Which entity may provide free certified copies for VA benefits filing?

• A. Funeral Home
• B. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• C. Social Security Administration
• D. Registrar of Vital Statistics

Answer: (D)

The official source for certified copies of vital records is the Registrar of Vital Statistics. These offices maintain the actual death records and can issue certified copies that VA requires for benefits processing. When filing VA benefits, you typically need a certified death certificate, and the registrar provides copies that are accepted by the VA and other agencies. Funeral homes may help you request records, but they don’t issue official copies themselves and may charge for them. The VA and Social Security Administration are not the sources of official vital records, so they aren’t the place to obtain these copies. In short, the registrar is the proper channel for obtaining free or low-cost certified copies for VA benefits, depending on state rules.