What You Need to Know About Filing a Claim 

Did you know you don’t have to pay a fee or provide compensation to have someone file a benefits claim to the VA on your behalf? It is important for all veterans to know there are accredited Veterans Service Officers (VSO) in Nevada who will file your claim for FREE. (See VSO contact information below.)

Further, Nevada Revised Statute 417.135 requires any person asking for compensation in exchange for filing a claim on your behalf to provide you with written disclosure and obtain your signature to verify you were informed the service is available for FREE.  

Please note, this disclosure and signature requirement does not apply to an attorney or agent who is accredited by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to assist veterans with filing claims for benefits and related matters. Accredited individuals can be searched here: https://www.va.gov/ogc/apps/accreditation/index.asp? (38 C.F.R. § 14.627(a):  Unaccredited individuals may provide other services to veterans so long as they do not assist in the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims for benefits. 38 CFR § 14.629: No individual may assist claimants in the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims for VA benefits as an agent or attorney unless he or she has first been accredited by VA for such purpose.) 

You will find the written disclosure form HERE. Persons or companies seeking compensation for filing a benefits claim to the VA may download and print the form for the veteran (client) to sign. Once signed, the company may keep the form but should provide the client with a copy of the signed form.  

If you know of someone who is charging veterans to file benefits claims, please feel free to share the disclosure form. (Per NRS 417.137, the Attorney General may recover a civil penalty of not more than $10,000 for each violation of NRS 417.133 or 417.135. A person aggrieved by a violation of NRS 417.133 or 417.135 may bring an action for consumer fraud pursuant to NRS 41.600.) 

Any veteran/claimant wishing to contact the Nevada Department of Veteran Services for benefits questions/assistance may do so by contacting the Nevada Department of Veteran Services Veterans Advocacy & Support Team: 

Carson City (775) 710-3329 

Elko (775) 777-1000 

Fallon (775) 428-1177 

Las Vegas (702) 224-6025 

Mesquite (702) 345-3361 

Pahrump (702) 751-6372 

Reno (775) 321-4880 

Reno VAMC (775) 789-6657 

Winnemucca (775) 399-2300 

NV State Veterans Home-Sparks (775) 668-5516 

NV State Veterans Home-Boulder City (702) 332-6716 

Ask a VSO: https://veterans.nv.gov/ask-a-vso/