COE Codes, Service Eras, Entitlement Status
VA Entitlement Codes Explained
Your VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) contains a one or two digit entitlement code that tells the lender which service era or eligibility category qualifies you for a VA home loan. Codes 01 through 11 cover everything from World War II Veterans to Selected Reservists, and the code on your COE determines your minimum service requirements, entitlement amount, and funding fee exemption status.
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Service Era Codes
- Code range: Codes 01 through 04 and 08 through 10 identify the specific wartime or peacetime service era on your COE
- Wartime threshold: Codes 01, 02, 04, and 10 require as few as 90 days of continuous active duty service for eligibility
- Peacetime threshold: Codes 03, 08, and 09 typically require 181 days of active duty service, reflecting stricter peacetime minimums
Restored Entitlement
- Code 05: Appears when previously used entitlement has been restored after the prior VA loan was paid off and the property sold
- One-time exception: Veterans may restore entitlement once without selling the home, but only if the prior VA loan is fully repaid
- Second use impact: Subsequent use funding fee jumps to 3.30% with less than 5% down, compared to 2.15% on first use
Surviving Spouse Codes
- Code 06: Unremarried surviving spouses of Veterans who died from service-connected causes receive full VA loan eligibility
- Code 07: Spouses of service members classified as prisoners of war or missing in action for 90 or more days qualify automatically
- Funding fee waiver: Surviving spouses under codes 06 and 07 are exempt from the VA funding fee on all loan types
Reserves and Guard
- Code 11: Selected Reservists and National Guard members need 6 years of service or 90 days of Title 10 active duty activation
- Higher funding fee: Code 11 borrowers pay 2.15% first-use funding fee, same as active duty Veterans with less than 5% down
- Title 10 upgrade: Guard and Reserve members activated under Title 10 for 90+ days may qualify under Code 10 with lower service minimums
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the entitlement code on my COE mean?
Can my entitlement code change over time?
Does my entitlement code affect how much I can borrow?
The Bottom Line Up Front
Your entitlement code is a shorthand the VA uses to tell the lender how you earned your eligibility. It is not a credit score, it is not a borrowing limit, and it does not determine your interest rate. What it does determine is whether you met the minimum service threshold for your era, whether you have used your benefit before, and in some cases whether you owe a funding fee at all.
Most active duty Veterans and many Guard and Reserve members will see Code 10 (Persian Gulf War era, covering service from August 2, 1990 to the present). If you have used your VA loan before and restored entitlement, you will see Code 05. Surviving spouses carry Code 06 or 07. Understanding what your code means keeps you from second-guessing paperwork that your lender already knows how to read.
What Does Each Entitlement Code Mean?
Each code maps to a specific service era or eligibility pathway. The code tells the lender two things: when you served and how many days of service you needed to qualify.
The VA organizes eligibility by wartime and peacetime eras because Congress has adjusted minimum service requirements over the decades. Wartime eras generally carry a 90-day minimum, while peacetime eras require 181 days. This distinction matters if you are close to meeting the service threshold.
- Wartime codes (01, 02, 04, 10): These eras carry a 90-day continuous active duty minimum, which is the lowest threshold Congress has set for VA loan eligibility across any service period
- Peacetime codes (03, 08, 09): Service between major conflicts requires 181 days of active duty, nearly double the wartime minimum, reflecting different legislative priorities
- Non-era codes (05, 06, 07, 11): These codes identify eligibility based on entitlement restoration, surviving spouse status, or Selected Reserve service rather than a specific wartime or peacetime window
- Code 10 dominance: Any Veteran who enlisted after August 2, 1990 falls under the Persian Gulf War era, which remains open, making Code 10 by far the most common code on COEs issued today
Full VA Entitlement Code Table
Below is every entitlement code the VA assigns on a Certificate of Eligibility. The service dates and minimum requirements come directly from VA eligibility guidelines.
If your COE shows a code you do not recognize, this table will clarify exactly which era or category applies. Pay attention to the minimum service column because that is what the lender checks first when verifying your eligibility.
| Code | Era or Category | Service Dates | Minimum Active Duty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | World War II | Sept 16, 1940 to July 25, 1947 | 90 continuous days |
| 02 | Korean War | June 27, 1950 to Jan 31, 1955 | 90 continuous days |
| 03 | Post-Korean War | Feb 1, 1955 to Aug 4, 1964 | 181 continuous days |
| 04 | Vietnam War | Aug 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975 | 90 continuous days |
| 05 | Entitlement Restored | Not era-specific | Prior VA loan paid off, property sold or one-time exception used |
| 06 | Unremarried Surviving Spouse | Not era-specific | No service requirement (spouse died from service-connected cause) |
| 07 | Spouse of POW/MIA | Not era-specific | Service member POW or MIA 90+ days |
| 08 | Post-WWII Peacetime | July 26, 1947 to June 26, 1950 | 181 continuous days |
| 09 | Post-Vietnam | May 8, 1975 to Sept 7, 1980 (enlisted) or Oct 16, 1981 (officer) | 181 continuous days or 24 months |
| 10 | Persian Gulf War | Aug 2, 1990 to present | 90 continuous days or 24 months (peacetime clause) |
| 11 | Selected Reserves / National Guard | Not era-specific | 6 years in Selected Reserves, or 90 days active duty under Title 10 |
How Do You Read the Entitlement Section of Your COE?
