SF 15 is the Standard Form the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) publishes for claiming 10-point veterans' preference. It is printed for use by veterans and by relatives of veterans: spouses, widows and widowers, and mothers. On this page you can fill out SF 15 online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF. The official PDF and its list of acceptable proof are published by OPM at opm.gov, and the back of the form tells you which documents to photocopy for your type of claim.
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What is SF 15?
SF 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran's Preference, is the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Standard Form on which a veteran, or a spouse, widow, widower or mother of a veteran, claims 10-point veterans' preference and identifies the proof that supports the claim.
The form is approved under O.M.B. No. 3206-0001 and the revision printed on it is Revised October 2013; the form states that all other previous editions are unusable. The Veterans' Preference Act of 1944 authorizes the collection of the information, and OPM uses it, together with the documents you send, to decide whether you are entitled to 10-point veterans' preference. The form also says that eligibility is governed by 5 U.S.C. 2108, 2108a, and 5 CFR part 211, and that not every condition fits on the form.
You complete the person-applying and veteran information (items 1 to 4), then check the block for your claim (items 5 to 9). Each block points to lettered documentation on page 2:
- Item 5: non-compensable service-connected disability, Purple Heart, or a disability pension under public laws administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA).
- Item 6: compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more, or disability retirement from a Military Service Department.
- Item 7: spouse of a living veteran who cannot qualify for a Federal job or any other position because of a service-connected disability.
- Item 8: widow or widower of a veteran.
- Item 9: mother of a veteran who is permanently and totally disabled or who is deceased.
SF 15 is one of the Standard Forms listed on OPM's standard forms page.
Who needs to file SF 15?
Veterans and relatives of veterans who want 10-point veterans' preference use SF 15. The block you check depends on who you are:
- Veterans claiming preference for a non-compensable service-connected disability, the Purple Heart, or a DVA disability pension (item 5), or for a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more or disability retirement from a Military Service Department (item 6).
- Spouses of a living veteran who, because of a service-connected disability, has been unable to qualify for a Federal Government job or any other position (item 7). You must be currently married to the veteran; if not, the form says you are not eligible.
- Widows and widowers of a veteran (item 8). You must have been married to the veteran at the time of death and must not have remarried (annulments do not count); otherwise the form says you are not eligible.
- Mothers of a veteran who has a permanent and total service-connected disability, or who is deceased (item 9). The form lists the marital situations that qualify, and a No answer to its disability or death question means you are not eligible.
The form warns that it does not describe every condition of eligibility, which is governed by 5 U.S.C. 2108, 2108a, and 5 CFR part 211.
When to file SF 15
SF 15 is completed when you claim 10-point veterans' preference, and the form prints no filing deadline of its own. The form puts the public burden of completing it at about 10 minutes per response, so gather your supporting documents first: the Required Documentation column beside each claim block names the lettered documents (A through H) to photocopy. Some proof must be recent: the VA or Armed Forces statements for disability and pension claims must be dated 1991 or later. The form says failure to provide any part of the requested information may result in a ruling that you are not eligible for 10-point veterans' preference.
Documents you need
- Documentation A, service and separation: any official Armed Forces document or statement showing separation, discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions, such as a DD-214. Listed for items 5, 6, 8 and for item 9 when the veteran is deceased.
- Documentation B, for item 5: a DVA or Armed Forces statement dated 1991 or later certifying a service-connected disability under 10%, an official Purple Heart citation or document, or a DVA statement dated 1991 or later certifying a nonservice-connected disability pension.
- Documentation C, for items 6, 7 and 9 (disabled veteran): an official DVA or Armed Forces document dated 1991 or later certifying a service-connected disability of 10% or more, or retirement orders showing disability retirement of at least 10%.
- Documentation D, for items 8 and 9 (deceased veteran): a certified copy of the death certificate if death occurred while not on active duty. If the veteran died on active duty, the family's DD Form 1300, Report of Casualty, applies.
- Documentation E, for items 8 and 9 (deceased veteran): proof of service or death during a war, a campaign or expedition with an authorized campaign badge, the authorized period, or April 28, 1952 through July 1, 1955.
- Documentation F, for item 9: a statement from the husband's physician showing the prognosis of his disease and percentage of his disability, for a mother claiming through her husband's total and permanent disability.
- Documentation G, for item 8 when applicable: DVA certification that pension or compensation was restored due to annulment of a remarriage, or a certified copy of the court decree of annulment.
