HOUSINGVA program
VA Home Loan Certificate of Eligibility (COE)
A Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is the first step toward a VA-backed home loan or a Native American Direct Loan, and it shows the lender that the borrower has the VA home loan benefit. Veterans, service members, and National Guard and Reserve members can request one online on VA.gov, through a lender, or by mail with VA Form 26-1880. Surviving spouses of veterans who died on active duty or had a service-connected disability use VA Form 26-1817 if they get DIC, or VA Form 21P-534EZ with supporting documents if they do not.
Available to veterans, service members, and Guard and Reserve members who meet VA's minimum service requirements, and to some surviving spouses
Step-by-step guide
What you get
The certificate VA issues for the home loan benefit. It shows your lender that you have the benefit and how much of it is free to use.
What VA looks for: a veteran’s service
- Enough active-duty service for when you servedService from August 2, 1990, on: at least 24 continuous months, or the full period you were called to active duty (at least 90 days), or less than 90 days if discharged for a service-connected disability. Earlier periods use 90 or 181 days, and VA.gov lists each one.
- Or a discharge reason VA listsWith less than the minimum, VA still reviews a request when you served at least 90 days (181 days for most service from September 8, 1980, to August 1, 1990) and the discharge was for hardship, the convenience of the government (after 20 months of a 2-year enlistment), an early out (after 21 months of a 2-year enlistment), an involuntary reduction in force, certain medical conditions, or a service-connected disability.
- A character of discharge VA acceptsWith an other than honorable, bad conduct, or dishonorable discharge, you can still apply, and VA reviews your service records before it decides. VA names two routes: a discharge upgrade, or a VA character of discharge review.
Source: VA.gov: VA home loan service requirements (opens in new tab); VA Form 26-1880 (opens in new tab)
Who is asking for the COE?
- A veteran
VA looks at how long you served on active duty, when you served, and your character of discharge. VA can often confirm service from its own records, and VA asks veterans for a copy of the DD214. A few other groups can also get a COE, such as certain Public Health Service and NOAA officers and service academy cadets and midshipmen.
Source: VA.gov: VA home loan service requirements (opens in new tab); VA.gov: how to request a VA home loan COE (opens in new tab); VA Form 26-1880 (opens in new tab)
- A service member, or in the Guard or Reserve
Service members on active duty and Guard and Reserve members, serving now or discharged, can request a COE. The proof depends on whether you were activated.
- On active duty: 90 continuous daysA service member who has served at least 90 continuous days, without a break in service, meets the minimum.
- Guard or Reserve: activation or 6 creditable yearsGuard: at least 90 days of non-training Title 10 active duty, or 90 days that include 30 days in a row under 32 U.S.C. 316, 502, 503, 504, or 505. Reserve: at least 90 days of non-training active duty. Either one: 6 creditable years and still serving, or 6 years and an honorable discharge or the retired list.
Source: VA.gov: VA home loan service requirements (opens in new tab); VA.gov: how to request a VA home loan COE (opens in new tab); VA Form 26-1880 (opens in new tab)
- A surviving spouse
A surviving spouse can get a COE in some cases. The route depends on whether you receive DIC. A surviving spouse has a home loan benefit of their own; any benefit the veteran used does not count against it.
- A spouse VA can issue a COE toThe veteran died in service or from a service-connected disability and you did not remarry, or remarried on or after age 57 and on or after December 16, 2003. VA also looks at a spouse of a service member missing in action or held as a prisoner of war, and, in certain cases, a spouse of a veteran who was totally disabled before death.
- The request that fits your DIC statusWith DIC, you send VA Form 26-1817. Without DIC, you send VA Form 21P-534EZ with your marriage license and the veteran’s death certificate. Both routes include the veteran’s DD214 if you have it.
Source: VA.gov: home loans for surviving spouses (opens in new tab); VA.gov: how to request a VA home loan COE (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 36.4302(l)(1) (opens in new tab); VA Form 26-1817 (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA home loan service requirements (opens in new tab)
- Restoring a used benefit, or reading a COE you have
The home loan benefit can be used again. You can ask VA to restore the part a past loan used, or use the part that remains. The COE shows where you stand.
- A past loan that is closed outVA may restore the benefit when you sold the home and paid the loan in full, when a veteran buyer takes over your loan and uses their own benefit in its place, or when the home was destroyed by fire or another natural hazard and the loan is repaid. If you paid off the loan and kept the home, VA may restore it one time only.
- What the COE showsThe COE lists a basic amount and a table of prior VA loans, with how much of the benefit each one still uses. A COE with a cash-out refinance condition can be used only for a cash-out refinance of the home it names.
Source: VA.gov: VA home loan service requirements (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA home loan limits (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 36.4302(j) (opens in new tab); VA Form 26-1880 (opens in new tab)
Time limits
A surviving spouse who remarried at age 57 or older before December 16, 2003, had to apply by December 15, 2004.
