Standard Form 144 at a glance
What it is: Standard Form 144 is the Statement of Prior Federal Service from the Office of Personnel Management.
Who signs: The Statement of Prior Federal Service is to be completed by the employee.
In order for your employing agency to credit your prior Federal service for benefits, such as leave accrual and reduction-in-force retention, the dates of your active uniformed service and the type(s) of appointment(s) and dates of civilian service must be verified. Dates of active uniformed service are verified from the records issued by the branch of service in which you served. Dates and types of appointments to civilian positions are usually verified from Notifications of Personnel Action (Standard Form 50 or CSC- or OPM-approved exceptions thereto), and payroll records (including records of deductions made under the Civil Service Retirement System-Standard Form 2806, or the Federal Employees Retirement System-Standard Form 3100). The information on the application or resume you submitted for the appointment you are receiving, along with the information on page 2 of this form, will be used by your agency to identify the Federal employers and periods of employment for which records must be obtained to verify the prior service.
What to bring and attach to Standard Form 144
Documentary Evidence: Submit as many as possible of the documents listed in item 1 below. If your agency finds that these documents are insufficient to determine creditability, the documents listed in items 2 and 3 may be considered, but less weight will be given to such evidence. 1. Copies of official documents or letters about the service. These may be notices on appointment/separation; notices of changes in position/salary, organization, or headquarters; travel orders; payroll cards; ID's, etc. 2. Private records such as a diary, correspondence, copies of income tax returns, employment applications, credit applications, etc., that mention the Federal employer and the claimed service. Private records must have been made during or shortly after period of service. 3. Any other documentary evidence tending to prove the service was actually performed and the starting and ending dates of the service.
When Notification of Personnel Action or payroll records cannot be located to verify a period of service, and the service was covered by Social Security, a detailed statement of earnings information (showing periods of employment and the name of the employer) from the Social Security Administration will be accepted as proof of service.
A filled-in Standard Form 144 example: a new employee lists one civilian position
How to fill out Standard Form 144, box by box
Name, Social Security Number and Date of Birth
Enter 1. Name (Last, First, Middle Initial), 2. Social Security Number and 3. Date of Birth (Month, Day, Year).
Federal service on your application or resume
4. Does the application or resume that you submitted, for the position to which you are being appointed, list all of your Federal government civilian and uniformed service, including beginning and ending dates, as well as the type of appointment and work schedule for civilian service? Yes - If "Yes", check this block and skip to Item 8. No - If "No", check this block and complete Items 5 - 9.
Prior civilian service
List your prior civilian service. Include service with the DC Government on appointments made before October 1, 1987. For each, enter FROM and TO (Year, Month, Day), NAME AND LOCATION OF AGENCY, and TYPE OF APPOINTMENT AND WORK SCHEDULE (Full-Time, Part-Time, or Intermittent).
Absence without pay
6. During periods of employment shown in Item 5, did you have a total of more than 6 months' absence without pay during anyone calendar year? Yes - If "Yes", list TYPE OF ABSENCE, IF KNOWN (LWOP, Furlough, Suspension, AWOL, or Placement in Nonpay Status), FROM and TO (Year, Month, Day), TOTAL (YEARS, MONTHS, DAYS). No - If "No", go to Item 7.
Uniformed service
List all uniformed service. List active service in any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States, including active duty as a reservist, and active service in the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For each, enter FROM and TO (Year, Month, Day), BRANCH OF SERVICE and DISCHARGE (Honorable or Dishonorable).
Veterans' preference
8. Do you claim any type of veterans' preference which has not been verified? No. Yes - Check one of the statements, if it applies to you. I claim preference as the: Spouse of a disabled veteran, Mother of a deceased or disabled veteran, or Unmarried widow/widower of a veteran.
Certification and signature
"CERTIFICATION: The prior Federal civilian and uniformed service listed on my application/resume and listed above constitutes my entire record of Federal employment. I have no other Federal service for which I want to claim credit."
SIGN on the Signature line and enter the Date.
Affidavits and secondary evidence
You are not able to supply sufficient official documents
Affidavit Evidence: If you are not able to supply copies of official documents (as described in item 1) that are sufficient for your agency to make a determination of creditability, you must submit affidavits from yourself and at least two other persons (preferably your supervisors) who know the facts. If you can obtain no documentary evidence (items 1, 2, and 3) to support your claim, you may submit these affidavits only; however, your claim is more likely to be rejected without supporting documents.
The affidavit from the employee states as many of the details on the affidavit as can accurately be remembered. The affidavits are from at least two persons knowing the facts. Each person should show that he or she is in a position to know the facts sworn to, and give his or her age and mailing address.
Affidavits must be sworn to or affirmed before a notary public or other officer who is authorized by law to administer oaths.
Official Government records are lost, destroyed, or incomplete
Secondary evidence may be considered as proof of Federal civilian service only when official Government records are lost, destroyed, or incomplete. Necessarily, the burden of proof is on the person claiming service that is not supported by official records in the custody of the U.S. Government. If you decide to claim credit for a period of service by submitting secondary evidence, it is important that you submit all documents in your possession that tend to prove you performed the service claimed, and that the service, if performed, was creditable for leave accrual and reduction-in-force purposes. No credit can be allowed for any service that is not substantiated by valid and conclusive secondary evidence. The following is applicable only if you are providing secondary evidence.
If no personnel, payroll, or Social Security records can be located, then your agency can accept secondary evidence of civilian employment.
Common questions about Standard Form 144
What is SF 144?
Standard Form 144 is the Statement of Prior Federal Service from the Office of Personnel Management. Furnishing this information is voluntary; however, failure to do so may result in your not receiving credit for prior Federal service.
Is there a penalty?
Any submission may be investigated. Intentional false statements, willful concealments, or using documents you know are false, fictitious, or fraudulent is punishable by fine/imprisonment (18 U.S.C.1001).
Sources
[1] Standard Form 144 (Rev. 10/95), Statement of Prior Federal Service, Office of Personnel Management (the Official source link on this page).