What reference procedures are used in NARA Federal Records Centers?
36 C.F.R. § 1233.18
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01(a) Agency records transferred to a NARA Federal Records Center remain in the legal custody of the agency. NARA acts as the agency's agent in maintaining the records. NARA will not disclose the record except to the agency that maintains the record, or under rules established by that agency which are consistent with existing laws.
(b) For general reference requests agencies may use an FRCP electronic system or, the Optional Form (OF) 11, Reference Request—Federal Records Centers, a form jointly designated by that agency and NARA, or their electronic equivalents.
(c) For civilian personnel records, agencies must use the following forms:
(1) Standard Form 127, Request for Official Personnel Folder (Separated Employee), to request transmission of personnel folders of separated employees stored at the National Personnel Records Center. Additional instructions on requesting OPFs are available online at http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/civilian-personnel/federal-agencies.html.
(2) Standard Form 184, Request for Employee Medical Folder (Separated Employee), to request medical folders stored at the National Personnel Records Center. Additional instructions on requesting EMFs are available online at http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/civilian-personnel/federal-agencies.html.
(3) Optional Form 11, Reference Request—Federal Records Center to request medical records transferred to other NARA Federal Records Centers prior to September 1, 1984. The request must include the name and address of the agency's designated medical records manager
(d) For military personnel records reference requests, the following forms must be used:
(1) Federal agencies must use Standard Form (SF) 180, Request Pertaining to Military Records, to obtain information from military service records in the National Personnel Records Center (Military Personnel Records); authorized agencies requesting the loan of a military personnel record may order records using eMilrecs (electronic equivalent of the SF 180). Access to eMilrecs and additional information is available on line at: http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/agencies/ompf-fed-agency.html.
(2) A military veteran or the next of kin of a deceased, former member of the military may order military personnel records through the submission of an SF 180 or an online records request system. Additional information is available on line at: http://www.archives.gov/veterans/evetrecs.
(3) Members of the public and non-governmental organizations also may obtain copies of SF 180 by submitting a written request to the National Personnel Records Center (Military Personnel Records), 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63132. OMB Control Number 3095-0029 has been assigned to the SF 180.
(4) Agencies may furnish copies of the SF 180 to the public to aid in inquiries. Copies of SF 180 are available at: http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/standard-form-180.html#sf.
(5) For guidance on requesting original medical treatment records, military hospitals and clinics should consult the “Transactions with the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), St. Louis, MO” section of the NARA Federal Records Centers Program Web site (http://www.archives.gov/frc/toolkit.html#transactions).
(e) For further guidance on requesting records from a NARA Federal Records Center, consult the NARA Federal Records Centers Program website (http://www.archives.gov/frc/toolkit.html#retrieval). Request current NARA publications and bulletins by contacting an individual NARA Federal Records Center (contact information at http://www.archives.gov/frc/locations.html), or the FRCP by mail at National Archives and Records Administration; Federal Records Centers Program (AF); 8601 Adelphi Road; College Park, MD 20740-6001, or by phone at 301.837.2950.
Source: eCFRURL: https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2024-07-01/title-36.xmlFetched: 7/26/2026