Privacy How To...
Write a Privacy Act Request Letter (Sample)
Find Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA)
How to Access Your Records or Request a Record Amendment
An individual has the right to request access to his or her records and make an amendment to any of his or her own VA records under 38 CFR 1.579 and 5 U.S.C 552a.
Access Request: Individuals who request information from their VA records must provide sufficient information to verify their identity and provide assurance that they do not improperly have access to records pertaining to someone else. Request for access to individual’s VA records must be in writing, signed, and must adequately describe the specific information being sought. Request for access to records can be mailed, faxed or provided in person to Release of Information or the Privacy Officer at the facility where Veteran’s records are maintained. Currently, VA does not allow an individual to verify identity by Email.
Amendment request: Amendment requests must be in writing, signed, and must adequately describe the specific information the individual believes to be inaccurate (i.e., faulty or not conforming exactly to truth), incomplete (i.e., unfinished or lacking information needed), irrelevant (i.e., inappropriate or not pertaining to the purpose for which records were collected), or untimely (i.e., before the proper time or prematurely) and the reason for this belief.
Amendment requests can be mailed, faxed, or provided in person to the Privacy Officer at the facility where the Veteran records are maintained. VA does not allow an individual to verify identity by Email. If the amendment request is granted, VA records are corrected accordingly and a written response along with the corrected copy of the records is sent to the Veteran. If the amendment request is denied, a written response is sent to the Veteran including Veteran’s appeal rights to the Office of General Counsel.
The written amendment request must be routed to the facility Privacy Officer where the Veteran’s records are maintained.