DA 31 Fillable PDF - Army Leave Request & Authority Form
What is DA 31?
DA 31 is the official leave request form used across the U.S. Army. Its full title is Request and Authority for Leave, and it is the document that starts, authorizes, and officially closes out any period of absence from duty. Whether a soldier is taking earned annual leave, traveling home for a family emergency, or requesting permissive TDY before a PCS move, the army leave form is what makes that absence documented and authorized.
The form is governed by Army Regulation 600-8-10, Leaves and Passes. Without an approved and signed copy in hand, a soldier who leaves the installation can be classified as absent without leave regardless of any verbal permission given by a supervisor. That point alone makes it one of the most important routine administrative documents in a soldier’s career.
Available through army pubs, the DA31 is produced in four copies: Original, Individual, Suspense, and Organization. The soldier keeps the Individual copy and carries it throughout the entire leave period. The remaining copies stay with the unit and the approving authority as part of the permanent record.
Who Uses DA 31 Leave Form
Any U.S. Army service member taking authorized time away from their duty station needs this form. That covers a wide range of situations and personnel categories.
- Soldiers on PCS orders needing en-route leave
- Active duty soldiers (all ranks, all MOSs)
- Soldiers traveling for a family emergency
- National Guard soldiers on federal orders
- Officers requesting ordinary annual leave
- Personnel requesting Permissive TDY
- Army Reserve members on active duty orders
- Soldiers using terminal leave before separation
The leave form pdf does not apply to inactive duty training weekends or regular drill periods for National Guard and Reserve soldiers. Those are handled through separate administrative processes and do not require this form.
Types of Leave Covered
Block 7 of the form asks for the type of leave being requested. Selecting the right category determines how the rest of the packet is processed and whether additional sections of the form are required.
|
Leave Type |
Description |
Charged to Balance |
|
Ordinary Leave |
Standard annual leave drawn from the soldier’s earned balance. Used for vacations, personal trips, and planned time away from the unit. |
Yes |
|
Emergency Leave |
Granted for serious illness, injury, or death of an immediate family member. May trigger government transportation authorization through Part II of the form when the soldier needs to travel quickly. |
Yes |
|
Permissive TDY |
Authorized absence not charged against the leave balance. Commonly used for house hunting before a PCS move, job searching before ETS, or certain educational visits approved by command. |
No |
|
Other |
Covers convalescent leave, paternity leave, terminal leave before separation, and other authorized absences that do not fit cleanly into the three categories above. |
Varies |
Understanding Your Leave Balance
Per Month
2.5
days earned
Per Year
30
days total
Carry-Over
60
days standard
Combat Max
90
days exception
Block 9 of the form requires four numbers: accrued leave (what has already been earned), requested leave (what is being asked for), advanced leave (days borrowed from future earnings), and excess leave (unpaid time beyond what is available). Getting these numbers wrong is one of the most common reasons a leave packet gets sent back for correction before it reaches the approving authority.
Soldiers should verify their current balance through MyPay or their unit S1 before submitting. Advanced leave creates a leave debt. If a soldier separates from the Army while carrying a negative balance, the Army will deduct the equivalent pay to recover those days. Most commanders require a solid reason before approving any advanced leave request.
Chargeable vs Non-Chargeable Leave Days
Not every day of an absence automatically counts against the leave balance. The rules around which days are chargeable are specific and trip up a lot of soldiers when they check their balance after returning.
|
Situation |
Chargeable |
|
Soldier departs and works more than half the scheduled duty hours that day |
No |
|
Soldier departs and works less than half the scheduled duty hours that day |
Yes |
|
Soldier returns on a normally scheduled non-duty day (weekend or holiday) |
No |
|
Soldier returns on a workday and is present for the full day |
No |
|
Days of leave that fall on federal holidays during the leave period |
Yes |
|
Commander authorizes early departure, reducing time worked below the halfway point |
Yes |
These rules apply to the dates recorded in Block 10 and directly affect how many days get posted to the leave account. If there is any question about whether a specific day is chargeable, the unit S1 should be consulted before the packet is finalized. Sorting this out after the fact is more work for everyone involved.