Your COE is a one-page document, and the entitlement information is concentrated in the top half. The key fields are the entitlement code, basic entitlement amount, and available entitlement.
Lenders look at three things on your COE: the code (to verify your eligibility category), the basic entitlement amount (typically $36,000), and whether any entitlement is currently charged to an existing VA loan. If you have full entitlement available with no active VA loans, you can borrow any amount with zero down payment.
- Basic entitlement ($36,000): This is the VA’s maximum guaranty on loans up to $144,000, representing 25% of that amount, and it appears on every COE regardless of your actual borrowing target
- Bonus (secondary) entitlement: For loans above $144,000 the VA guarantees 25% of the 2026 county loan limit, which is $832,750 in most counties, enabling larger zero-down purchases
- Charged entitlement: If your COE shows entitlement charged to an existing VA loan, the remaining available entitlement determines your maximum zero-down purchase on a second VA loan
- Full entitlement status: Veterans with no active VA loans and no prior defaults have full entitlement, meaning there is no VA-imposed loan limit on the purchase price
Which Codes Require a Funding Fee and Which Are Exempt?
The VA funding fee applies to most VA loans, but several entitlement code categories are fully exempt. Knowing your exemption status before you start shopping can change your cash-to-close estimate by thousands of dollars.
The funding fee on a first-use purchase with less than 5% down is 2.15% of the loan amount. On a $400,000 loan that is $8,600. If you are exempt, that entire amount disappears from your closing costs or is no longer financed into your loan balance.
| Entitlement Code | Funding Fee Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 01 through 04, 08, 09, 10 | Fee required (unless disability exemption applies) | First use 2.15%, subsequent use 3.30% with less than 5% down |
| 05 | Fee required at subsequent use rate | Restored entitlement counts as subsequent use (3.30% with less than 5% down) |
| 06 | Exempt | Surviving spouses of Veterans who died from service-connected causes pay no fee |
| 07 | Exempt | Spouses of POW/MIA service members pay no fee |
| 11 | Fee required | Same rate schedule as active duty (2.15% first use, 3.30% subsequent) |
What Happens When Your Entitlement Code Changes to 05?
Code 05 means your previously used entitlement has been restored. This happens when you pay off a prior VA loan and sell the property (or use the one-time restoration exception). Your COE updates to reflect that your benefit is available again.
The practical impact is straightforward: you can use a VA loan to purchase another home with zero down. The catch is that restored entitlement is treated as subsequent use for funding fee purposes. That means you pay 3.30% instead of 2.15% on a purchase with less than 5% down. Putting 5% or more down drops it to 1.50%.
- Standard restoration: Sell the home and pay off the VA loan in full, and the VA automatically restores your entitlement, which updates your COE to Code 05
- One-time restoration: Keep the property but pay off the VA loan, and request restoration once in your lifetime, useful for Veterans who want to rent out the first home
- Foreclosure impact: If you lost a home to foreclosure, the VA may restore entitlement after the claim is settled, but the loss amount may reduce your available guaranty
- Processing time: Entitlement restoration through the VA Regional Loan Center typically takes 5 to 10 business days after submitting VA Form 26-1880 with supporting documentation
How Does Code 11 Work for Guard and Reserve Members?
Code 11 covers Selected Reservists and National Guard members who have not been activated under Title 10. The standard eligibility path requires 6 years of creditable service in the Selected Reserves.
Guard and Reserve members activated for federal duty under Title 10 for 90 or more days may qualify under Code 10 (Persian Gulf War era) instead. The distinction matters because Code 10 carries a lower minimum service threshold and may simplify the eligibility verification process with your lender.
- 6-year service path: Reservists and Guard members must complete 6 years in the Selected Reserves with an honorable discharge or still be serving to qualify under Code 11
- Title 10 activation: If activated for 90+ consecutive days under Title 10 orders, Guard and Reserve members can qualify under Code 10 with the same 90-day minimum as active duty Veterans
- Title 32 limitation: State-activated duty under Title 32 does not count toward VA loan eligibility unless a specific federal exception applies, which has been expanded in recent years
- NGB Form 22: Guard members must provide NGB Form 22 (Report of Separation and Record of Service) instead of a DD-214 when applying for their Certificate of Eligibility
Can Two Veterans on the Same Loan Have Different Entitlement Codes?
