Skip to main content

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Pension Application Files

September 9, 2026

Pension application files are a very rich source for family history and biographical research. The National Archives holds pension application files and records of pension payments for veterans, their widows and other heirs, based on service in the armed forces of the United States between 1775 and 1916. Confederate service, 1861-1865, is excluded; see “Information available from other sources” below.

Why a pension was paid

There are three basic reasons why the Federal Government paid pension payments for military service:

  1. The former soldier became disabled and was unable to support himself, or he became an invalid because of wounds or illness that occurred while he was in the service.
  2. The soldier was a volunteer whose State unit saw Federal service.
  3. A widow’s pension was awarded to a woman and children whose husband and father served in the war.

What is in the pension documents packet

The pension documents packet contains, to the extent that these documents are present in the file, eight documents that carry genealogical information about the pension applicant, including any of the following that are in the file:

  • declaration of pension
  • declaration of widow’s pension
  • Adjutant General statements of service
  • questionnaires completed by applicants (numbered forms)
  • “Pension Dropped” cards
  • marriage certificates
  • death certificates
  • discharge certificate

Types of pension application

There are three types of pension application: a veteran’s, a widow’s, or a minor child’s.

  1. A veteran’s application typically contains the veteran’s name, rank, military unit, period of service, residence at the time of application, place and date of birth (or age), and property.
  2. A widow’s application typically contains more detail, including all of the veteran’s information plus her name, age (or date of birth), residence at the time of application, maiden name, date of marriage, and the veteran’s date and place of death.
  3. A minor child’s application may contain all of the veteran’s and widow’s information as well as the heirs’ names, the dates and places of their births, their residence or residences at the time of application, and the date of their mother’s death.

Which wars are covered

The National Archives in Washington, DC holds pension application files for the following wars and conflicts:

  • Revolutionary War
  • Old Wars
  • War of 1812
  • Indian Wars
  • Mexican-American War
  • Civil War
  • other conflicts before World War I

Information available from other sources

Confederate pension files. See Confederate pension records for information about Confederate pension records. Confederate pension files are held by the following State archives:

  • Alabama Department of Archives and History, 624 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36130-0100
  • Arkansas History Commission and State Archives, One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201
  • Florida State Archives, R.A. Gray Building, 500 South Bronough Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0250
  • Georgia Department of Archives and History, 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260
  • Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives, Kentucky State Archives, 300 Coffee Tree Road, Frankfort, KY 40601
  • Louisiana State Archives, 3851 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70809-2137
  • Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Charlotte Capers Building, 100 South State Street, Jackson, MS 39201
  • Missouri State Archives, State Information Center, 600 West Main Street, Jefferson City, MO 65102
  • North Carolina State Archives, 109 East Jones Street, Raleigh, NC 27601
  • Oklahoma Department of Libraries, State Archives, 200 N.E. 18th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73105
  • South Carolina Department of Archives and History, South Carolina History Center, 8301 Parklane Road, Columbia, SC 29223
  • Tennessee State Library and Archives, 403 Seventh Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37243
  • Texas State Library and Archives Commission, 1201 Brazos Street, Austin, TX 78711-2927
  • The Library of Virginia, 800 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219-8000

Pension applications from World War I and later service. Documentation of pension applications and pension payments for World War I and subsequent service is in the custody of the Veterans Administration.

Modern military service records. Documentation of military service in World War I and later is in the custody of the National Personnel Records Center, Military Personnel Records, 9700 Page Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63132-5100. To order modern military service (personnel) records:

  • If you are a veteran or the next of kin of a deceased veteran, use eVetRecs.
  • Other requesters should use Standard Form 180.

Sample images

These show the kind of record this reproduction contains. They are examples only and are not your record.

A Revolutionary War pension application file.

Example: A Revolutionary War pension application file (PDF)

A War of 1812 pension application file.

Example: A War of 1812 pension application file (PDF)

A Mexican-American War pension application file.

Example: A Mexican-American War pension application file (PDF)

A Civil War pension application file.

Example: A Civil War pension application file (PDF)

An Indian Wars pension application file.

Example: An Indian Wars pension application file (PDF)