Welcome to the Office of Veteran Legal Services (OVLS)
KRS 40.300(4): “There is created the Office of Veteran Legal Services within the Office of the Commissioner. The office shall be headed by an executive director appointed pursuant to KRS 12.050 who shall report to the commissioner of the Department of Veterans' Affairs.”
About OVLS:
KDVA’s Office of Veteran Legal Services (OVLS) was established pursuant to KRS 40.300(4) to address legal issues associated with KDVA’s mission to assist Kentucky veterans and their families to pursue “all claims, privileges, rights, and other benefits which they may have under federal, state, or local laws.”
Where are Kentucky’s Veterans?:
According to the Pew Research Center, there were more than 18 million veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces as of November 2023. Veterans represent approximately 6 percent of the adult population in the U.S. Similar to national statistics, 7.2 6.8 percent of Kentuckians aged 18 and older are veterans (i.e., that’s just over 250,000 235,000 veterans). Presently, there are at least 100 veterans residing in each of the Commonwealth’s 120 counties. Thus, there is a likelihood that veterans living in any county in Kentucky can benefit from having access to OVLS.
(Click on this link and select “Kentucky” for more details)
What Services does OVLS Provide?:
Administrative Legal Services
OVLS advises KDVA’s divisions and programs in the furtherance of its mission and represents KDVA before the Commonwealth’s administrative boards and commissions. OVLS also provides legal support to the Veterans Program Trust Fund Board of Directors. As KDVA is an extension of the Governor’s Office, OVLS’s Counsel serves as Ethics Officer to ensure KDVA functions within the guidelines of the Executive Branch.
Outside Legal Collaborations
OVLS does not directly represent veterans in state or federal legal claims. Instead, KDVA partners with the following agencies, committees, and associations to provide legal services to Kentucky’s veterans.
Open Records Request
Kentucky residents wishing to inspect a public record in the possession of the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs may submit an open records request by completing our Open Records Request Form.
Click here to download the PDF.
After completing your open records request form, email it to the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs’ Open Records Custodian at
KDVA.PIO@ky.gov or by mail to 1111 Louisville Road, Suite B, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601.
What Happens Next?
KDVA has five (5) business days to respond to a request for records but may need additional time to produce records that are voluminous, or are otherwise labor-intensive to collect for production.
When possible, KDVA will email responsive records to the individual making the request. If hard copies are requested, or electronic records are not an option, the cost for copies on standard 8.5" x 11" paper is twenty-five ($0.25) cents per page, with payment due in advance or at the time of copying. If the cost of copying and postage is less than $5.00, KDVA will waive the cost.
If you have questions about this process, application of the Open Records law or different types of records, please contact KDVA by
KDVA.PIO@ky.gov or phone 502-564-9203 and ask for the Office of Veteran Legal Services.
Other Helpful Information
For quick, easy, and immediate access to electronic copies of state expenditures, budgets, employee salaries and contracts, try searching
Transparency.ky.gov before submitting a formal open records request. Kentucky’s Transparency website is a multi-agency effort to provide a more transparent, accountable state government, and to allow you the opportunity to find out how your tax dollars are spent.