Do I have to pay someone to file a VA disability claim in Okaloosa County?

No. Okaloosa County Veterans Services in Shalimar and Crestview helps file and appeal VA claims, and VA says help from accredited veterans service organization representatives is always free.

What are the Okaloosa County veterans office hours?

As of Oct. 30, 2026, the county lists Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m., and the Crestview location on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Call 850-651-7258 before you go.

Is the Walton County veterans office open on Fridays?

No. Walton County Veterans Services in DeFuniak Springs is open Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., by appointment only.

What is a VA intent to file?

It sets a possible start date for benefits while you gather evidence. You then have one year to file the full claim, and approved claims may be paid back to that date.

Free help filing a VA claim in Okaloosa, Walton, Santa Rosa and Bay: offices and hours

Veterans in Okaloosa, Walton, Santa Rosa and Bay counties can get help filing a VA claim for free from their county veterans service office. As of Oct. 30, 2026, Okaloosa County‘s office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m., and its Crestview location on Tuesdays and Thursdays, per Okaloosa County Veterans Services. Walton County‘s office in DeFuniak Springs works Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., by appointment only, per Walton County.

Nobody has to pay to file a claim with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The services of an accredited veterans service organization representative “are always free,” per VA.gov, and the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs says county veteran service office help is provided “free of charge,” per FDVA.

Where is my county’s veterans service office?

Addresses and phone numbers below come from the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs county directory (revised December 2025) and each county’s website, checked Oct. 30, 2026.

County	Office	Address	Phone	Hours
Okaloosa	Main office, Shalimar	1250 N. Eglin Parkway, Suite 302, Shalimar	850-651-7258	Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m.
Okaloosa	Crestview	302 N. Wilson St., Suite 301, Crestview	850-651-7258 (appointments)	Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m.
Walton	DeFuniak Springs	76 N. 6th St., Suite B, DeFuniak Springs	850-892-8140	Mon.-Thu., 7 a.m.-5 p.m., by appointment; closed Friday
Santa Rosa	Main office, Milton	6051 Old Bagdad Highway, Suite 204, Milton	850-981-7155	Call for hours
Santa Rosa	South Service Center	5841 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze	850-981-7110	Call for hours
Bay	Panama City	840 W. 11th St., Panama City	850-248-8280	Appointment-based; walk-ins welcome

The state directory lists the Crestview office as open Tuesdays only “at this time,” while the county website lists Tuesdays and Thursdays. Call the main number before you drive.

Bay County says its office “works on an appointment based system” and that walk-ins are welcome, but “appointments have priority,” per Bay County Veteran Services.

What can the county office help me with?

County veterans service officers help with more than disability claims. Okaloosa County lists help “filing, developing and appealing claims,” plus home visits for homebound veterans and nursing home residents. Bay County lists service-connected disability, pension, burial benefits, health care enrollment, home loan eligibility certificates, education benefits and the letters veterans need for a property tax exemption. Walton County adds death and burial benefits, vocational rehabilitation, housing and auto grants, discharge records and appeals.

Okaloosa County also schedules rides on the DAV van to the VA clinic in Pensacola for veterans with appointments. Call 850-651-7258 or 850-689-5922 to book; vans leave from Crestview, Niceville and Fort Walton Beach on Wednesdays and Fridays when there is a need, per the county.

Which VA forms will I sign?

To let a service officer represent you on a claim, you sign VA Form 21-22, the Appointment of Veterans Service Organization as Claimant’s Representative, per VA.gov. An accredited attorney or claims agent uses VA Form 21-22a instead, and unlike service organization representatives, attorneys and claims agents can charge fees, per VA.gov.

If you are not ready to file, ask about an intent to file. It sets a potential start date for benefits, and you then have one year to submit the complete claim. If VA approves it, you may receive back pay from the date VA processed your intent to file. It works for disability compensation, pension and survivors’ Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, and you can submit it online, by phone, by mail on VA Form 21-0966 or in person, per VA.gov.

What should I bring to the first appointment?

The county pages do not publish a single checklist, so call ahead and ask. VA’s own application checklists start with military discharge papers, such as the DD-214, per VA.gov. If yours are missing, Walton County lists discharge information among the things its office helps with.

Is there free help inside the VA clinics?

Florida also employs state veterans’ service officers who work alongside the VA regional office in Bay Pines, at each VA medical center and at many outpatient clinics. Their help “is free and covers all state and federal veterans’ programs,” per FDVA, which takes questions at 727-319-7440.

Who should I call?

Start with your county office in the table above. If you live in one county and work in another, call the office where you live first; some offices serve residents only by appointment.

This story is information, not legal or financial advice.

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