38 USC § 5703 - Certification of records of District of Columbia

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t38/s5703"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "38 USC § 5703 - Certification of records of District of Columbia"
title_number: 38
title_name: "VETERANS’ BENEFITS"
section_number: "5703"
section_name: "Certification of records of District of Columbia"
chapter_number: 57
chapter_name: "RECORDS AND INVESTIGATIONS"
subchapter_number: "I"
subchapter_name: "RECORDS"
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: "(Pub. L. 85–857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1237, § 3303; Pub. L. 99–576, title VII, § 701(78), Oct. 28, 1986, 100 Stat. 3298; renumbered § 5703, Pub. L. 102–40, title IV, § 402(b)(1), May 7, 1991, 105 Stat. 238; Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(a)(1), (2)(A)(xiii), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 403.)"
---


# § 5703. Certification of records of District of Columbia

When a copy of any public record of the District of Columbia is required by the Secretary to be used in determining the eligibility of any person for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary, the official custodian of such public record shall without charge provide the applicant for such benefits or any person (including any veterans’ organization) acting on the veteran’s behalf or the authorized representative of the Secretary with a certified copy of such record.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 85–857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1237, § 3303; Pub. L. 99–576, title VII, § 701(78), Oct. 28, 1986, 100 Stat. 3298; renumbered § 5703, Pub. L. 102–40, title IV, § 402(b)(1), May 7, 1991, 105 Stat. 238; Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(a)(1), (2)(A)(xiii), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 403.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1991— renumbered  as this section.

substituted “Secretary” for “Veterans’ Administration” in two places and “administered by the Secretary” for “administered by the Veterans’ Administration”.

1986— substituted “the veteran’s” for “his”.