The Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is the single document every VA loan file starts with. It confirms to a lender in our VA network that you meet the service requirements and states how much basic entitlement you have to put toward a loan guaranty. Getting it is usually simple — the trick is knowing which supporting documents your situation needs.
Three ways to get a COE
- VA.gov, instantly for most applicants. Sign in with your ID.me, Login.gov, DS Logon, or My HealtheVet account and request the COE online. Most veterans and active-duty service members with records already in the VA/DoD systems receive it immediately as a downloadable PDF.
- Through a lender, via WebLGY. VA lender partners have direct access to the VA's Automated Certificate of Eligibility (ACE) system through WebLGY and can often request your COE during a pre-approval conversation, even if the VA.gov self-service system can't locate your record automatically.
- By mail. Complete VA Form 26-1880, Request for a Certificate of Eligibility, and mail it with supporting documents to the VA regional loan center. This is the slowest path and is mainly a fallback when the electronic systems don't have a complete record.
Documents each group needs
| Applicant | What to submit |
|---|---|
| Veteran | DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (any copy showing character of service) |
| Active-duty service member | A Statement of Service, signed by the commander, adjutant, or personnel officer, showing name, Social Security number, date of birth, entry date, and no break in service |
| National Guard / Reserve member | NGB Form 22 (Report of Separation) and/or points statements showing years of qualifying service |
| Surviving spouse | VA Form 26-1817, the veteran's DD-214, and, for death-related eligibility, a DIC award letter or VA Form 21P-534EZ |
What the COE actually tells your lender
- Confirmation you meet the service requirement (see our VA loan eligibility guide for the exact day/year thresholds).
- Your entitlement code, which flags whether you have full entitlement or a prior VA loan reducing your remaining entitlement.
- Whether you're exempt from the VA funding fee — for example, veterans receiving VA disability compensation. The COE is the document lenders rely on to apply the exemption; see the funding fee guide for the full exemption list.
If the online system can't find your record
This happens most often with older discharges, Guard/Reserve members whose points records are incomplete, or name mismatches. In that case, a lender pulling through WebLGY can usually resolve it faster than a mailed request, because the lender can flag the discrepancy directly to the regional loan center. If you don't have a DD-214 on hand, request one through the National Archives' eVetRecs system while your lender works the WebLGY request in parallel — the two paths don't block each other.
After you have it
The COE does not expire and does not need to be renewed for future loans, but it's worth re-pulling before a new application if your service situation changed (for example, a subsequent period of duty, or a prior VA loan that's since been paid off) since entitlement figures can change. A lender will always re-verify current entitlement before closing regardless of an older COE you already have in hand.
Sources: VA Certificate of Eligibility — va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/how-to-request-coe/; VA Lenders Handbook M26-7.