Items 1 to 3: certificate details
Name of issuing official, Certificate of Eligibles control number and date issued (mm/dd/yyyy).
SF39
Request for Referral of Eligibles
- Agency
- GSA
- Revision
- Revised April 2011
- Fillable fields
- 54
- Pages
- 2
- Official source
- GSA form page
- Checked
- October 20, 2026
Standard Form 39 (SF 39): Request for Referral of Eligibles
Standard Form 39 (SF 39), Request for Referral of Eligibles, is a U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) form under 5 CFR part 332. The edition is Revised April 2011, and the form says previous editions are not usable. GSA hosts a copy in its forms library.
The form passes between federal offices in three sections. In Section I, Agency Request, a department or agency describes the position it needs to fill and identifies the delegated examining office. Section II, Certification of Eligibles, is marked to be completed by the DE office when it provides the Certificate of Eligibles. Section III, Report, goes back to the issuing office and is signed by the appointing official.
The back gives instructions and information for agency selecting and appointing officials, with key terms for preference and the action codes used to report on each eligible. You can fill it out free in your browser on this page and download the result without an account.
What's on SF 39
Items 4 to 10: agency and position
Department or agency name and organization code, bureau or field office, agency request number, date of request, the delegated examining office and address, and the number of vacancies, series, position title, grade (salary, if ungraded) and duty location.
Items 11 to 19: appointment and conditions
Type of appointment, full performance level, date SF 52 or request initiated, CTAP/ICTAP cleared, other conditions of employment, reemployment priority list cleared, nights per month in travel status, date the position needs to be filled and work schedule.
Items 20 to 22: remarks and contact
Remarks for special qualification requirements such as selective factors, the address where the Certificate of Eligibles is to be sent, and a contact name, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address.
Sections II and III: certification and report
The DE office's certification with the return date and a contact, then the report to the issuing office explaining an unused certificate, with the appointing official's signature.
Back: key terms and action codes
Key terms such as CPS, CP, XP, TP and NV, notes on education, academic achievement and proficiency claims, and action codes for declinations, agency objections and other results.
How to complete SF 39
- 1
Describe the position
Section I asks for the number of vacancies, series, position title, grade, duty location and type of appointment. For temporary and term appointments, the form says to provide justification in remarks.
- 2
Note clearances and conditions
Items 14 and 16 ask whether CTAP/ICTAP and the reemployment priority list were cleared, and item 15 asks for other conditions of employment, such as shift or seasonal work or a medical exam.
- 3
Give the return address and contact
Item 21 is the address where the Certificate of Eligibles is to be sent, and items 22a to 22d are the contact name, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address.
- 4
Treat the certificate as privileged
The instructions say the information on the Certificate of Eligibles is for United States Government use only, and to treat it, with qualification statements and attached documents, as privileged information.
- 5
Report an action code for each eligible
The back says to report the appropriate action code next to each eligible's name, such as A for Selected. It says Declinations, Communication Returned Unclaimed and Failed to Respond codes must be supported by documentation.
- 6
Return it by the date in Section II
The instructions say to return the Certificate of Eligibles to the issuing office by the date indicated in Section II. If it is returned unused, Section III asks why.
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Where it goes and what the form says
Where it goes
The request goes to the delegated examining office identified in item 9. The certificate is sent to the address in item 21 and returned to the issuing office by the date in Section II.
What the certificate covers
Section II says the Certificate of Eligibles is valid only for the position(s), grade(s), and duty location(s) shown on the request.
Rules for selections
The form says selections must be made in compliance with title 5, United States Code, Sections 3318 and 3319 and OPM regulations, and points to 5 CFR sections 330 subpart F and G, 332.404, and 332.406(b)(c)(d).
Pre-appointment checks
For required pre-appointment checks, the form points to the Guide to Processing Personnel Actions on OPM's website.
Related forms
Who fills out SF 39?
SF 39 is used between federal offices. The form names these roles.
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Questions about Form SF39
Who issues SF 39?
The form is printed as a U.S. Office of Personnel Management form under 5 CFR part 332, Revised April 2011. GSA hosts a copy in its forms library.
Who completes Section II?
Section II, Certification of Eligibles, is marked To Be Completed by DE Office. The delegated examining office states the return date and a contact for the Certificate of Eligibles.
What do CPS, CP, XP, TP and NV mean?
The form lists them as key terms: CPS is a 10-point compensable preference based on a service-connected disability of 30% or more, CP is a 10-point compensable preference for a disability of 10% or more but less than 30%, XP is 10-point other preference, TP is 5-point preference and NV is Non-Veteran.
What action codes does SF 39 list?
Declination codes DA, DD, DG, DL, DP and DZ, agency objection codes RM, RQ and RS, and other codes including A for Selected, CRU, FR, NC, NS, NN, CE and TE.
What if the certificate is not used?
Section III, Report, asks the appointing official to explain why if the Certificate of Eligibles is returned unused, then sign, print their name and title, and date it.
Can an older edition of SF 39 be used?
The footer of the Revised April 2011 edition says previous editions are not usable.