Treasurer Reminds Veterans to File Discharge Documents Locally

Treasurer Stacy Garrity and James M. Zugay, Recorder of Deeds in Dauphin County and President of the Pennsylvania Recorders of Deeds Association (PRODA), today reminded Pennsylvania veterans to register their military discharge paperwork with their local recorder of deeds office.

“Military discharge papers are crucial documents for veterans to keep, and Recorder of Deed offices can provide easy access to official copies if the originals get misplaced or lost,” said Treasurer Garrity, a retired U.S. Army Reserve Colonel. “It’s important that my fellow veterans know about and understand the importance of this great resource, and I urge them all to make sure they have their paperwork on file with their county’s recorder of deeds.”

“Recorders are proud to serve as a custodian of DD214s for our veterans who have honorably served our country,” said Zugay. “We have recorded thousands of these documents, but our hope is spread the word that recording these documents in our office is a way to preserve them in a safe and confidential way if they are needed for any reason in the future.”

Recorders are required by Pennsylvania law to accept and maintain military discharge papers from veterans. This is the only document protected as private – DD214s are not public record.

If a veteran or their family loses the original paperwork, or it is lost due to a flood, fire or other natural disaster, certified copies can be obtained from the Recorder of Deeds office where the documents were stored. Without this county-level process, veterans would be forced to go through the federal government to receive replacement documents, which can be a cumbersome process.

To have military discharge papers recorded, veterans will need to provide their DD214 or NGB22 and, in some cases, a valid photo I.D. Veterans should contact their county Recorder of Deeds to ensure proper documentation. There is no fee associated with recording military discharge papers.

“I hope all veterans will take some time to register their discharge papers with their local county Recorder of Deeds,” Garrity said. “It’s a great service that can make things much easier in the future if their original documents get misplaced or destroyed.”

Recorders of Deeds have had the authority in Pennsylvania to collect military discharge papers since 1868.

To find your county recorder of deeds, visit PRODA’s website at padeeds.com/county-officials.