Standard Form 180, Request Pertaining to Military Records
Standard Form 180 requests military service records from the National Archives: the DD-214 separation document most of all, plus personnel files and service medical records.
This is the genuine NARA PDF, unmodified. Source: NARA official page.
What is SF-180?
The SF-180 asks the National Personnel Records Center and related custodians for military records: separation documents (DD-214), the Official Military Personnel File, medical records, and replacement medals and awards. Veterans and next of kin of deceased veterans get copies free in most cases; older archival records may carry copy fees.
Recent records are increasingly retrievable online through the milConnect and eVetRecs systems, but the SF-180 remains the universal paper route, and the only one for many next-of-kin and older-era requests. The 1973 St. Louis fire destroyed many Army and Air Force records from the first half of the century, for which the center reconstructs what it can.
Who files SF-180?
- Veterans requesting their own DD-214 or service file
- Next of kin of deceased veterans: surviving spouse, parent, child, or sibling
- Authorized representatives with the veteran’s signed consent
How to fill out SF-180
- Identify the veteran: full name used in service, service number or SSN, branch, and service dates.
- Check the records you need in Section II, the DD-214 has its own boxes, and state the purpose if requesting medical records.
- Establish your relationship to the records in Section III; next of kin attach proof of death.
- Download, sign, and mail or fax it to the address the form’s table gives for the branch and era; each combination routes differently.
Quick fill SF-180 on this page
Prefer to see the form itself while you type? Open SF-180 in the editor to fill it on the actual pages, add a signature, and download.
Frequently asked questions
How long do requests take?
Simple separation-document requests often complete within weeks; requests touching fire-affected or archival records can take months. Emergency requests for funerals or VA deadlines can be flagged for priority service.
Is there a fee?
Most requests by veterans and next of kin for recent records are free. Archival records, generally 62 years after separation, are open to the public with copy fees.