Agencies
Services
Veterans Document Certification
To receive Veterans Preference Points for State of Illinois employment, your military documents must be officially certified. The CMS Veterans Outreach Program accepts only two types of certified military documents. Review both options below and choose the process that best fits your situation.
How to Certify Your Documents for Veterans Preference Points
There are two approved ways to certify your military documents for Veterans Preference Points. You may request certified records directly from the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA), or you may obtain certification through your local County Clerk’s Office. Review both options below and follow the steps for the method you choose.
Option 1: Request Certified Documents from the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA)
You may request certified military documents directly from the Springfield IDVA Records Office by phone or online.
Request by Phone
Phone: 217-782-4652
You will be asked to provide:
Full name
Social Security number
Date of birth
Branch of service
Contact information (address, phone number, email)
When asked the purpose of your request, state:
“This is for State of Illinois employment – Veterans Preference Points.”
Request Online
You may submit an online request using the IDVA Records Inquiry form.
(Opens in a new tab.)
When completing the form, locate the section labeled Purpose and ensure the following selection is made:
Purpose(s) for which the information is to be used:
☐ Benefit
☐ Replacement
☑ State Employment
☐ Other
Important: The State Employment option must be selected for Veterans Preference Points to be applied.
This request is submitted through DocuSign, a secure platform used to send and sign documents. Once completed, your certified documents will be sent directly to the CMS Veterans Outreach Program on your behalf.
If IDVA Cannot Locate Your Records
If IDVA is unable to locate your records and you have copies of your own documents, you may submit them through a Veteran Service Officer (VSO). A VSO can assist you with certifying and submitting your documents.
Find a Veteran Service Officer
Option 2: Certify Your Documents Through Your Local County Clerk’s Office
You may also obtain certified documents through your local County Clerk’s Office.
What to Bring
DD214 (long version only):
Member 2
Member 4
Member 6
NGB22, if applicable
Not Accepted
DD214 Member 1 (short version)
DD214 showing “Release from Active-Duty Training”
Steps at the County
Clerk’s Office
Bring your DD214 and/or NGB22 to your local County Clerk’s Office.
Ask the clerk to check in your documents, then check them out.
Documents returned to you after checkout are considered certified.
Take a photo or scan of the certified documents using your phone.
Next Step
Once your documents are certified, proceed to step three and upload acceptable documents to the Veterans Outreach Self-Service Portal.