ROSS COUNTY — Ross County Recorder Kathy Dunn and the Ohio Recorders’ Associaton (ORA) urge veterans to be aware of companies targeting military veterans who are being charged for services that are available for free.

DD214 Direct, a company based in Arizona, is currently soliciting veterans in Ohio to purchase a copy of their DD214 for a fee. While this practice may be legal Dunn and other county recorders across the state want to ensure that veterans are informed about the free services they are entitled to.

Veterans can obtain a free copy of their military records through their local Veteran’s Service Commission as well as their DD214 at their local County Recorder’s Office at no charge. The DD214 form is essential for veterans to access their benefits such as VA loans, disability compensation and reduced medical costs.

To safeguard veterans from unnecessary fees and inform the public the ORA is working to raise awareness about these practices. The ORA is also looking into potential legislation aimed at regulating companies and mandating the disclosure of the availability of these services at no charge.

Veterans can request a copy of their DD214 at The National Archives website or print a Standard Form-180 and mail or fax it to:

For more information or assistance please contact Ross County Recorder Kathy Dunn’s office at 740-703-4144 or the Ross County Veterans Service Commission at 740-772-1600.

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: County Recorder: Veterans shouldn’t pay fees for records they can get for free