Which document is this? DD Form 499, official title DD Form 499, Prisoner's Mail and Correspondence Record, March 2013. What does it do? It exists to Prisoner's Mail and Correspondence Record. Everything on this page builds on those two facts.
Does it apply to your branch? Yes. The DD prefix means Department of Defense, not one service, so the same blank serves the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force and the Coast Guard under Defense jurisdiction. There is no Army version and no Navy version to search for.
Who decides this form exists? not stated owns it; not stated directs its use. If someone told you to file this, the authority traces back to those.
Which edition should you have? not stated, listed as not stated. A copy dated otherwise is a copy worth replacing.
What the form asks for
- 1. Prisoner name (last, first, middle).
- 3. Marital status. Press space bar to mark X in first box if single, second bos if married, third box if divorced, or fourth box if legally separated.
- X first box if approved, second box if disapproved.
- 4. Authorized correspondents. Name, relationship and address (include zip code), line 1 of 10.
- Commander's initials.
- X first box if approved, second box if disapproved.
- 4. Authorized correspondents, line 2.
- Commander's initials.
- X first box if approved, second box if disapproved.
- a. Incoming mail (date).
- Incoming mail (date).
- Incoming mail (date).
- b. Outgoing mail (date).
- Outgoing mail (date).
- Outgoing mail (date).
- Incoming mail (date).
- Incoming mail (date).
- Incoming mail (date).
- Outgoing mail (date).
- Outgoing mail (date).
- Outgoing mail (date).
- Incoming mail (date).
- Incoming mail (date).
- Incoming mail (date).
Download the form
Which files are here? These: PDF. How much work is involved? 1 pages, about 200 entry fields.
What is the difference between fillable and printable? A fillable pdf has real field boxes that accept typed text and hold it inside the file. A printable pdf is a flat blank with no fields at all, intended for a printer and a pen. Which one you have determines how you complete the form, so it is worth checking first.
Does typing matter? It does. Your completed form will probably be scanned, forwarded and filed, and typed text comes through each of those steps unchanged while handwriting degrades. If pen is your only option, block capitals give the receiving clerk a fighting chance.
Where do you start? At the top. Identification first, the substance of the entry second, certification last. Why that order? Because fields lower on the page often depend on data you established in the header, and filling out of sequence produces contradictions.
What is the first thing to check? The edition date on the face of the form. Does it read not stated? If not, the copy is superseded, and a superseded DD form is a real problem: Department-level revisions replace the blank for every service at once, so an old file on a shared drive is stale everywhere, not just in your office.
Where do you look up an unclear entry? The form face first, not stated second. And when the two disagree? not stated controls.
Who receives it? The office not stated designates, subject to whatever local instruction your organization adds. What do you keep? A copy, made before the form leaves your hands.
What if DD Form 499 points to another form? Search the series and number. Because the DD sequence is common to every military department, no branch qualifier is needed to land on the right file.
Do DA and DD numbers ever correspond? Never. DA numbering is Army-specific, administered by an Army proponent, while DD numbering is Department-wide under not stated or an equivalent Department office. Identical digits in the two systems mean two unrelated documents, which is why the prefix matters more than the number.
How often does a form like this change? Unpredictably — revision follows directive changes, altered collection requirements and updated notice language. What is the practical defence? Verifying not stated every time you download rather than trusting a saved copy.
What does this page actually provide? The blank form and a description of it. What does it not provide? Legal guidance, procedural rulings, or any assurance about a particular filing. Who answers those? not stated, the administrative office that serves you, or the authority identified in not stated.
Questions and answers
- What is DD Form 499?
- DD Form 499, Prisoner's Mail and Correspondence Record, March 2013
- Which edition is current?
- Not stated by the publisher
- Who is responsible for this form?
- Not stated
- In which formats can it be downloaded?