When to consider Board review
Start by identifying the decision and issue you want reviewed. A Board Appeal may be available after an initial claim, Supplemental Claim, or Higher-Level Review decision. Read VA’s Board Appeal guidance alongside your decision letter before selecting it.
Choose from three review options (dockets)
- Direct Review: a judge uses the evidence VA already had; you cannot add evidence or have a hearing.
- Evidence Submission: submit new evidence during the time allowed for that option, without a hearing.
- Hearing: request a hearing with a judge; evidence submission follows the time limits for the Hearing option.
Before selecting one, write down whether you have evidence to add and whether you want a hearing. Check the matching submission window in VA’s Board instructions.
If you choose a hearing
List what you disagree with and the records that explain why. Check the notice for where to go or how to join online. At the hearing, you promise to tell the truth, explain what happened, and answer the judge’s questions, with help from your representative if you have one. Afterward, write down when any additional evidence is due and watch for the written decision. Read VA’s hearing overview.
The Board hearing walkthrough covers preparation, virtual setup, the conversation, and what to do afterward. It covers the modern Hearing option. Appeals under the older, legacy system have separate instructions.
Compare Board, HLR, and Supplemental review
The decision-review comparison connects the three routes. See the HLR guide for an error you believe VA made using the evidence it already had and the Supplemental guide for new and relevant evidence.
Check your filing deadline
Read the date on your letter and the page explaining how to disagree with it. Check the deadline on VA’s Board page. Different claim types can have different deadlines. If the deadline is unclear or the Board already decided this same issue, take the letter to an accredited representative promptly.
After an unfavorable Board decision
If an issue was remanded for further work, follow those instructions; a remand is not a final denial of that issue.
For a final Board decision you disagree with, VA describes a Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence or a Court appeal. The Court’s usual deadline is 120 days from the Board decision date, with filing sent to the Court. Check the decision notice promptly with qualified help. Read VA’s post-Board instructions.
Open the completed-Board checklist below, or read the post-decision walkthrough and Court link.
Find filing instructions and someone who can help
Use the Board Appeal next-step questions to check your decision details and reach preparation and official filing instructions. The Board Appeal overview provides more background. VA-accredited representatives can read your letter with you, check the deadline, and help prepare the request. You can also browse decision-letter questions for questions to bring to that conversation.
Frequently asked questions
Does a Board Appeal require a hearing?
No. Direct Review and Evidence Submission do not include a hearing. Compare the evidence rules and your needs before selecting an option.
What should I bring to a discussion with a representative?
Bring the full decision and any earlier decisions on the same issue. List what you think is wrong, which records VA already had, and which records you still need.
Official sources
Process sources checked September 27, 2026. Check VA guidance and your letter for the rules that apply to your issue.
Your next step
Answer a few questions about your decision before treating a Board Appeal as your next step.