DD Form 2656: Fillable PDF
Data for Payment of Retired Personnel
U.S. Department of Defense
Provides pay, beneficiary, and Survivor Benefit Plan election information needed to establish a military retired pay account.
Reviewed July 2026
This form must be opened in Adobe Acrobat Reader to fill it out. Browsers show a placeholder page instead of the form.
How it works
- 1
Download the form. Save the official PDF to your device.
- 2
Open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader and fill in each field. Browsers show a placeholder page for this form type.
- 3
Save and submit the completed form following the official instructions.
DD Form 2656, Data for Payment of Retired Personnel, is the master form a service member completes when retiring from the military. It gives the Defense Finance and Accounting Service everything needed to establish a retired pay account: personal and dependent information, direct deposit details, tax withholding elections, designated beneficiaries for unpaid pay, and, critically, the member's Survivor Benefit Plan election.
The current DD Form 2656 is published as a dynamic XFA PDF, a format that browsers and most online PDF editors cannot display. Download the official file from this page, then open and complete it in Adobe Acrobat Reader on a computer. Many members now complete the equivalent process electronically through their branch of service's retirement system, so check with your retirement counselor about which route applies to you.
What DD Form 2656 is used for
The form consolidates all of the pay decisions that must be made before retired pay can start:
- Identifying information and dependent data for the retired pay account
- Direct deposit information for monthly retired pay
- Federal and state tax withholding elections
- Beneficiary designations for any pay owed at death
- The Survivor Benefit Plan election, which determines whether and how much of the retired pay continues to a survivor
Who fills it out and when
Members of every branch complete DD Form 2656 as part of retirement processing, generally in the months before the retirement date so DFAS can have the account ready when retired pay begins. Guard and Reserve members complete it when applying for retired pay as well.
The Survivor Benefit Plan election on this form is one of the most consequential choices in the retirement process, and some elections require the spouse's notarized concurrence. This page describes the form itself; for guidance on which election fits your situation, talk to your retirement counselor or a qualified advisor. Universal PDF is an independent document tool and is not affiliated with the Department of Defense or DFAS.
How to complete the form
Because this is an XFA dynamic PDF, complete it in Adobe Acrobat Reader on a desktop computer rather than in a browser tab or a standard online editor. Gather your information first:
- Download the official PDF from this page and save it to your computer
- Open the saved file in Adobe Acrobat Reader, not in a browser preview
- Work through each section: personal data, dependents, direct deposit, tax withholding, beneficiaries, and the SBP election
- Print the completed form for the required signatures; spousal concurrence with certain SBP elections must be notarized
- Review everything with your retirement counselor before it is submitted
Where the form goes
DD Form 2656 is normally submitted through your branch of service as part of the retirement package rather than mailed directly by the member. The service certifies the retirement and forwards the pay data to DFAS Retired and Annuitant Pay, which uses it to build the retired pay account.
Keep a copy of the completed form. If your circumstances change after retirement, related forms such as DD Form 2656-6 handle changes to the SBP election.
Frequently asked questions
The form is an XFA dynamic PDF. Browsers and many PDF viewers cannot render that format, so they show a placeholder page instead of the form. The file is not broken. Save it to your computer and open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader to see and complete the actual form.
During retirement processing, typically in the months leading up to your retirement date. Completing it early gives DFAS time to establish the retired pay account so payments start on schedule. Guard and Reserve members complete it when they apply for retired pay.
If you are married and elect Survivor Benefit Plan coverage that is less than full spouse coverage, or decline it, your spouse's concurrence is required and must be notarized. Full spouse coverage does not require concurrence.
Usually not. The form moves through your branch of service with the rest of your retirement package, and the service forwards the certified data to DFAS. Your retirement counselor or personnel office will confirm the exact process for your branch.
Only in limited circumstances defined by law, such as certain qualifying life events reported on DD Form 2656-6. Because options after retirement are restricted, the election on DD Form 2656 deserves careful attention before you submit it.
Related forms
Universal PDF is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency. Forms are provided from official government sources; always confirm you have the current version before filing.