Standard Form 180
Request Pertaining to Military Records
The National Archives form for requesting your military records, including your DD-214.
Opens the official National Archives page, always the authority on the current version and instructions.
The SF-180 goes to the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), not the VA. It is the paper route to your Official Military Personnel File, service treatment records, and replacement DD-214s; veterans can also request online through eVetRecs with identity verification.
Records for some eras were damaged in the 1973 NPRC fire, so requests for older records can involve reconstruction from alternate sources.
Worth knowing
- Most requests are free for veterans; archival copies (generally for records of veterans discharged more than 62 years ago) can carry a fee.
- The online route is eVetRecs at archives.gov with ID.me verification.
On this site
Keep your copy where you can find it
Every form you send becomes part of your story. MusterVault keeps your completed copies, decision letters, and records organized and encrypted on your own computer, so the next deadline finds you ready. No cloud, no account.
Informational only: what this form is and where it lives, not advice about whether or when to file it. A free accredited VSO can advise on your situation. MusterVault organizes records, never gives claims advice, and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.