SUBJECT:  Affixing official seal impression to documents or photocopies of documents

1. Purpose.  This memorandum provides a list of documents that should be impressed with an official seal.

2. Cancellation.  NPRC 1864.106D and 6KPM 85-1 are canceled.

3. Reason for revision.  This memorandum is revised to include the requirement to affix the NARA official seal impression to all DD Forms 214, Report of Separation from Active Duty, and predecessor forms.

4. Applicability.  This memorandum applies to all personnel of NPRC involved in the preparation or dispatch of replies to reference service inquiries.

5. Instructions.  The instructions for affixing the official NARA seal impression to documents or photocopies of documents are contained in the Attachment.

6. Forms.  This memorandum makes use of the following forms:

 NA Form 13005, Certificate in Lieu of Lost or Destroyed Certificate of
       Discharge from Civilian Conservation Corps
 NA Form 13010, Certification of Discharge from Draft
 NA Form 13038, Certification of Military Service
 NA Form 13040-A, Authentication Certificate (CPR)
 NA Form 13040-B, Authentication Certificate (MPR)
 NA Form 13106, Birth Information
 DD Form 214, Report of Separation from Active Duty
 DD Form 215, Correction to DD Form 214
 DD Form 303A, Certificate in Lieu of Lost or Destroyed Discharge Certificate
 DD Form 303AF, Certificate in Lieu of Lost or Destroyed Discharge Certificate
 

 DAVID L. PETREE
 Director

2. Responsibility.

     a. NPRC (MPR) 9700 Page.  When the document must be reproduced, the photocopy machine operator affixes the seal to the copy.  If the original document (such as an NA Form 13038, Certification of Military Service, or DD Form 215, Correction to DD Form 214) requires the NARA seal impression, the person working the case affixes the seal.

NOTE:  If the request is from a veteran living in California, and indicates that the document will be used for recording purposes, the document is certified with both the NARA seal AND the signature of the branch chief.  (Also provide the seal and signature if the veteran specifically requests signed certification.)

     b. NPRC(CPR) 111 Winnebago.  The technician or typist preparing the document routes the completed response to the office of the branch chief, where the seal is affixed.

3. Documents which require an official seal impression.  The documents listed below require an official seal impression:

     a. NPRC(MPR) 9700 Page.

(1) DD 303A,  Certificate in Lieu of Lost or Destroyed Discharge Certificate (Army)

(2) DD 303AF, Certificate in Lieu of Lost or Destroyed Discharge Certificate (Air Force)

(3) DD 214, Report of Separation from Active Duty (and any predecessor forms that served as separation documents)

(4) DD 215, Correction to DD Form 214 (unless signed in original by official of the military department concerned)

(5) NA Form 13010, Certification of Discharge from Draft

(6) NA Form 13038, Certification of Military Service

(7) NA Form 13040-B, Authentication Certificate

(8) NA Form 13106, Birth Information

(9) Composed certificates, prepared on letterhead stationery attesting to information of record or absence of desired information in legal action cases.  (See NPRC 1864.107, Legal demands for records and/or information.)

(1) NA Form 13005, Certificate in Lieu of Lost or Destroyed Certificate of Discharge from Civilian Conservation Corps

(2) NA Form 13040-A, Authentication Certificate

(3) NA Form 13106, Birth Information

(4) Composed certificates, prepared on letterhead stationery attesting to information of record or absence of desired information in legal action cases.  (See NPRC1864.107, Legal demands for records and/or information.)

4. Other documents that may require a seal impression.  In addition to documents listed in par. 3, the seal impression is placed on some nonrecurring items AND ON ANY DOCUMENT WHEN THE REQUESTER SPECIFICALLY ASKS FOR IT.  If a document is returned with a request that the seal be placed thereon, the technician shall affix the seal and return the document to the requester.

5. Instructions at 9700 Page for affixing the official NARA seal to documents or photocopies of documents.

     a. Correspondence aids.  Correspondence aids place documents, the copies of which all must be sealed, in the designated location for the use of the photocopy machine operator.

     b. Correspondence technicians.  When correspondence technicians send multiple documents to be copied, and only one or some of the copies will require the NARA seal, they designate for the copy machine operator those documents the copies of which must be sealed.

When the document is on microfiche the technician copying the microfiche affixes the NARA seal to the copy(ies).

     c. Copy machine operator.  After copying the documents received from the archives aids and technicians, the copy machine operator places those documents requiring a seal in a convenient location.  The copy machine operator, or someone else designated to do so, seals each such document in a timely manner and ensures that responses on which the seal was used are dispatched, or returned to the archives technician, in a timely manner.  The embosser should be placed in a secure location when not in use.

6. Instructions for responding to requests for copies of separation documents from veterans (or their representatives) living in California.  Some requests for separation documents, coming from California, require that the signature of the branch chief, as well as the NARA seal, be placed on the document that NPRC provides.  The signature is needed if the request indicates that the separation document is needed for recording purposes, such as with a County Recorder.

     a. Correspondence aid/technician, if separation document is available (prior to photocopying).

(1) Prepares appropriate transmittal.

(2) Attaches note indicating "California Case" to separation document.

(3) Annotates the file copy to show that a sealed and signed photocopy was sent.

(4) Routes separation document (with note attached indicating "California Case"), transmittal, and record to the copy machine operator.

(1) Obtains an NA Form 13040-B, Authentication Certificate, with branch chief's name and title typed/stamped in appropriate block on the form.

(2) Photocopies separation document and NA Form 13040-B on legal-sized paper.  The NA Form 13040-B is copied below the separation document.

(3) Places the agency seal on the lower portion of the photocopy over the word "seal."

(4) Routes the photocopy and transmittal to branch chief for signature.

(5) Files separation document in the record for refile.

     d. Separation document is not available.  An NA Form 13038, Certification of Military Service, is prepared when the separation document is not available.  The person who prepares the form affixes the NARA seal and branch chief's signature stamp to the lower portion of the form and annotates the file copy to show that a sealed and signed NA Form 13038 was sent.  The transmittal and NA Form 13038 are routed to the branch chief, who signs the NA Form 13038 and dispatches the response.