What to gather, and what it shows VA
| Document | What it shows | How VA gets it | Have it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Separation papers (DD214) The record of your service dates, branch, character of service, and the reason for separation. Activated Guard and Reserve members use it too. | Your service dates, discharge, and separation reason | A copy goes with the COE request; VA does not need the original. For your own copy, use eVetRecs or SF180. | Yes |
| Statement of service A letter signed by your commander, adjutant, or personnel officer, usually on military letterhead. It gives your name, Social Security number, date of birth, entry date, any lost time, and the command. Guard and Reserve members also list creditable years. | Your current service | Your unit provides it. Service members on active duty and Guard or Reserve members still serving who were not activated send it with the COE request. | |
| Proof of a Guard activation For a Guard member with 90 days that include 30 days in a row: a DD214 showing a 32 U.S.C. 316, 502, 503, 504, or 505 activation, an annual point statement, or a DD220 with the orders. | Your activation date | Send a copy with the COE request. Copies are acceptable. | Yes |
| Guard or Reserve records, if not activated Discharged Guard members send NGB Form 22 for each period of service and NGB Form 23 with proof of character of service. Discharged Reserve members send the latest annual retirement points and proof of honorable service. | Your creditable years and character of service | Send copies with the COE request. | Yes |
| Request for a COE (VA Form 26-1880) The VA form for a COE by mail. It asks for your service, how you will use the COE, any past VA loans, and the kind of restoration you want. | Your service and any past VA loans | Mail it to the regional loan center for your state; the addresses are on the last page. Requests online or through your lender need no paper form. | |
| Surviving spouse request (VA Form 26-1817) The VA form an unmarried surviving spouse who receives DIC sends to request a COE. It also asks about any past VA loans. | Your surviving spouse status | Give it to your lender to process online, or mail it to the regional loan center listed on the form, with the veteran’s DD214 if you have it. | |
| DIC application (VA Form 21P-534EZ) The application for DIC, Survivors Pension, and accrued benefits. A surviving spouse without DIC files it first to start the COE request. | Your claim as the veteran’s surviving spouse | Mail it to the VA Pension Intake Center, PO Box 5365, Janesville, WI 53547-5365, with your marriage license, the death certificate, and the DD214 if you have it. | |
| Marriage license and death certificate A copy of your marriage license and the veteran’s death certificate. | The marriage and the veteran’s death | Send copies with VA Form 21P-534EZ if you do not receive DIC. | Yes |
| Proof a past VA loan is paid off A paid-in-full statement from the former lender, a satisfaction of mortgage from the county clerk of court, or the settlement statement from selling or refinancing the home. | That the past loan is paid in full | VA usually learns when a loan is paid off. In some cases the request needs one of these; send it with your COE request. Many counties post the satisfaction of mortgage online. | Yes |
| Your COE The certificate VA issues. It shows a basic amount, a table of prior VA loans charged to the benefit, and any condition on its use. | How much of the benefit is in use and what is free | Download it from the VA.gov COE status page once VA approves the request, or get it through your lender. Show it to your lender. | Yes |
Proof of service goes to VA with the COE request, or to your lender when it requests the COE for you. BeneVets does not ask for copies of them.
Steps, in order
- Find your group on VA’s service chart
VA’s home loan service page lists the minimum service for veterans by period, for service members, and for Guard and Reserve members. Find the line that matches your service.
Source: VA.gov: VA home loan service requirements (opens in new tab)
- Gather your proof of service
Veterans and activated Guard or Reserve members need a copy of the DD214. Service members, and Guard or Reserve members still serving who were not activated, need a statement of service. Discharged members who were not activated need NGB Forms 22 and 23 or retirement points.
Source: VA.gov: how to request a VA home loan COE (opens in new tab); VA Form 26-1880 (opens in new tab)
- No DD214? Request your records
Request a copy of your DD214 or other service records through eVetRecs or SF180. A copy is enough for the COE request.
Source: VA.gov: request your military service records (opens in new tab); Standard Form 180 (SF180) (opens in new tab); VA Form 26-1880 (opens in new tab)
- If your discharge was not honorable or general
You can still apply. VA reviews your service records before it decides. You can also apply for a discharge upgrade or ask for a VA character of discharge review.
Source: VA.gov: VA home loan service requirements (opens in new tab); VA Form 26-1880 (opens in new tab)
- List any past VA loans
The request asks whether you used a VA home loan before and still own any of those homes. For each home you still own, it asks for the address, loan number, and month and year of the loan, and whether you want a restoration: for a cash-out refinance, for an interest rate reduction refinance, or the one-time restoration.
