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1. Veterans (Requesting Their Own Records)
If you served, you have the broadest access to your own file. As the veteran, you’re entitled to your complete Official Military Personnel File (OMPF), which can include:
Your DD 214, NGB 22 or other equivalent discharge document (Report of Separation)
Character of service / discharge status (Honorable, General, etc.)
Assignment and duty station history
The narrative story of the veteran’s awards and decorations
Performance evaluations
Medical and dental records tied to your service
As the veteran, you can request nearly everything in your own file.
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2. Next of Kin
How much access next of kin has depends on one key factor: whether the veteran is living or deceased.
Next of kin is generally defined as:
Un-remarried surviving spouse
Son or daughter
Father or mother
Brother or sister
If the veteran has passed away
Next of kin can request many of the same documents the veteran could have requested. You’ll typically need to provide proof of death (a death certificate, letter from a funeral home, or published obituary). With that documentation, next of kin can generally receive the same level of detail the veteran themselves could have including the DD 214, discharge character, and service history.
If the veteran is still living
Next of kin does not get automatic access to a living veteran’s records just by virtue of the relationship. Without the veteran’s written authorization, family members are treated the same as a member of the general public, meaning access is limited to what’s releasable under a standard FOIA request (see below). If you want full access to a living veteran’s file, the veteran needs to sign an authorization allowing you to request it on their behalf.
Bottom line: Full access as next of kin requires either the veteran’s death (with proof) or the living veteran’s written authorization. Without one of those two things, next of kin is limited to FOIA-level information.
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3. Legal Guardians and Power of Attorney
Two other roles can also unlock full access, regardless of family relationship or whether the veteran is living or deceased:
Legal Guardian
If a veteran is incapacitated and unable to manage their own affairs, their court-appointed legal guardian has essentially the same access as the veteran would have. A legal guardian can request the full OMPF, including the DD-214, discharge character, and complete service history, but must submit proof of guardianship, typically a copy of the court appointment order, along with the request.
Power of Attorney
Someone holding a valid power of attorney (POA) for the veteran can request records on the veteran’s behalf, with access equivalent to what the veteran could obtain themselves. This applies whether the veteran is living but incapacitated or otherwise unable to submit the request personally. The POA document itself must be submitted as proof of authority, and it should clearly grant the authority to handle this kind of request.
Bottom line: Legal guardians and holders of power of attorney can generally access the full record on the veteran’s behalf, provided they submit the appropriate court or legal documentation. Without a POA, proof of guardianship, or the veteran’s own signed authorization, someone acting “on behalf of” a living veteran is still treated as a third party under FOIA rules — the paperwork matters as much as the relationship.
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4. General Public / Third Parties (FOIA Requests)
If you’re not the veteran, their next of kin, their legal guardian, or holding their power of attorney, a distant relative, researcher, employer, or unrelated member of the public, you can still request information, but only through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Without written authorization from the veteran or next of kin, FOIA limits what can be released to protect the veteran’s privacy.
Under a standard FOIA request, you can typically confirm:
Name and service branch
Dates of service
Rank at time of separation
Awards and decorations (in many cases)
Place of birth and place of burial (if applicable)
What a FOIA request will not include:
Character/type of discharge (Honorable, General, Dishonorable, etc.)
Detailed service history, duty assignments, or performance records
Medical records
Note: if the veteran separated from service 62 or more years ago, different rules apply, see the Archival Records section below.
Bottom line: A FOIA request confirms that someone served not the details or circumstances of that service.
5. Archival Records (62+ Years Old) — Open to Everyone
There’s one important exception to everything above: age can override relationship. Once a veteran’s record reaches a certain age, it becomes an archival record, meaning it’s transferred to the National Archives and opened to the public. At that point, anyone can request a full copy, regardless of relationship to the veteran.
What makes a record “archival”
Under the law, a record becomes archival 62 years after separation from the military (discharge, retirement, or death in service). However, in practice, records are transferred to the public archives on January 1 of the year following turning 62 years of age. Therefore, this is a rolling date. Take the current year and subtract 63 to find the cutoff. For example, in 2026, records of anyone who separated in 1963 or earlier are archival. Before that mark, the file stays under the access rules described in sections 1–4 above.
What you can get
No signature or authorization is required, and the requester doesn’t need to be the veteran or next of kin. A request for an archival OMPF typically returns the complete file, including:
The DD Form 214 (Report of Separation)
Character of service / discharge status
Assignment and duty station history
Awards, decorations, and performance evaluations
Other administrative records contained in the file
A special case: Persons of Exceptional Prominence (PEP)
Records of “Persons of Exceptional Prominence” — presidents, members of Congress, decorated heroes, or well-known cultural figures — can become archival much sooner: as soon as 10 years after the individual’s death.
Bottom line: Once a record passes the 62-year mark, it’s open to anyone — no relationship or authorization required. Sometimes the government imposes a fee for these records.
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The Takeaway
Everyone has a path to request military records. The difference is in the depth of detail you’re entitled to receive:
Veterans can always access their own full personnel file. If you are a friend or caregiver of a living veteran you can assist the veteran but the veteran must sign the legal authorization.
Next of kin can access the full file if the veteran has passed away (with proof of death).
Legal guardians and power of attorney holders can access the full file on the veteran’s behalf, provided they submit the right court or legal documentation.
Everyone else can confirm basic service facts through a FOIA request, but discharge character and detailed service records remain private, unless the record is 62 or more years old, at which point it’s archival and open to anyone in full.
If you’re unsure which category applies to you, or need help determining what documentation you’ll need to submit, we can help you identify the right request type and gather what’s needed before you submit it.
