What the NPRC is
The National Personnel Records Center, part of the National Archives at St. Louis, is the main repository for the personnel records of veterans who have left service. If your relative served in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Coast Guard and was discharged, retired, or died in service, their Official Military Personnel File is very likely held there. The physical address is 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63138.
The center holds two broad kinds of records. Personnel files cover an individual: enlistment, assignments, promotions, awards, and discharge. Operational and organizational records cover the units those people served in. That distinction matters, because when a personnel file is thin or missing, the unit records are often how a service story gets rebuilt.
What an OMPF contains
An Official Military Personnel File, or OMPF, is the paper trail of one person's service. A complete file can include the enlistment or induction papers, the assignment history, decorations and award orders, qualification and training records, and the discharge document such as a WD AGO 53-55 for World War II or a DD-214 for later eras. For many families, the discharge document alone answers the first round of questions about where and when a veteran served. Our guide to requesting an Official Military Personnel File walks through the request itself step by step.
Who can request records
Access depends on who you are and how long ago the veteran served. Records are generally open to the public sixty-two years after the service member's separation. Before that window, the next of kin, meaning the surviving spouse, parent, child, or sibling, can request the fuller file. Anyone can request the limited information that is releasable to the general public. When you request, it helps to have the veteran's full name, service number or Social Security number, if known, branch, and approximate dates of service.
How records are requested
There are two standard paths, and both go to the same place.
- eVetRecs, the National Archives' online request system, is the fastest route for many post-World War II records.
- Standard Form 180 (SF-180), submitted by mail or fax, is the traditional path and is still required for some record types and requesters.
For a plain personnel file that survives and is straightforward to release, these forms are often all it takes.
How long an NPRC request takes
Timelines vary with the record and the current backlog. A straightforward, recent personnel file can come back in a few weeks. Older records, reconstruction cases, and requests that need a fuller review can take several months. Requests that qualify as emergencies, such as records needed for a funeral with military honors, are handled faster. Building in time is wise, especially for records tied to the burned files.
When it is not that simple
Two situations send families down a longer road, and both are common with St. Louis records.
The first is the 1973 fire. A large share of Army and Army Air Forces personnel files were destroyed when the building burned, with no backup copies. If your veteran falls in that group, the personnel file may be gone, and the work shifts to reconstruction from other records. We cover this in detail in our guide to the 1973 St. Louis fire.
The second is records that are not digitized and cannot be mailed. Army and Army Air Forces morning reports and unit rosters from earlier eras are a leading example. The National Archives does not fill those by mail; they are viewed in person in St. Louis by appointment, or pulled by an independent researcher on site.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the National Personnel Records Center located?
The NPRC is at 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63138. It is part of the National Archives at St. Louis and holds the military personnel records of veterans who have separated from service.
Who can request a deceased veteran's records?
The next of kin, meaning the surviving spouse, parent, child, or sibling, can request the fuller file. Anyone can request the limited information releasable to the general public, and full files are generally open to everyone sixty-two years after separation.
How long does an NPRC records request take?
A straightforward personnel file often comes back in a few weeks. Older records, reconstruction cases, and complex requests can take several months. Emergency requests tied to military funeral honors are processed faster.
What is the difference between the NPRC and the National Archives?
The NPRC is the National Archives facility in St. Louis that specializes in military and civilian personnel records. The National Archives is the larger federal agency; the NPRC is where separated veterans' personnel files are kept.
Can I visit the NPRC in person to view records?
Yes. Records that are not digitized, including many early Army and Army Air Forces morning reports, are viewed on site by appointment or pulled by a researcher on your behalf. They are not available by mail.
How we help
We are a research and preservation studio, not a records counter. For records that can be obtained remotely, we prepare and track the request and interpret what comes back. For the records that exist only on site in St. Louis, we coordinate the pull as part of a research project. The findings go into a sourced account of your veteran's service. Every fact carries a citation, and nothing your family shares becomes public. When a file was lost, we tell you plainly and rebuild from what survives. You can see how projects are scoped and priced on our pricing page.
Start with your veteran
Tell us what you have and what you want to find. We respond within two business days.
Prefer email? Write to ben@militaryheritageworkshop.com.