Claim Raven explanation
What this means
This rule identifies where to file a modernized Board Notice of Disagreement and generally requires filing within one year of the agency decision notice. It also permits a written request for an extension for good cause.
Simultaneously contested claims have a different deadline. The extension provision does not mean every late appeal will be accepted, and the request must be directed to the Board.
How this helps your claim
Check the decision notice and claim type before calculating the deadline. Preserve proof of submission and explain any requested extension with facts specific to the delay.
What to check in your records
Use your decision, examination reports, and relevant records to check the following points.
- Verify the date of the agency decision notice.
- Check whether the claim is simultaneously contested.
- Keep the Board filing receipt and any written good-cause extension request.
Keep the decision notice and filing receipt together
The filing period is tied to the relevant agency decision notice, and the Board has a specified filing destination. The date a form was drafted or signed is not necessarily the date it was filed. Preserve the actual submission evidence.
An extension request involves good cause and its own requirements. If a deadline is disputed, identify the notice, filing and request dates separately. Do not assume that a late filing is automatically accepted because the underlying claim is important or additional medical evidence was difficult to obtain.
Is one year the deadline in every Board matter?
No. The regulation identifies exceptions, including simultaneously contested claims, and other Board or court procedures can use different periods. Confirm the exact type of matter. A general one-year description should not replace the actual notice and provision governing the filing.
Official regulatory text
38 CFR § 20.203
eCFR snapshot: September 3, 2026. Layout and spacing are adapted for reading. The full section and its tables are included below.
§ 20.203 Rule 203. Place and time of filing of Notice of Disagreement.
(a) Place of filing. The Notice of Disagreement must be filed with the Board of Veterans' Appeals, P.O. Box 27063, Washington, DC 20038.
(b) Time of filing. Except as provided in § 20.402 for simultaneously contested claims, a claimant, or his or her representative, must file a properly completed Notice of Disagreement with a decision by the agency of original jurisdiction within one year from the date that the agency mails the notice of the decision. The date of mailing the letter of notification of the decision will be presumed to be the same as the date of that letter for purposes of determining whether an appeal has been timely filed.
(c) Extension of time of filing. An extension of the period for filing a Notice of Disagreement or a request to modify a Notice of Disagreement may be granted for good cause. A request for such an extension must be in writing and must be filed with the Board. Whether good cause for an extension has been established will be determined by the Board.
(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 7105)
Related references
- 38 USC § 7105: Filing a Board Appeal
- 38 CFR § 3.2400: Modernized and Legacy VA Appeals Explained
- 38 CFR § 3.159: VA duty to assist: records and examinations
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