Requesting Military Discharge Papers

Effective August 28, 2003, Military Discharge Papers are regulated pursuant to RSMo 59.480. This legislation moved to place those records in a restricted and confidential category under the authority of the county Recorder of Deeds. All requests must comply with these regulations. There is no fee for the request and/or copies.

Request for Military Discharge Papers (RAM 59.480)

Please contact the county Recorder of Deeds for further information.

Regulations for Request Form RAM 59.480

Adopted by the Recorders Association of Missouri pursuant to RSMo 59.480.

Authorized Party

The authorized party (requester) shall complete Sections 1 through 4 and sign in the presence of a notary public before presenting the request to the Recorder of Deeds.

Section 1. Record Locator Information.

  1. The name of the Veteran and the county that the Military Discharge Paper is filed in must be completed.
  2. At least one of the following options must be provided in order to identify the requested record:
    • Date of birth
    • Social Security Number
    • Branch and Date(s) of Service

Section 2. Type and number of copies requested.

Each request form is limited to one Military Discharge Record. Requester must state the number of each type of copy of the record to be requested. The Recorder of Deeds shall determine the maximum number of copies allowed per each request.

Section 3. Authorized Party requesting copy.

The name, complete mailing address and the telephone number of the party authorized to make the request must be completed.

Section 4. Authorized Statement.

The requestor must complete:

  1. Type of request being made; and
  2. Type of authority granted by statute either a) or b). The requestor must date and sign as the Authorized Party in the presence of a Notary Public. The Recorder of Deeds may request proof of identify and any additional documentation to verify the requestor’s statutory capacity.

Notary Requirements

Section 5. Notary Certificate.

The notary shall complete the notary clause in accordance with state laws. This shall include, but not be limited to an original signature and their seal if applicable.

Recorder of Deeds Process

The Recorder of Deeds shall complete the Verification or Rejection Section at the top of the form as follows:

  1. The Recorder of Deeds shall complete the Request Verification of the Military Discharge Record Request by:
    1. Assigning a Request Verification Number
    2. Stating the location of the record provided (i.e. book and page, index number, etc.)
    3. Provide the date the request was completed and filed
    4. Sign or initial the Verification
    5. Recorder shall maintain and file the original request form
  2. If a Request for Military Discharge Paper is incomplete or inaccurate, the Recorder of Deeds may reject the request by:
    1. Assigning a Request Rejection Number
    2. Stating the reason under the Request Rejection
    3. Provide the date the request was rejected
    4. Sign or initial the Rejection
    5. Recorder shall keep a copy of the rejected request form and return the original to the requester
  3. The Recorder of Deeds shall maintain an index separate from the public for all Verifications and Rejections.
  4. The Recorder of Deeds shall keep and file all Verifications and Rejections for a period of five years from the date of the request. The Request Forms are not public records and provided pursuant to RSMo 59.480.

RAM 59.480/Rev.82803

Request for Military Discharge Papers