VA claims agent marketing rules: advertising and solicitation standards

Quick answer: VA publishes no separate advertising code for accredited claims agents. Your marketing is governed by the standards of conduct in 38 CFR 14.632: be truthful in all dealings, never engage in fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, or dishonesty, and never mislead, threaten, coerce, or deceive a claimant. Cross those lines and the Office of General Counsel can suspend or cancel your accreditation under 38 CFR 14.633.

Sources checked October 8, 2026. Independent guide, not affiliated with VA. Not legal advice.

There is no separate advertising code, and that is the point

State bar associations publish pages of advertising rules for lawyers. VA takes a different approach for accredited claims agents: there is no advertising section in 38 CFR part 14. Instead, the general standards of conduct in 38 CFR 14.632 apply to every ad, post, mailer, and sales call. Paragraph (a)(2) requires you to be truthful in your dealings with claimants and VA. Paragraph (c) then lists the misconduct that can cost you your accreditation, and several items read like a marketing compliance checklist: no conduct involving fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, or dishonesty (c)(3); no misleading, threatening, coercing, or deceiving a claimant regarding benefits or other rights (c)(8); no fee that is clearly unreasonable or prohibited by law (c)(5); and no soliciting gifts tied to services you could not lawfully charge for (c)(6). If your marketing would embarrass you read aloud at an OGC hearing, rewrite it.

The four rules that govern every ad

Rule 1: Tell the truth, the whole truth. Section 14.632(a)(2) is one sentence long and covers everything: be truthful in your dealings with claimants and VA. Exaggerating your win rate, inventing testimonials, or implying a relationship with VA all fail this test.

Rule 2: No misrepresentation, ever. Paragraph (c)(3) bans fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, and dishonesty outright. This is the provision OGC reaches for when an agent's website promises outcomes it cannot deliver.

Rule 3: No misleading or pressuring claimants. Paragraph (c)(8) bans misleading, threatening, coercing, or deceiving a claimant about benefits or rights. High-pressure tactics like "file with me today or lose your back pay" are squarely in the crosshairs.

Rule 4: Keep fees honest. Paragraph (c)(5) bans clearly unreasonable or prohibited fees, and (c)(6) bans soliciting gifts for services you could not lawfully charge for. Your advertised fee terms must match what the fee rules actually allow.

Fee timing limits what your marketing can promise

The biggest marketing trap for new agents is promising fee-based help too early. Under 38 U.S.C. 5904(c)(1) and 38 CFR 14.636(c), you generally may not charge a fee until the agency of original jurisdiction has issued notice of its initial decision on the claim. Ads that say "hire me to file your claim" with a fee attached are advertising a service the law does not let you sell. You can help with an initial claim for free, but the moment money changes hands for pre-decision work, you have a problem. Relatedly, every fee agreement must be in writing, signed by both you and the claimant, and spell out the names, file number, and exact fee terms under 38 CFR 14.636(g). If your marketing quotes fees, those quotes must be consistent with the written agreement you actually use. See our fee agreement and direct pay checklist for the details.

Accreditation claims: the line between marketing and claim shark behavior

Only accredited agents and attorneys may receive fees for representation before VA, under 38 CFR 14.636(b). Accreditation itself comes through the application and examination process in 38 CFR 14.629. Put those together and the marketing rule is simple: do not call yourself a VA-accredited claims agent, do not use the title in ads, and do not imply OGC approval until the accreditation is actually granted. Unaccredited operators who charge veterans for claims help anyway are what VA calls claim sharks. VA's accredited representative FAQs tell veterans to verify accreditation before hiring anyone and to file a complaint with OGC about unaccredited people who try to prepare, present, or prosecute claims. An honest accredited agent's best marketing asset is the contrast: you passed the exam, you passed the character review, and your fees follow the rules. Our claim shark crackdown guide covers the enforcement picture.

Solicitation: what you can do, and what appointment requires

Nothing in part 14 bans cold outreach, websites, social media ads, or referral relationships. You may solicit clients. What you may not do is solicit them deceptively, and you may not collect a fee until the legal prerequisites are met: the claimant must appoint you on VA Form 21-22a (see 38 CFR 14.631 on powers of attorney), you must have a compliant written fee agreement, and the fee-trigger events in 38 CFR 14.636(c) must have occurred. One more bright line: accredited representatives of veterans service organizations may not charge fees at all when acting in that capacity, so a VSO representative cannot moonlight as a paid agent for the same claimants.

Enforcement: what happens when marketing crosses the line

Complaints about agent misconduct go to VA's Office of General Counsel, which runs the Accreditation, Discipline, and Fees program. VA's accredited representative FAQs confirm that OGC investigates potential violations of the professional standards of conduct and that veterans can file complaints about both accredited and unaccredited representatives. If OGC finds a violation of 38 CFR 14.632, it can bring proceedings under 38 CFR 14.633 to suspend or cancel accreditation. For fee-specific violations, 38 CFR 14.636(j) adds that failure to follow the fee rules can independently trigger termination proceedings. In practice, deceptive marketing is one of the fastest ways to draw OGC's attention, because every misleading ad is documented evidence the complainant can attach.

Primary sources: VA OGC Accreditation, Discipline, and Fees Program; VA accredited representative FAQs; 38 CFR 14.632.