- Documentation H, for items 7 and 9 (disabled veteran): the page 2 answers on the veteran's work history, and documentation of any resignation, disqualification or separation from a Federal civil service or D.C. Government position because of the disability.
How to fill out SF 15
Enter your name and address
Under Person Applying for Preference, write your name in item 1 (Last, First, Middle) and your home address in item 2 (Street Number, City, State and ZIP Code).
Enter the veteran's name
In item 3, write the veteran's name (Last, First, Middle) exactly as it appears on the Service Records. You provide this information as the person applying for preference.
List the periods of service
In item 4, enter each branch of service, the date the veteran entered active duty, and the date separated or released from active duty, if applicable.
Check your preference claim block
Under Type of 10-Point Veterans' Preference Claimed, check the single block that matches your claim, items 5 through 9. Note the lettered documents shown beside it in the Required Documentation column.
Answer the questions for your block
Item 7 asks if you are currently married to the veteran. Item 8 asks if you were married at the time of death and if you have ever remarried. Item 9 asks about marriage, separation, the husband's disability and whether the veteran died on active duty.
Complete the page 2 work history
If you claim under item 7, or under item 9 for a disabled veteran, answer Documentation H questions 1 to 7: the veteran's current and prior occupations, Federal or D.C. Government employment, resignation or separation due to disability, and any civil service retirement annuity number.
Gather photocopies of your documents
Match the letters beside your block to the Documentation Required section on page 2 and photocopy each document, since they will not be returned.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check that every item for your claim is filled in and the veteran's name matches the service records. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and keep a copy with your photocopied documents.
How to submit SF 15
The form prints no mailing address, portal or office for returning the application, so send it through the channel that applies to your claim. Include photocopies of the documents your claim block requires, because the form states they will not be returned. Do not send originals. The only address on the form, OPM Forms Officer, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Washington, D.C. 20415, is for comments on the burden estimate, not for filing. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels that apply to your claim.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Sending original documents; the form says to submit photocopies because they will not be returned.
- Using a previous edition of the form; SF 15 states that all other previous editions are unusable.
- Submitting a VA or Armed Forces disability or pension statement dated before 1991, when documentation B and C ask for statements dated 1991 or later.
- Checking item 8 as a widow or widower after answering Yes to having remarried; the form says you are not eligible, and annulments are not counted as remarriages.
- Claiming item 7 as a spouse when you are not currently married to the veteran; the form states you are not eligible.
- Omitting documentation G when a remarriage was annulled and item 8 applies; the form says to submit G when applicable.
- Leaving out the page 2 Documentation H questions on the veteran's work history when claiming under item 7 or item 9 for a disabled veteran.
- Entering the veteran's name in item 3 differently from the Service Records; the form asks for it exactly as it appears there.
- Leaving parts of the form blank; the form says failure to provide any part of the information may result in a ruling that you are not eligible.
Frequently asked questions
What is SF 15 used for?
SF 15 is the OPM Application for 10-Point Veteran's Preference. Veterans, spouses, widows, widowers and mothers of veterans use it to claim 10-point preference and to list the proof, such as discharge, disability or death records, that supports the claim.
Who can use the SF 15 form?
Veterans and relatives of veterans. The form covers disabled veterans (items 5 and 6), spouses of veterans unable to qualify for a job because of a service-connected disability (item 7), widows and widowers (item 8) and mothers of disabled or deceased veterans (item 9).
Do I send original documents with SF 15?
No. The form says to submit photocopies of your documents because they will not be returned. The lettered documents beside your claim block, A through H, tell you which proof applies to your claim.
What documents do I need if I am a veteran's widow or widower?
For item 8 the form lists documents A, D, E and G. A shows honorable service, D documents the veteran's death, E shows service or death in a qualifying war, campaign or period, and G is submitted when an annulment of a remarriage applies.
Can I get preference if I remarried after my spouse died?
Not under item 8. The form asks whether you have ever remarried, not counting annulments, and states that a Yes answer means you are not eligible for preference. A court decree or DVA certification of annulment is covered by documentation G.
Is there a deadline for SF 15?
The form prints no deadline. You complete it when you claim 10-point veterans' preference, and the form says failure to provide any part of the information may result in a ruling that you are not eligible.
Can I fill out SF 15 online on FillingPDF?
Yes. You can fill out the SF 15 PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service, not affiliated with OPM, and it does not file or submit the form; you send it with your photocopied documents yourself.
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