Free Recording of a DD Form 214 — and the Record Is Then Sealed
A probate judge records a discharge or DD Form 214 free of charge, and the recorded copy is confidential once filed. Six categories of person may inspect it; letting anyone else see it is a misdemeanour carrying a fine of up to $5,000.
Verified August 23, 2026
What this benefit is
A probate judge records a discharge or DD Form 214 free of charge, and the recorded copy is confidential once filed. Six categories of person may inspect it; letting anyone else see it is a misdemeanour carrying a fine of up to $5,000.
What it's worth: Recording at no charge, and a confidential record afterwards
- The department states honourable discharges and certificates of honourable service are recorded free of charge by probate judges.
- Any holder of a release from active duty or DD Form 214 from the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Navy, Marine Corps or Space Force may have it recorded by the probate judge of the county where they reside.
- Once recorded, the record and its certified copies are confidential, and free copies are available to the six categories of person the statute names.
- No fee is published for the copies those persons obtain, and the department describes them as free of charge.
Who is entitled to it
- The record is recorded for the veteran, and the spouse or next of kin may obtain a copy.
- Your home is in Alabama.
Not sure whether that describes you?
Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.
How to claim it
- 1Take the DD Form 214 to the probate office in the county where you live. The department describes recording as free of charge.
- 2Ask which of the six named categories you fall into before requesting a copy later: the veteran; a spouse or next of kin; a person named in a power of attorney; an administrator, executor, guardian or legal representative; an attorney for any of those; or a county veterans service officer.
- 3Bring proper identification when you request a copy. The statute conditions inspection on it.
- 4Know what recording buys you: a permanent local copy you can obtain again if the original is lost in a fire, a flood or a move.
- 5Know what it costs you in privacy: nothing. The department states the recorded copy is confidential and that improper disclosure is a misdemeanour with a fine of up to $5,000.
- 6The record may not be reproduced or used for a commercial or speculative purpose. If a company offers to "retrieve" it for a fee, that is a reason to call the probate office directly instead.
- Form
- Present the DD Form 214 to the probate judge for recording
- File with
- The probate judge of the county where you reside
- Documents you will need
- dd214
- No renewal
- Once granted it does not need renewing.
Sources
- authority · published policyAla. Dept. of Veterans Affairs — Laws Affecting Veterans (May 2025), Recording of Discharges, citing Ala. Code §31-1-1 (free recording; confidentiality; the six categories who may inspect; $5,000 fine)
Why only one source type: The department publishes the rule and its Code citation in its own compilation. The Code section was not opened this session, so the record rests on that compilation.
This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.