Emergency Leave and the Red Cross
Emergency leave moves faster than ordinary leave because the situation driving it typically cannot wait. A soldier dealing with a serious family illness, a death in the family, or another urgent personal crisis needs the approval process to move quickly, and there are specific channels built into the system to support that.
The American Red Cross plays a formal role in the emergency leave process that many soldiers are not fully aware of. If a family member needs to notify a soldier’s command of an emergency while the soldier is deployed, forward-stationed, or otherwise difficult to reach, the Red Cross can facilitate that communication through official military channels. The message goes through a verified process that gets in front of the chain of command faster than most informal routes.
What the Red Cross Can Do
- Verify the emergency: The Red Cross contacts hospitals, medical providers, and family members to confirm the nature and severity of the situation before passing the message to command.
- Notify the chain of command: Once the emergency is verified, the Red Cross sends an official notification through military channels. This message reaches commanders even in remote or deployed locations.
- Support leave extension requests: If a soldier is already on emergency leave and needs more time, the Red Cross can help communicate that request back to the unit when direct contact is difficult.
- Assist with hospitalization during leave: If a soldier becomes hospitalized while on leave, the Red Cross can help locate the nearest military Patient Administration Office and assist with the notification process.
On the form itself, Part II covers emergency leave transportation. If the Army authorizes government funded travel, the soldier must have confirmed reservations or tickets before departing the installation. The soldier is also required to file a no-pay travel voucher with their boarding pass or travel documents within five working days of returning to the unit.
Terminal Leave Before Separation or Retirement
Terminal leave is the period of leave a soldier takes at the end of their service, running from the date leave begins through their official date of separation or retirement. During terminal leave, the soldier is technically still on active duty and continues to receive full pay and benefits, but they are no longer required to report to their unit. The same army DA 31 form used for any other leave period is the document that initiates and authorizes terminal leave.
The number of days available for terminal leave is limited to the soldier’s accrued balance at the time of separation. A soldier with 45 days accrued can take up to 45 days of terminal leave before their separation date. Any leave taken beyond the available balance is not authorized, so building up the balance in the months before ETS or retirement is something soldiers approaching the end of their service should plan carefully.
Terminal leave is one of the few situations where a soldier on leave is simultaneously managing out-processing requirements. Appointments with finance, legal, medical, and the transition assistance program typically need to be completed before terminal leave begins, since the soldier will not be returning to the installation afterward. The chain of command and the S1 should be consulted well in advance to make sure nothing gets missed in the out-processing checklist before the terminal leave start date.
Soldiers choosing retirement have the additional option of selling back unused leave rather than taking it as terminal leave. The Army allows soldiers to sell back up to 60 days of accrued leave over a career, paid at the basic pay rate. Whether to sell back leave or take it as terminal leave depends on the individual’s financial situation and post-service plans. Both options use the same DA 31 as the administrative starting point for what happens with that leave balance.
Leave and PCS Orders
A permanent change of station move is one of the most common reasons soldiers take leave, and the rules around how that leave is documented and charged are specific enough that it is worth understanding before the orders arrive.
En-route leave is leave taken between the losing and gaining station during a PCS move. It is requested on a standard DA 31 just like any other leave period, and the days are charged against the soldier’s leave balance in the same way. The form should be processed and approved before the soldier departs the losing installation. Waiting until arrival at the gaining station to sort out the paperwork creates administrative problems on both ends.
