Veterans discharge papers

Veterans have always had the option of having their discharge papers recorded in a county of their choice (usually where they reside). They have often been encouraged to do so, to provide a more convenient option for retrieving copies. Veterans have not been required to record their DD-214 forms, and there is no guarantee that a recorded document will be located.

How do I search for a DD-214?

King County Archives provides access to veterans discharge papers recorded in King County from 1853 to July 31, 1991. DD-214s can only be located by the date they were recorded and not the date of discharge.

1853 to 1975

DD-214s prior to 1976 are indexed by the Grantor/Grantee Indexes, which is accessible on microfilm at King County Archives. You need the veteran's name and the date that the document was recorded to locate the record. In the index, the veteran is listed as the Grantee, while the United States is usually listed as the Grantor. The index will provide a volume and page number with which to locate the actual document.

1976 to present

DD-214s from 1976 to the present are searchable on the King County Recorder's Office online portal Landmark.

• Choose the Name icon.
• Enter the veteran's name into the Name field: format as last name, then first name. Example: Smith, Jo.
• In the Document Type field, click the Select button.
• Checkmark Veteran Separation, the click Select.
• You can also refine your search by date, but that may limit the search results too much.
• Then click Submit.
• You can organize the search results list by clicking on the column headings. That will sort them by the specific heading.

You can click on the specific record in the search results, but the image of the discharge record is not viewable. This is for privacy protection. You can view the Instrument (Recording) number, which is what you need to order a copy of the document.