Fill Out DD Form 137 Online
Secondary Dependency Application
U.S. Department of Defense
Applies for secondary dependency status so a parent, incapacitated child, student, or ward can be recognized as a military dependent.
Reviewed July 2026
How it works
- 1
Open the form. The official PDF loads straight into the editor, no download needed first.
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Fill it out in the editor. Click anywhere to type, add checkmarks and place your signature.
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Download your PDF. Save the completed form, ready to print or submit.
DD Form 137 is the Department of Defense application for secondary dependency. It is how a service member asks the military to formally recognize someone outside the usual spouse and minor child categories, such as a parent, an incapacitated adult child, a full time student over the usual age limit, or a ward of a court, as a military dependent.
The application asks detailed questions about the family member's income, expenses, and the support you provide, so it pays to prepare it carefully. You can open the form in the Universal PDF editor, type your answers, and download a completed PDF to submit with your supporting documents.
What is DD Form 137 used for
Secondary dependency determinations decide whether a family member who is not automatically a dependent can be recognized as one. Approval is what allows that person to be enrolled in DEERS and issued a dependent ID card, and it affects entitlements tied to dependent status.
DD 137 is actually a small series of versions, each for a different relationship:
- DD Form 137-3 for a parent, including a parent in law or someone who acted in a parental role
- DD Form 137-5 for an incapacitated child age 21 or older
- DD Form 137-6 for a child age 21 or 22 who is a full time student
- DD Form 137-7 for a ward of a court
Who files DD Form 137
The sponsoring service member files the application, and the family member being claimed usually completes and signs their own sections about income and living arrangements. Active duty, Reserve, and retired members can all have reasons to establish secondary dependency.
The central question in most cases is financial: the military generally looks at whether you provide over one half of the person's support, backed by documentation rather than estimates.
How to fill out DD Form 137
Pick the version that matches the relationship, then gather your evidence before filling anything in:
- The family member's identifying information and their relationship to you
- A full accounting of the person's monthly income from all sources, such as retirement benefits, Social Security, and earnings
- Their monthly living expenses, including housing, food, medical costs, and insurance
- The support you contribute, with proof such as bank transfers, canceled checks, or receipts
- Medical documentation for incapacity based claims, or enrollment verification for student based claims
- Signatures from the member and the claimed dependent where the form requires them
Where to send it
Dependency determinations are handled by the office designated for your branch. For several services that is the Defense Finance and Accounting Service dependency claims section, while other branches route applications through their own personnel or pay offices. The instructions on the current form list the correct submission address for each service.
Because determinations are periodically recertified and editions change, confirm the current form version and submission route with your personnel office or the official DoD forms site before mailing anything.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on who you are claiming. Use 137-3 for a parent or parent figure, 137-5 for an incapacitated child age 21 or older, 137-6 for a full time student age 21 or 22, and 137-7 for a ward of a court. Each version asks questions tailored to that relationship.
Expect to document the family member's income and expenses and the support you provide, using records such as benefit statements, bills, bank records, and receipts. Incapacity claims need medical documentation, and student claims need school enrollment verification.
No. The designated dependency office reviews the application and evidence and issues a determination. Incomplete financial detail is a common reason for delays, so answer every income and expense item.
Not necessarily. Secondary dependency is generally subject to periodic recertification, and you must report changes in the dependent's circumstances. Your personnel office can tell you the recertification cycle that applies.
Yes. Open the PDF in the Universal PDF editor, type the entries for your sections, and download the finished file. The claimed dependent signs their own portions, and you submit the signed form with your supporting documents.
Related forms
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