DD Form 2656 Spouse SBP Concurrence: Notary Requirements & Signing Order

DD Form 2656 collects the data DFAS needs to establish retired pay and related elections, including initial SBP coverage. The member completes the form as part of the pre-retirement out-processing workflow with the servicing personnel office, finance office, or other designated military personnel function.

Use the current DD Form 2656 edition published on the Executive Services Directorate forms site. Training materials such as the Air Reserve Personnel Center March 2022 edition reference have cited that edition as current; always verify the live PDF and its instructions before execution.

After retirement, many SBP changes move to DD Form 2656-6 rather than a new DD Form 2656. See the DD Form 2656-6 SBP election change guide when the member is already retired and needs to change an existing SBP election.

Spouse concurrence is tied to the member's SBP election, not to marriage alone. DFAS and DoD SBP materials describe concurrence when a married member elects coverage that reduces or eliminates the spouse's statutory SBP interest.

Concurrence is generally implicated when the married member declines SBP entirely, elects less than the maximum spouse (or former-spouse) coverage available under the election being made, or elects child-only coverage without the spouse coverage that would otherwise require concurrence.

If concurrence applies, the spouse must understand the election being made. Notarization of the spouse's signature, when required on the form, verifies the signature process—it does not explain SBP options or certify that a reduced election is financially advisable.

When spouse concurrence is required, the spouse signs the concurrence section on DD Form 2656 after the member has made the election shown on the form. The form may require the spouse's signature to be notarized.

The notary performs the authorized notarial act for the spouse's signature. The notary does not select SBP coverage, witness the member's military signature unless separately requested for a notarial act on the member's block, or serve as the member's required witness unless qualified and assigned that separate role under form instructions.

Keep the spouse's concurrence unsigned until the notarial session unless applicable law and the notary expressly permit the requested act for a previously signed record. Do not backdate signatures or notarial certificates to match an earlier member signature date.

DFAS SBP enrollment guidance emphasizes date order because out-of-sequence signatures are a common reason retirement packets are returned. Treat the sequence below as a compliance checklist, not a suggestion.

The member completes and signs the form before the member's retirement date. The member's witness—often another person authorized under the form instructions—signs and dates the witness block the same date as the member's signature.

When spouse concurrence is required, the spouse signs on or after the date of the member's signature and before the member's retirement date. The notary public (or other authorized official) who witnesses the spouse signs and dates the notarial certificate the same date as the spouse's signature.

If any signature or date falls outside this sequence, stop and consult the servicing personnel office or SBP counselor before submitting. Do not alter dates after the fact.

Some members and spouses cannot sign DD Form 2656 in the same room because of deployment, training, or other geographic separation. DFAS and component personnel guidance may describe procedures for separated spouses to complete concurrence, but the acceptable process can depend on the member's branch, duty status, and the current form edition.

Do not assume that geographic separation automatically waives concurrence or permits any particular mail, email, or remote workflow. Ask the servicing personnel office or SBP counselor how DFAS expects a geographically separated spouse to execute and return concurrence before choosing a notary format.

DD Form 2656 uses different blocks for different roles. The member's witness is not interchangeable with the notary who witnesses the spouse's concurrence.

One person might be qualified to serve in more than one capacity under local law and form instructions, but each required block must still be completed as directed. Do not leave the member witness block blank when the form requires it, and do not use the spouse—notary block to satisfy member witnessing requirements.

Recipient confirmation is required. DFAS materials reviewed for this guide establish spouse notarization and personal-appearance style certificate language on DD Form 2656, but they do not establish a blanket DFAS policy accepting remote online notarization for every pre-retirement packet, electronic original, or separated-spouse workflow.

Remote online notarization is performed under the law of the online notary's commissioning state. That answers whether the notary may perform the act—not whether DFAS or the servicing personnel office will accept the electronic document, certificate, or delivery method for your case.

Do not schedule remote online notarization based only on the word “notarized.” First confirm with the servicing personnel office, finance office, or SBP counselor that the planned format satisfies DFAS and component requirements for your retirement timeline.

This guide is educational. It does not determine whether SBP or spouse concurrence applies in an individual case, calculate SBP costs or annuities, replace DFAS or DoD Financial Management Regulation instructions, or provide military retirement or legal advice.

An online notary verifies identity and completes the authorized notarial act. The notary cannot choose an SBP election, fix an out-of-sequence DD Form 2656, or promise DFAS approval of a returned packet.

DoD FMR Volume 7B and its appendices contain detailed SBP policy. Use official DFAS enrollment resources and your servicing personnel office for case-specific direction.

Return to the retirement notary document center for OPM, TSP, 401(k), and other non-military retirement forms.