Source: VA Form 26-1880 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 36.4302(j) (opens in new tab)
- Request the COE online
Sign in on VA.gov and request your COE online, including any restoration. This is one of three ways to ask.
Source: VA.gov: request a VA home loan COE online (opens in new tab); VA.gov: how to request a VA home loan COE (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA home loan service requirements (opens in new tab)
- Or ask your lender to request it
Your lender may be able to get your COE through VA’s online system, called Web LGY. Ask your lender about this option.
Source: VA.gov: how to request a VA home loan COE (opens in new tab)
- Or mail VA Form 26-1880
Fill out VA Form 26-1880 and mail it to the regional loan center for your state, listed on the last page. The BeneVets fill flow can prefill identity, contact, and service fields; past VA loans are completed on VA’s form. Mail requests may take longer than the other two ways.
Source: VA Form 26-1880 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: how to request a VA home loan COE (opens in new tab)
- Surviving spouse with DIC: send VA Form 26-1817
Fill out VA Form 26-1817. Give it with the veteran’s DD214, if you have it, to your lender to process online, or mail both to the regional loan center listed on the form.
Source: VA Form 26-1817 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: home loans for surviving spouses (opens in new tab)
- Surviving spouse without DIC: file VA Form 21P-534EZ
Fill out VA Form 21P-534EZ and mail it with your marriage license, the death certificate, and the DD214 if you have it, to the VA Pension Intake Center, PO Box 5365, Janesville, WI 53547-5365.
Source: VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab); VA.gov: home loans for surviving spouses (opens in new tab); VA.gov: how to request a VA home loan COE (opens in new tab)
- Track the request and get your COE
Sign in on VA.gov to see where your request stands, read VA’s letters, send more documents, and download your COE once VA approves it. Do not file a second request while VA reviews the first; it does not change the decision.
Source: VA.gov: check your VA home loan COE status (opens in new tab)
- Read your COE
Check the basic amount and the table of prior loans charged to the benefit. If the COE carries a cash-out refinance condition, it works only for a cash-out refinance of the home it names. Then give it to your lender.
Source: VA.gov: VA home loan limits (opens in new tab); VA.gov: how to request a VA home loan COE (opens in new tab)
- If VA denies the COE
If you disagree with VA’s decision on your COE request, you can ask for a decision review.
Source: VA.gov: check your VA home loan COE status (opens in new tab); VA.gov: decision reviews and appeals (opens in new tab)
- Get free help with the COE request
Free help: an accredited VSO can file this with you. Find one near you in the BeneVets VSO directory at Find an accredited VSO near you. VA home loan representatives also answer questions at 877-827-3702 (TTY: 711), Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET.
Source: VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 14.627(h) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: how to request a VA home loan COE (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA home loan service requirements (opens in new tab)
Good to know
A COE comes before a VA-backed purchase or refinance loan and before a Native American Direct Loan. For most loans the lender is a private bank or mortgage company; for the Native American Direct Loan, VA is the lender.
Source: VA.gov: how to request a VA home loan COE (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA home loan types (opens in new tab)
The lender still orders a VA appraisal and reviews your credit and income before it accepts your application. VA sets no minimum credit score, but some lenders do.
Source: VA.gov: how to request a VA home loan COE (opens in new tab); VA.gov: VA home loan limits (opens in new tab)
In many cases VA can confirm your service from data in its own systems. The 26-1880 still recommends sending proof of service if you have it on hand.
Paying off a VA loan while you keep the home lets VA restore the benefit one time only. After that, you must sell all the homes before VA can restore the benefit again.
Source: 38 CFR 36.4302(j) (opens in new tab); VA Form 26-1880 (opens in new tab)
VA backs a loan to a surviving spouse only after VA issues a certificate to that spouse. The veteran’s COE does not carry over.
Source: 38 CFR 36.4302(l)(1) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: home loans for surviving spouses (opens in new tab)
BeneVets is informational and is not an accredited representative. Free help: an accredited VSO can work through VA benefits with you at no cost. Find an accredited VSO near you
Sources checked October 7, 2026: 38 CFR 14.627(h) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 36.4302(j) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 36.4302(l)(1) (opens in new tab), VA.gov: VA home loan service requirements (opens in new tab), VA.gov: how to request a VA home loan COE (opens in new tab), VA.gov: request a VA home loan COE online (opens in new tab), VA.gov: check your VA home loan COE status (opens in new tab), VA.gov: home loans for surviving spouses (opens in new tab), VA.gov: VA home loan types (opens in new tab), VA.gov: VA home loan limits (opens in new tab), VA.gov: decision reviews and appeals (opens in new tab), VA.gov: request your military service records (opens in new tab), VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab), VA Form 26-1880 (opens in new tab), VA Form 26-1817 (opens in new tab), VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab), Standard Form 180 (SF180) (opens in new tab)