How Do You Get a VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE)?

You can request a VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) three ways: online at VA.gov, through your lender, or by mail on VA Form 26-1880. What you need to send depends on your service: a Veteran needs a DD214, someone on active duty needs a signed statement of service, and Guard and Reserve members have their own list. VA says mail requests may take longer than the other two routes.

I'm Dennis Mark Interdonato with The Dennis Mark Group. When a buyer tells me they're using a VA loan in Monmouth or Ocean County, the COE is the first thing I ask about, because it's the first thing the lender asks about.

What is a VA Certificate of Eligibility?

It's the document that tells your lender you qualify for the VA home loan benefit. VA.gov calls requesting it the first step in getting a VA-backed home loan. It also shows your entitlement, which is the part of the loan VA guarantees to the lender.

The COE doesn't approve you for a loan. VA's eligibility page says you still have to meet credit, income and occupancy requirements from both VA and your lender. Think of the COE as the ticket to the line, not the seat.

What documents do you need for a COE?

VA breaks it down by who you are:

• Veteran: a copy of your discharge or separation papers (DD214).
• Active-duty service member: a statement of service signed by your commander, adjutant or personnel officer. It has to show your full name, Social Security number, date of birth, the date you entered duty, any lost time, and the name of the command providing it.
• Activated National Guard or Reserve, current or former: your DD214 or other discharge documents. Guard members with at least 90 days of active duty, including 30 consecutive days, also need a document showing the activation date, such as a DD214 that lists the activation, an annual point statement, or a DD220 with orders.
• Current Guard or Reserve, never activated: a signed statement of service that also lists your creditable years.
• Discharged Guard or Reserve, never activated: for the Guard, NGB Form 22 for each period of service and NGB Form 23 with proof of the character of service; for the Reserve, your latest annual retirement points and proof of honorable service.
• Surviving spouse: the Veteran's DD214 if available, plus VA Form 26-1817 if you receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, or a set of other documents if you don't.

How do you request a COE?

1. Online at VA.gov. VA lets you request it online yourself, and you can check the status of the request online afterward.
2. Through your lender. VA says your lender may be able to get your COE through its online system, Web LGY. Ask about it when you apply for pre-approval.
3. By mail. Fill out VA Form 26-1880 and mail it to your regional loan center. The address is on the last page of the form. This is the slowest route, according to VA.

All three end in the same place: VA reviews the request and tells you its decision.

Who qualifies for a COE?

VA sets minimum service requirements by when and how you served. A few of the common ones from VA.gov:

• Service members: at least 90 continuous days of active duty.
• Veterans who served from August 2, 1990, to the present: at least 24 continuous months, or the full period (at least 90 days) you were called or ordered to active duty, with exceptions for certain discharges.
• National Guard and Reserve: at least 90 days of non-training active duty, or 6 creditable years, with Guard members also qualifying through certain Title 32 activations.

If you were discharged early for a reason like hardship, a reduction in force or a service-connected disability, VA lists exceptions and reviews your records. If you're not sure where you land, apply and let VA decide. For the bigger picture on the benefit, see home buying benefits for military buyers in New Jersey.

Why does my COE say $36,000?

This one confuses almost everybody. VA's entitlement page explains that a basic entitlement of $36,000 means you have full entitlement. It's not the amount you can borrow. It's the most VA would pay your lender on a loan of $144,000 or less if you didn't pay it back. On bigger loans, VA guarantees up to 25% of the loan amount.

With full entitlement, VA says you don't have a loan limit, as long as you can afford the loan and the appraisal supports the price. Your lender still decides how much you can borrow from your credit, income, debts and assets. If your COE shows $0 basic entitlement, you've used it before, and the lender works from what's left. That's its own topic: using a VA loan more than once.

When should you get your COE?

Before you tour. I tell people what they need to hear, not what they want to hear, and here it is: a buyer without a COE and a pre-approval is a buyer who can lose the right house to someone who's ready.

On a military timeline, I plan backward from the date that can't move, whether that's a report date, a transfer or a separation. The COE and the pre-approval go at the very front of that plan. Once those are done, we know your number, and every house you see is one you can buy.

What happens after you have the COE?

You pick a lender, get pre-approved, and start shopping. Once you're under contract, VA says the lender orders a VA appraisal and reviews your credit and income before it accepts the loan. The VA funding fee comes up at that stage too, unless you're exempt. Read who pays the VA funding fee before you compare loan estimates, and see the full path in the pre-approval to closing roadmap.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to get a VA Certificate of Eligibility?

VA.gov doesn't publish a set number of days. It does say a mailed request may take longer than one made online or through your lender, and you can check your request's status online.

Can my lender get my COE for me?

Often, yes. VA says lenders may be able to request it through Web LGY, VA's online system. Ask your lender when you apply.

Does having a COE mean I'm approved for a VA loan?

No. The COE shows you're eligible for the benefit. The lender still reviews your credit, income and debts, and VA doesn't set a minimum credit score, though some lenders do.

Do I need a new COE if I've used my VA loan before?

It helps. VA's Buyer's Guide says a current COE can show how much entitlement you have left, or confirm your entitlement was restored after a VA loan you paid off.

This is general information, not legal, tax or lending advice. VA decides eligibility, and your lender decides what you can borrow.

About the author

Dennis Mark Interdonato is a REALTOR® and Master CDRE® who leads The Dennis Mark Group at Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living in Point Pleasant, NJ, helping buyers and sellers throughout New Jersey make their next move, with Monmouth and Ocean County as home base. See how I handle military and VA home purchases and sales.

Keep reading

• The free Military Home Guide
• How I help buyers, step by step
• Selling a home first? Find out what it's worth
• What is the VA funding fee, and who doesn't pay it?
• Have a question this didn't answer? Send it to Dennis Mark.