MILITARY DISCHARGE (DD-214)

Downloadable form to request your Military Discharge.

Please bring or send your request to the County Clerk’s office at 200 E Ferguson St, Ste. 300, Tyler, Texas 75702. Include a copy of your State issued I.D. along with the form.
There is not a fee to obtain a copy of your DD-214.

What is a DD-214?
The Defense Department issues to each veteran a DD-214, identifying the veteran's condition of discharge - honorable, general, other than honorable, dishonorable or bad conduct.

Why is a DD-214 important?
The Report of Separation contains information normally needed to verify military service for benefits, retirement, employment, and membership in veterans' organizations. Information shown on the Report of Separation may include the service member's:

• Date and place of entry into active duty
• Home address at time of entry
• Date and place of release from active duty
• Home address after separation
• Last duty assignment and rank
• Military job specialty
• Military education
• Decorations, medals, badges, citations, and campaign awards
• Total creditable service
• Foreign service credited
• Separation information (type of separation, character of service, authority and reason for  separation, separation and reenlistment eligibility codes)

Per Government Code §552.140:

(b) The record is confidential for the 75 years following the date it is recorded with or otherwise first comes into the possession of a governmental body. During that period the governmental body may permit inspection or copying of the record or disclose information contained in the record only in accordance with this section or in accordance with a court order.

(c) On request and the presentation of proper identification, the following persons may inspect the military discharge record or obtain from the governmental body free of charge a certified copy of the record:

  (1) the veteran who is the subject of the record;
  (2) the legal guardian of the veteran;
  (3) the spouse or a child or parent of the veteran or, if there is no living spouse, child, or parent, the nearest living relative of the veteran;
  (4) the personal representative of the estate of the veteran;
  (5) the person named by the veteran, or by a person described by Subdivision (2),
        (3), or (4), in an appropriate power of attorney executed in accordance with
        Texas Estates Code 752;

 (6) another governmental body; or

 (7) an authorized representative of the funeral home that assists with the burial of the veteran.

(d) A court that orders the release of information under this section shall limit the further disclosure of the information and the purposes for which the information may be used.

(e) A governmental body that obtains information from the record shall limit the governmental body's use and disclosure of the information to the purpose for which the information was obtained.