38 USC § 5102 - Application forms furnished upon request; notice to claimants of incomplete applications

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t38/s5102"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "38 USC § 5102 - Application forms furnished upon request; notice to claimants of incomplete applications"
title_number: 38
title_name: "VETERANS’ BENEFITS"
section_number: "5102"
section_name: "Application forms furnished upon request; notice to claimants of incomplete applications"
chapter_number: 51
chapter_name: "CLAIMS, EFFECTIVE DATES, AND PAYMENTS"
subchapter_number: "I"
subchapter_name: "CLAIMS"
part_number: "IV"
part_name: "GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-21"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 106–475, § 3(a), Nov. 9, 2000, 114 Stat. 2096; amended Pub. L. 108–183, title VII, § 701(a), Dec. 16, 2003, 117 Stat. 2670.)"
---


# § 5102. Application forms furnished upon request; notice to claimants of incomplete applications

**(a)** **Furnishing Forms.—** Upon request made by any person claiming or applying for, or expressing an intent to claim or apply for, a benefit under the laws administered by the Secretary, the Secretary shall furnish such person, free of all expense, all instructions and forms necessary to apply for that benefit.

**(b)** **Incomplete Applications.—** If a claimant’s application for a benefit under the laws administered by the Secretary is incomplete, the Secretary shall notify the claimant and the claimant’s representative, if any, of the information necessary to complete the application.

**(c)** **Time Limitation.—**

**(1)** If information that a claimant and the claimant’s representative, if any, are notified under subsection (b) is necessary to complete an application is not received by the Secretary within one year from the date such notice is sent, no benefit may be paid or furnished by reason of the claimant’s application.

**(2)** This subsection shall not apply to any application or claim for Government life insurance benefits.

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**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 106–475, § 3(a), Nov. 9, 2000, 114 Stat. 2096; amended Pub. L. 108–183, title VII, § 701(a), Dec. 16, 2003, 117 Stat. 2670.)

## Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 5102, , , , § 3002; renumbered § 5102, , , ; , (b)(1), (2)(E), , , related to application forms, prior to repeal by , , .

Another prior section 5102 was renumbered .

### Amendments

2003—Subsec. (c).  added subsec. (c).

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2003 Amendment

> “The amendments made by this section [amending this section and
> 
> ] shall take effect as if enacted on
> 
> , immediately after the enactment of the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 (
> 
> ;
> 
> ).”

, , , provided that: