VA Eligibility Center

HOW TO OBTAIN A CERTIFICATE OF ELIGIBILITY

• The veteran completes VA Form 26-1880, Request For A Certificate Of Eligibility For VA Home Loan Benefits. The application must be signed and dated.
• Attach a copy of DD214 , Certificate of Separation from Active Duty. Active duty personnel will need to furnish a Statement of Service letter issued by, or by direction of, the adjutant, personnel officer, or commander of the unit in place of the DD214.
• Mail the completed application and a copy of Discharge Papers to the Winston-Salem Eligibility Center for processing.

Note: Discharge Papers must be included with application. If not available, the veteran can obtain them by contacting their branch of service.

AUTOMATED CERTIFICATE OF ELIGIBILITY

VA’s Automated Certificate of Eligibility (ACE) program was originally launched as a standalone web-based program that enabled lenders to request and obtain a Certificate of Eligibility in the lender’s office. The functionality of ACE is now a component of the webLGY application that is accessed through the VA Information Portal (VIP). Lenders must register in the Portal to access webLGY. The lender enters basic identifying information for the veteran into the automated certificate program, which searches Department of Defense and VA records for military service information and prior VA loan usage. When sufficient information is available, the system generates a Certificate, which the lender may download and print. When the program is unable to issue a certificate, it does NOT mean the veteran is not eligible, only that the program does not have sufficient information. When the system does not issue a certificate or when entitlement must be restored, the program has a feature that allows the lender to upload VA Form 26-1880, DD 214, and other pertinent documents to the Eligibility Center. Lenders should use PDF, TIF or JPG format. Lenders may not obtain automated certificates for Guard/Reserve members and people applying as unmarried surviving spouses of deceased veterans. These COEs must be generated by VA staff.