Documents you need to apply for life insurance
Most life insurance applications stall for one reason: the insurer is waiting on paper. Some of that paper is yours to gather, and gathering it before you start can take weeks off the process. Here is the full list, plus how to pull your military and VA records if you do not have them.
What you need before you start
Identification. A driver's license or state ID, and your Social Security number. The insurer verifies your identity and pulls your driving record, so the license needs to be current.
Your medical details. Not records, just facts you should have written down:
Every medication you take, with the dose and roughly when you started it
Your doctor's name, practice name, address, and phone number
Any specialists you see, and for what
Dates of surgeries, hospital stays, and major diagnoses
Family history for parents and siblings: heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and age at diagnosis or death
Get the dates as close as you can. "A few years ago" slows a file down. "March 2023" does not.
Your financial picture. Income, and a rough net worth. Insurers cap coverage at a multiple of income, so this determines how much you can buy. Have your most recent tax return or a pay stub handy.
Your beneficiary information. Full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and relationship for each person you name. This is the piece people improvise, and improvising causes problems years later. Read how to name your beneficiaries before you fill this section in, not after.
Existing coverage. Any policy you already have, including VGLI, VALife, and coverage through work. The insurer asks, and the answer needs to match what their records show.
What you do not need
You do not need your DD-214 to apply. You do not need your VA rating decision letter. You do not need your C-file.
That surprises people, so it is worth saying plainly. A private insurer underwrites your health and your habits. The document that usually matters is a statement from your current treating doctor, not anything from the military or the VA. More on what they actually weigh is in how underwriting works.
That said, two military documents are worth having anyway.
How to get your DD-214
Your DD Form 214 is your Report of Separation. You do not need it for the application, but you do need it for VA benefits, VGLI, home loans, and most veteran programs. If yours is lost, here are the three ways to replace it. All are free.
milConnect. Fastest, if it covers you. Available at milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil for those discharged after October 1, 2004 (Air Force), October 1, 2002 (Army), January 1, 1999 (Marines), or January 1, 1995 (Navy).
eVetRecs. The National Archives request system at vetrecs.archives.gov. This is the route for most veterans. You sign in with an identity-verified account. You can request your DD-214, your full personnel file, medical records, and replacement medals.
Standard Form 180. The paper route, still current, officially titled Request Pertaining to Military Records. Download it at va.gov/forms/sf180. Mail or fax it to the National Personnel Records Center, 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, MO 63138. Read the routing instructions on the form; they change depending on your branch and separation date, and getting that wrong is the most common reason a request comes back.
One practical note. The records center handles roughly 4,000 to 5,000 requests a day. Do not send a follow-up request inside 90 days. It puts you at the back of the line rather than the front.
And if you are filing a VA benefits claim, you do not need to request your DD-214 separately. The VA requests it for you when it receives your application.
How to get your VA medical records
This one is genuinely useful before you apply. Start at va.gov/health-care/get-medical-records/ and download your own records.
Two reasons to do it.
First, you find out what an underwriter is going to see. No surprises.
Second, records contain errors. A condition listed that you do not have. A medication you stopped years ago still showing as current. A note that reads worse than the situation was. Correcting an error before you apply is straightforward. Correcting it after it has become the reason for a rating takes months.
Put it in one folder
Make a single folder, digital or paper, and keep these together:
Photo ID
Medication list with doses and start dates
Doctor and specialist contact details
Dates of surgeries, hospital stays, and diagnoses
Family history notes
Income figure and a recent tax return
Beneficiary details for each person, including Social Security numbers
A list of coverage you already have
Your DD-214, once you have it
Keep the folder after the policy is issued. Your family will need most of it, plus the policy number and the insurer's claim phone number, if they ever have to file. That process is worth understanding in advance.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need my DD-214 to apply for private life insurance?
No. Private insurers underwrite your health and habits. You will need your DD-214 for VA programs and other veteran benefits, so it is worth having, but it is not part of a private application.
How long does it take to get a replacement DD-214?
It varies. milConnect is fastest for recent separations. Requests through the National Archives take longer, and the records center asks that you not follow up within 90 days of submitting.
What slows down a life insurance application the most?
Waiting on records from your doctor. Having accurate dates, medication details, and your doctor's full contact information ready is the single biggest thing you control.
Do I need my beneficiary's Social Security number?
Insurers commonly ask for it, along with full legal name and date of birth. Complete information now prevents your family from having to prove identity during a claim later.
Your next step
Get the free guide, "Leaving the Service: Your Life Insurance Decision Guide." It includes the full pre-application checklist so you gather everything once. Or take the quiz, Which Coverage Fits You?
Sources: VA, Get Your Military Service Records (va.gov/records/get-military-service-records/), updated August 12, 2026; National Archives, Military Service Records (archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records) and Standard Form 180 (archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/standard-form-180.html), reviewed July 21, 2026; VA, Get Your VA Medical Records (va.gov/health-care/get-medical-records/). Accessed August 15, 2026.