Hamilton County Clerk: Military Discharges Filed and Certified Free

The office. Rachel Lamb Geeslin, Hamilton County Clerk, Hamilton County Courthouse, 102 North Rice St., Suite 107, Hamilton, Texas 76531; phone 254-386-1203 (the Clerk, 254-386-1204), fax 254-386-8727; [email protected]. Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; payments are taken until 4:00 p.m. The discharge. The Clerk's page: "The military services encourage all military personnel to file their discharge papers (DD 214) with the county clerk in the county of residence. Texas Local Government Code, Section 192.002 authorizes the county clerk to file the military discharge at no cost. Filing the military discharge provides a permanent record for future proof of service for veterans' benefits. The original is returned to the owner after recording." Its fee lines: "MILITARY DISCHARGE (DD214) - Filing - Local Government Code §192.002(b) - No Charge; Certified Copy - Texas Government Code § 603.003(a) - No Charge - THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!" (see the Texas entry). The application for a copy "must be filled out and submitted IN PERSON at the County Clerk's Office with a valid ID", or the mail version notarized and mailed with a photocopy of a valid ID. A veteran who never recorded a discharge here can order it from the National Archives and then record it free. Who may have a copy. The page quotes Government Code 552.140: the record is confidential for 75 years, and only the veteran, the veteran's legal guardian, spouse, child or parent (or, with none living, the nearest living relative), the estate's personal representative, a person named in a power of attorney, another governmental body or the funeral home assisting with the burial may inspect it or have a certified copy free.