After you pass: how to start your VA claims agent practice

Sources checked October 5, 2026. Independent guide, not affiliated with VA. Not legal advice.

Passing the exam feels like the finish line. It is actually the starting line. Between the passing score and your first paying client sit accreditation processing, practice setup, fee compliance, and the ongoing obligations that keep your accreditation alive. Here is the roadmap.

Step 1: Wait for accreditation to finalize

A passing score does not make you accredited on the spot. VA's Office of General Counsel completes the accreditation administratively after the exam. Do not practice, take clients, or hold yourself out as accredited until it is final and your name appears in VA's searchable directory. Practicing early can jeopardize everything you just earned.

Step 2: Set up the business basics

• Business structure. Most solo agents operate as sole proprietors or single-member LLCs. Talk to a tax professional about which fits your situation; this guide is not tax advice.
• Separate finances. Open a dedicated business bank account from day one. Client funds and operating funds must never mix.
• Consider professional liability insurance. The regulations do not mandate it in the published rules, but representing veterans in high-stakes benefit claims without coverage is a risk most practitioners would not take.
• Systems. You need a way to track deadlines, store client files securely, and manage correspondence. VA claims work is deadline-driven; a missed deadline can cost a client their effective date. Build the system before you need it.

Step 3: Get your fee agreements right

Fees are the most regulated part of your practice. Under 38 CFR 14.636:

• Fees must be reasonable, with 20 percent of past-due benefits presumed reasonable.
• Fee agreements generally must be in writing and filed with VA.
• Direct payment of fees from past-due benefits has specific procedural requirements.

Get this wrong and you face discipline up to suspension or cancellation of accreditation under 14.633. See our fees guide, the 20 percent rule, and the fee agreement checklist. If you take one thing from this page: never improvise on fees.

Step 4: Find clients ethically

The standards of conduct in 38 CFR 14.632 govern how you present yourself. The core rule: no misleading communications. That covers advertising, websites, social media, and anything else a prospective client might see. Practical, compliant channels:

• A clear, honest website. Say what you do, who you help, and what you charge. Do not imply VA endorsement or guaranteed outcomes.
• Educational content. Explaining the claims process publicly demonstrates competence without making promises. This is how many successful agents build trust.
• Professional referrals. Attorneys, financial planners, and veteran service professionals encounter people who need representation.
• Community presence. Veteran events, transition programs, and local organizations, participated in genuinely, not as a sales floor.

What to avoid: soliciting clients at VA facilities, implying you have special influence with VA, guaranteeing results, or disparaging other representatives to win business. See our standards of conduct guide.

Step 5: Learn the ongoing obligations

Accreditation is not permanent without maintenance:

• CLE. Continuing legal education requirements apply; missing them can suspend your accreditation. See our CLE guide.
• Keep your information current. Address changes and other updates must be reported to OGC.
• Maintain the standards. The conduct rules in 14.632 and the discipline process in 14.633 apply for as long as you practice. See how to keep your accreditation.

Step 6: Know what you do not know yet

The exam tests the law. Practice tests everything else: client management, VA's actual workflows, the appeals system in real life, and judgment calls the regulations do not spell out. Consider:

• Finding a mentor among experienced accredited agents.
• Joining professional organizations for accredited practitioners.
• Starting with straightforward cases while you build experience.
• Keeping study habits alive; the law changes and your knowledge must keep up.

First 90 days checklist

Once accreditation is final, work through these in order:

1. Confirm your directory listing. Verify your name appears correctly in VA's searchable accredited representative directory.
2. Finalize your fee agreement template. Have it reviewed against 38 CFR 14.636 before the first client signs it, not after.
3. Set up your file system. Every client gets a complete file: the 21-22a, the fee agreement, correspondence, evidence, and a deadline log.
4. Learn VA's claims portal workflows. Know how to check claim status, upload evidence, and track appeals before a client is depending on you to do it.
5. Calendar your CLE deadlines. Put every continuing education deadline in your calendar now, with reminders well in advance.
6. Take your first cases slowly. Two or three straightforward matters teach you more about real practice than any guide. Depth before volume.

Bottom line

Passing the exam earns you the right to begin. Building a practice that serves veterans well and keeps you compliant takes the same discipline the exam required: know the rules cold, especially fees and conduct, set up systems before you need them, and grow at a pace your competence supports.