MILITARY DISCHARGE PAPERS
(DD214)
Senate Bill 325 (SB 325) and SB 61 were both signed and will be effective AUGUST 28, 2003. This is the legislation that deals with how we handle DD214's. RAM will be working on the request forms that are required under this legislation over the next several weeks so that all counties have them prior to the effective date. The provisions in this bill are effective beginning August 28, 2003:
1) No fee for filing
2) May refuse if not original, contain an original signature of officer, is not a certified copy or appears to have alterations or erasures.
3) Maintain public index containing only the name of the subject.
4) Maintain a separate index from the public that contains only the name of the subject and the location (book/page, etc) of the image (whether microfilm or optical).
5) Maintain the images of all military discharge documents separately from all other public images.
6) Any remote access system (internet, subscriber, etc) shall not make available the location of the image.
7) Images or copies shall only be made available to the authorized part submitting a notarized request form to the recorder of deeds. There shall be no charge for the certified or uncertified copy and no notary fee.
8) Prior to the effective date, August 28, 2003, the Recorders Association of Missouri (RAM) shall adopt a request form to be used by all counties and the city of St. Louis and any rules necessary to implement provision of this section.
9) A request form may only contain one request.
10) The recorder of deeds shall keep all request forms for at least five years and such forms shall only be made available to an authorized party.
11) Effective August 28, 2003, military discharge documents shall not be reproduced for any commercial or speculative purposes.
12) Any individual, agency, or court which obtains information shall not disseminate or disclose any information except as authorized by law.
13) The recorder of deeds shall not be liable for any damages that may result from good faith compliance with the provisions of this law.
These provisions are date forward. You do not have to go back and make changes. However the law does allow any recorder to apply these provisions to their old records if they have the time and resources.
REGULATIONS FOR REQUEST FORM RAM 59.480
Adopted by the Recorders Association of Missouri (RAM)
Pursuant to RSMo 59.480
Click here for the Military Discharge Papers Request Form (last updated Dec 20, 2017)
You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print this form.
I. 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
a. The name of the Veteran and the county that the Military Discharge Paper is filed in must be completed.
b. At least one of the following options must be provided in order to identify the requested record:
*Date of birth
*Social Security Number; or
*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 identity and any additional documentation to verify the requestor's statutory capacity.
II. The Notary Public shall complete Section 5 in accordance with state laws.
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.
III. The Recorder of Deeds shall complete the Verification or Rejection Section at the top of the form as follows:
Recorder of Deeds Verification or Rejection.
1. The Recorder of Deeds shall complete the Request Verification of the Military Discharge Record Request by:
a. Assigning a Request Verification Number
b. Stating the location of the record provided (i.e. book and page, index number, etc.)
c. Provide the date the request was completed and filed
d. Sign or initial the Verification
e. 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:
a. Assigning a Request Rejection Number
b. Stating the reason under the Request Rejection
c. Provide the date the request was rejected
d. Sign or initial the rejection
e. 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.