Yes. When two eligible Veterans purchase a home together, each borrower’s COE carries its own entitlement code. The lender evaluates each Veteran’s eligibility independently, then combines the entitlement for the joint loan.
This comes up most often with dual-military couples where one spouse is active duty (Code 10) and the other is a Reservist (Code 11), or where one Veteran is on restored entitlement (Code 05) while the other is using the benefit for the first time. The funding fee for each borrower is calculated based on their individual code and usage history.
- Combined entitlement: Both Veterans contribute their available entitlement to the loan, which can increase the zero-down borrowing limit if either has partial entitlement charged
- Split funding fee: Each Veteran pays the funding fee rate matching their own code and usage history, so a first-use borrower pays 2.15% on their half while a subsequent-use borrower pays 3.30%
- Disability exemption: If one Veteran has a service-connected disability exemption, only their portion of the funding fee is waived, not the full fee
- Non-Veteran spouse: When one borrower is not a Veteran, the VA guaranty applies only to the Veteran’s portion of the loan, which may require a down payment on the non-guaranteed half
What Should You Do If Your COE Shows the Wrong Code?
COE errors happen, especially for Veterans whose service spans multiple eras or who transitioned between active duty and reserves. If your code does not match your actual service history, you can request a correction.
The most common errors involve Guard and Reserve members showing Code 11 when they should have Code 10 after a Title 10 activation, and Veterans showing a peacetime code when their service overlapped a wartime period. Your lender can request an updated COE through the VA’s WebLGY portal, or you can submit a request through eBenefits with your DD-214 or activation orders.
- Lender request: Your lender can pull a corrected COE through the VA’s WebLGY system within 1 to 3 business days using your DD-214 or NGB-22 as supporting documentation
- Self-service option: Veterans can request an updated COE through VA.gov by uploading proof of service, though processing may take 5 to 10 business days
- Guard activation proof: If you were activated under Title 10 but your COE still shows Code 11, provide your activation orders and DD-214 from that deployment to trigger the code update
- Service-connected disability: If your disability rating was approved after your COE was issued, request a new COE to ensure your funding fee exemption is reflected on the document
The Bottom Line
Your entitlement code tells the lender how you earned your eligibility, not how much you can borrow. Most Veterans will see Code 10 on their COE. If you have used your VA loan before, you will see Code 05 after restoration. Surviving spouses carry Code 06 or 07 and pay no funding fee. Guard and Reserve members start at Code 11 but may qualify under Code 10 with a Title 10 activation.
The code matters most at two points: when the lender verifies your eligibility and when the funding fee is calculated. If something looks wrong on your COE, your lender can pull a corrected version in days. The entitlement code is a classification, not a limitation. With full entitlement and no active VA loans, there is no VA-imposed cap on what you can borrow.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common VA entitlement code?
Code 10 (Persian Gulf War era) is the most common code on COEs today because it covers all service members who enlisted after August 2, 1990. Since that era remains open, the vast majority of active duty Veterans and recent separations fall under Code 10.
Does entitlement code 05 mean I used my VA loan before?
Yes. Code 05 means your previously used entitlement has been restored. This happens after you pay off a prior VA loan and either sell the property or use your one-time restoration exception. You can purchase another home with zero down, but the funding fee is charged at the subsequent use rate of 3.30% with less than 5% down.
Can a surviving spouse get a VA loan?
Yes. Unremarried surviving spouses of Veterans who died from service-connected causes qualify under Code 06. Spouses of service members listed as POW or MIA for 90 or more days qualify under Code 07. Both codes carry full VA loan eligibility and a complete funding fee exemption.
Do National Guard members qualify for VA loans?
National Guard members qualify under Code 11 with 6 years of creditable service in the Selected Reserves. If activated under Title 10 for 90 or more consecutive days, they may qualify under Code 10 with a lower service threshold. Title 32 state activations generally do not count unless a specific federal exception applies.
Does my entitlement code affect my interest rate?
No. Your interest rate is determined by market conditions, your credit profile, and the lender’s pricing. The entitlement code affects your funding fee rate and confirms your eligibility, but it has no direct impact on the mortgage interest rate you receive.
How do I get my VA Certificate of Eligibility?
The fastest method is to have your lender pull it through the VA’s WebLGY system, which often returns results instantly. You can also request a COE through VA.gov or by mailing VA Form 26-1880 with your DD-214 to the VA Regional Loan Center. Most lenders handle this as part of pre-approval.