Claim Raven explanation
What this means
This section addresses time limits for completing certain applications or providing requested information. It also describes circumstances in which VA may extend a time limit for good cause.
Not every claim or appeal deadline follows the same rule. An extension should not be assumed simply because more evidence is being gathered; the applicable process and an actual request or decision matter.
How this helps your claim
This helps you read a request letter and identify what action is needed. Keep proof of submissions and clarify any uncertainty about the particular deadline with an accredited representative.
What to check in your records
Use your decision, examination reports, and relevant records to check the following points.
- Find the notice date and the exact information VA requested.
- Locate proof of submission and any extension request or response.
- Check which rule governs the specific claim or review deadline.
Record the request and the response separately
An evidence request should tell you what VA needs and the applicable response period. Save the request itself, the material you sent and proof of receipt. The date you began gathering information is different from the date a response reached VA.
If an extension is relevant, keep the actual request and any answer with the original notice. Explain the circumstances supporting the request rather than assuming an unfinished medical appointment automatically changes a deadline. This helps distinguish a pending request from an extension that has actually been granted.
Can this section extend any deadline in a VA matter?
Do not assume so. Specific review and appeal procedures can have their own provisions. Identify the action required and its governing rule before applying a general time-limit provision. A request for more time should not be treated as approval or as proof that a different deadline has stopped running.
Official regulatory text
38 CFR § 3.109
eCFR snapshot: September 3, 2026. Layout and spacing are adapted for reading. The full section and its tables are included below.
§ 3.109 Time limit.
(a) Notice of time limit for filing evidence.
(1) If a claimant's application is incomplete, the claimant will be notified of the evidence necessary to complete the application. If the evidence is not received within 1 year from the date of such notification, pension, compensation, or dependency and indemnity compensation may not be paid by reason of that application (38 U.S.C. 5103(a)). Information concerning the whereabouts of a person who has filed claim is not considered evidence.
(2) The provisions of this paragraph are applicable to original initial applications, to applications for increased benefits by reason of increased disability, age, or the existence of a dependent, and to applications for reopening or resumption of payments. If substantiating evidence is required with respect to the veracity of a witness or the authenticity of documentary evidence timely filed, there will be allowed for the submission of such evidence 1 year from the date of the request therefor. However, any evidence to enlarge the proofs and evidence originally submitted is not so included.
(b) Extension of time limit. Time limits within which claimants or beneficiaries are required to act to perfect a claim or challenge an adverse VA decision may be extended for good cause shown. Where an extension is requested after expiration of a time limit, the action required of the claimant or beneficiary must be taken concurrent with or prior to the filing of a request for extension of the time limit, and good cause must be shown as to why the required action could not have been taken during the original time period and could not have been taken sooner than it was. Denials of time limit extensions are separately appealable issues.
(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501)
[26 FR 1569, Feb. 24, 1961, as amended at 26 FR 2231, Mar. 16, 1961; 29 FR 1462, Jan. 29, 1964; 30 FR 133, Jan. 7, 1965; 55 FR 13529, Apr. 11, 1990; 79 FR 57695, Sept. 25, 2014]
Related references
- 38 USC § 5103: VA's Notice of Evidence Needed for Your Claim
- 38 CFR § 4.1: What a VA disability rating measures
- 38 CFR § 3.159: VA duty to assist: records and examinations
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