|
Leave Situation During PCS |
How It Works |
|
En-route leave |
Requested on DA 31 at the losing station. Charged to the leave balance. The soldier must report to the gaining station no later than the reporting date on the orders. |
|
Permissive TDY for house hunting |
Requested on leave form and approved by command. Not charged to the leave balance. Typically authorized for a set number of days based on travel distance and command policy. |
|
Leave taken at the gaining station |
Processed through the gaining unit after in-processing is complete. A new leave form is submitted at the new duty station. |
|
Leave combined with permissive TDY |
Both can run during the same PCS period but are tracked separately. The permissive TDY days come first, then ordinary leave begins. Each must be reflected accurately on the form. |
One point that causes confusion during PCS moves: the reporting date on the orders is not extended because leave was taken en-route. The soldier is required to report to the gaining station on the date specified in the orders regardless of how many days of leave were taken during travel. If the travel and leave period would make it impossible to arrive on time, the soldier should request a modification to the orders through the proper chain rather than simply arriving late.
If the form is lost during a PCS move, the soldier should request a reconstructed copy from the losing station and continue with required travel and reporting dates without delay. Waiting for a replacement form is not a valid reason to miss a reporting date.
How to Complete the DA 31
Verify your leave balance before starting
Log into MyPay or contact your unit S1 to confirm your current accrued leave balance. This number goes into Block 9a and must be accurate or the packet will come back for correction.
Fill in Blocks 2 through 10
Complete all personal information, your leave address with a working phone number, the type of leave, your unit details, the number of days requested, and the start and end dates. Work through these in order before signing anything.
Sign Block 11 last
After reviewing all information in the soldier-completed blocks, sign Block 11. This certifies that everything provided is accurate. Always sign here last, after completing all other soldier blocks.
Submit to immediate supervisor for Block 12
Hand the form to your direct supervisor for their recommendation. They check approval or disapproval and sign Block 12. This is a recommendation to the chain of command, not the official authorization to leave.
Route to the approving authority for Block 13
The designated leave approving authority, typically the commander or their official designee, signs Block 13. This is the official approval. Without this signature the leave is not authorized regardless of what was communicated verbally.
Process through S1 and receive the individual copy
The unit S1 assigns the control number in Block 1, records the chargeable leave dates, and separates the four copies. The soldier receives the Individual copy. This must be carried throughout the entire leave period.
Get Block 14 signed before leaving the installation
The departure authority, typically the Charge of Quarters or Staff Duty Officer, records the date and time and signs Block 14. Do not leave the installation without this signature.
Return on time and get Block 16 signed
Report to the duty station no later than 2400 hours on the date shown in Block 10b. The return authority signs Block 16 to officially close the leave period and confirm the return date and time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a soldier have to carry the DA 31 during leave?
Yes. The individual copy must stay on the soldier at all times. It is proof of authorized absence and should be presented if requested by any authority during the leave period.
What happens if the form is lost while traveling?
Request a reconstructed copy from the losing station and continue with required travel and reporting dates. Do not delay the move while waiting for the replacement.
How many leave days does a soldier earn each month?
Soldiers earn 2.5 days per month of active service, totaling 30 days per year. The standard fiscal year carry-over limit is 60 days.
Can leave be extended once it has started?
Yes, but the extension request must go through the chain of command before the original leave period ends. If it is disapproved, the soldier is required to return by the original date.
Is the DA 31 fillable PDF free to download?
Yes. It is a public domain government document published through army pubs. No account or payment is required.
What is advanced leave and does it create a debt?
Advanced leave is time borrowed from future earnings. It does create a debt. Soldiers who separate with a negative balance can have pay deducted to cover the shortfall.
Who can approve leave if the commander is unavailable?
The next senior officer in the chain, a designated representative, or the installation Staff Duty Officer can approve leave in the commander’s absence. Most units have a standing policy that covers this.
Does the army DA 31 form cover en-route leave during a PCS?
Yes. En-route leave is requested and processed on a standard DA 31 at the losing station. It is charged to the leave balance and the reporting date on orders remains unchanged.
Does this form apply to National Guard and Reserve soldiers?
It applies when those soldiers are serving on active duty orders. For regular drill weekends and inactive duty training, different documentation is used.