to access the eVetRecs site to place your request or that you submit your request by using Standard Form-180. You can download and print the Standard Form 180 from the NARA web site, or order through the mail.

Is eVetRecs available 24 hours a day?

Typically we perform backups by taking down our server between midnight and 5:00 a.m. Eastern Standard time. If you have problems with the application during that time, please try again later.

I can't see the "Continue" Button and there are no scroll bars.

One possible reason you might not see the "Continue" button, could be the screen resolution your system is set on.  The default screen resolution used for many systems sold during the 1990's was 640 x 480 pixels.  The eVetrecs applet was designed for a minimum screen resolution of 800 x 600 pixels which has become the standard on newer systems.  Many of the systems sold in the 1990's are able to support this higher resolution.  Some monitors sold during the 1990's do not support higher resolutions.  Most do.  In Windows bring up Control Panel, Select Display and Select Settings.  Changing your resolution should be one of the options on the applet that appears.

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The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272