Military Records

Services Offered

Our office is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday excluding holidays. To ensure same day services, please arrive by 4:15 p.m.

The Recorder's Office will continue to process DD214 requests. Services can be conducted through mail or our white dropbox located in front of the building. For items placed in the dropbox, please put all documents in an envelope marked Recorder’s Office and include your contact information. 

For questions about remote services please call 319-892-5420 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Person saluting American flag

Discharge Records

The Recorder’s Office has on permanent record, military discharges that have been presented for recording by the veterans themselves or the U.S. government agency. There is no charge to record or obtain a certified copy of a military record.

Pursuant to Iowa Code Chapter 331.608(6), notwithstanding section 22.2, subsection 1, military records shall be confidential and shall not be made available for examination or copying except as follows:

  • To the person who is the subject of the record, to a member of that person’s immediate family, or to that person’s agent or representative duly authorized in writing.
  • To a person requesting to examine or copy a record when the event that resulted in the record being made occurred more than sixty-two (62) years prior to the request. However, the recorder shall redact any social security number included in a record made available pursuant to this paragraph.
  • To a person who is a funeral director licensed pursuant to chapter 156 and who has custody of the body of a deceased veteran.
  • When otherwise ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction.
  • When otherwise required by a department or agency of the federal or state government or a political subdivision. The recorder shall make these records available to the department of veterans affairs. The department of veterans affairs and its employees shall be subject to the same state and federal confidentiality restrictions and requirements that are imposed on the recorder.

Submit a Record

Submit legible copies of DD214’s to the County Recorder’s Office where you live. There is no fee to record the DD214. DD2214’s can be submitted through the mail to our mailing address (listed on the right-hand side of this page) or placed in the Linn County drop box (white drop box) located at 935 2nd St SW in Cedar Rapids. 

Request a Record

Copies of military discharges recorded with the Linn County Recorder’s Office are free of charge. 

Fill out the Military Discharge Application and return it through the mail to our mailing address (listed on the right-hand side of this page) or the Linn County drop box (white drop box) located at 935 2nd St SW in Cedar Rapids.

For all Military records not recorded in Linn County, you may request a copy from the National Personal Records Center by mailing or faxing the Standard Form (SF) 180 (PDF).

National Personnel Records Center
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, MO 63138

Phone: 314-801-0800
Fax: 314-801-9195

Military Tax Exemption

Military tax exemption information is available in the Linn County Assessor’s Office. Visit the Linn County Assessor’s website for more information.