I did the same thing, although it makes me a little nervous to have it available to anybody who'll pay for the copy. Helped when the title company for my refi lost the original. I will say that the hard copy I got from the NPRC was pretty lousy - I can only read parts of it because I know what they're supposed to say.
My wife and I both had our DD-214s registered at the courthouse as well.
"I actually registered an official copy of my DD-214 at the county courthouse. In case anything ever happens to me, my wife will need this document for all kinds of reasons. An attorney told me it was smart to do this and only cost a couple of dollars if I remember correctly. Just some friendly advice from one old retired Brother to another."
I did the same thing years ago at the York County Court house. When I went back to get a copy they said they had no record. I will now have a back up copy.
By registering it at your local court house you made your DD 214 a public record. There have been cases of people using DD 214's registered at the court house to steal a person's identity.
Your right- the smartest thing to do is regsister your DD214 with your local County Clerk’s Office. Usually there is NO charge and they will give you “Certified” copies on demand- GI Benefits, college enrollment, employment, etc.
Most people, put their copy in a safe place- but when needing it right away— can never find it and the college or employee is not going to wait around.