SF-1199A
Direct Deposit Sign-Up Form
Who fills it
veteran
Journey phase
Keeping Your Award Current
Estimated time
10-15 minutes.
When to file
Anytime you change banks or want to set up initial direct deposit.
You need to set up or change your bank account for receiving VA compensation, pension, or other benefit payments.
Gather before you start
—Your bank name, routing number, and account number
—Whether the account is checking or savings
—A voided check or deposit slip (confirms routing/account numbers)
Attach with the form
—Voided check or deposit slip (recommended)
Section I - Payee Identification
Blocks 1-4Your name, SSN, VA claim/file number, addressPII
Your information as the VA benefit recipient. Include your VA File Number from any VA correspondence for faster processing.
Example
(legal name, SSN, VA file number, address)
Common mistakes
- Not providing VA File Number - the direct deposit request cannot be linked to your benefit account quickly.
Section II - Financial Institution Information
Blocks 5-9Bank name, routing number, account number, account typePII
Your bank routing number (9 digits, at the bottom of a check on the left) and account number. Indicate checking or savings. Attach a voided check to confirm the numbers are correct.
Example
(bank name, 9-digit routing number, account number, checking or savings)
Common mistakes
- Transposing routing or account numbers - verify against a voided check or deposit slip.
- Using the account number that appears on the check face (the check number) instead of the account number at the bottom.
- Not knowing the online option at va.gov is faster and safer - paper forms can take 4-6 weeks to process.
Section III - Authorization
Blocks 10-11Bank and payee certification
Both you (payee) and the financial institution must sign. Many online submission methods do not require the bank signature. For paper submission, you may need to get the bank to certify.
Example
(payee and bank representative signatures)
Common mistakes
- Submitting without the bank signature (for paper form) - VA may reject without both signatures.
- Not knowing that for VA online enrollment, no bank signature is needed.
Statutory & regulatory authority
Electronic Funds Transfer Act (31 USC 3332) - Requires federal benefit payments to be made by electronic funds transfer.