Burial & Memorial Benefits

VA's National Cemetery Administration operates 157 national cemeteries and provides funding for 124 state and tribal veterans cemeteries across 47 states and territories.

What's Provided at No Cost

For veterans, service members, and eligible Reservists:

• A gravesite in any national cemetery with available space
• Opening and closing of the grave
• A government-provided burial liner
• A government-provided headstone or marker
• Perpetual (ongoing) care of the gravesite
• A burial flag
• A Presidential Memorial Certificate
• Military funeral honors from the Department of Defense

For spouses and dependents buried with the veteran:

• Burial with the veteran
• Perpetual care
• Name and dates inscribed on the veteran's headstone at no cost

Eligibility is established by 38 USC § 2402. The following persons are eligible for burial in a national cemetery:

Veterans and Service Members

• Any veteran who did not receive a dishonorable discharge
• Service members who died while on active duty
• Reserve and National Guard members who died while on active duty, during training, or from a service-connected disability
• Reserve members entitled to retirement pay (or who would be if age 60+)

Family Members

• Spouses — eligible even if remarried after the veteran's death
• Minor children — under 21, or under 23 if pursuing an approved course of education
• Unmarried adult dependent children — in some cases, with disability documentation

Special Groups

• NOAA officers who served full-time after July 29, 1945
• U.S. Public Health Service officers who met certain service conditions
• WWII Merchant Mariners with oceangoing service (December 7, 1941 through December 31, 1945)
• Philippine Armed Forces veterans who were U.S. citizens or permanent residents at death
• ROTC members who died during authorized training activities
• U.S. citizens who served honorably in the armed forces of an allied nation during wartime
• Parents of certain combat casualties (if space permits and no surviving spouse/children eligible for burial)

Ineligible Persons

• Former spouses of veterans (unless also veterans themselves)
• Individuals drafted but who never entered active service
• Veterans with dishonorable discharge
• Individuals convicted of capital crimes or Tier III sex offenses

VA provides burial allowances to help cover funeral, burial, and transportation costs. The amount depends on whether the death was service-connected and when it occurred.

Service-Connected Death

Per 38 USC § 2307, VA will pay up to $2,000 toward burial expenses for deaths on or after September 11, 2001. This also includes transportation reimbursement and a plot or interment allowance.

VA presumes a service-connected death if the veteran was rated totally disabled for service-connected disabilities at the date of death (excluding individual unemployability ratings). Per 38 CFR § 3.1704.

Non-Service-Connected Death

Rates are adjusted annually by CPI. Per 38 USC § 2303 and 38 CFR § 3.1705:

The increase from $300 to $893 on January 5, 2023, reflects changes from the PACT Act.

Eligibility for Non-Service-Connected Allowance

The veteran must have met at least one condition at the time of death:

• Was receiving VA pension or disability compensation
• Would have received disability compensation but for receipt of military retired pay
• Had a pending claim with sufficient evidence for approval before death
• Had a claim to reopen previously denied benefits based on new evidence

Transportation Allowance

VA may reimburse some or all transportation costs if the veteran was hospitalized by VA, in VA-contracted nursing care, or died during authorized VA travel at the time of death. Reimbursement is based on actual costs — no specific dollar cap is published.

Unclaimed Remains

If a veteran's remains are not claimed, VA will pay the person or organization responsible for the burial using the standard rate tables above.

How to Apply

• File VA Form 21P-530EZ (Application for Burial Benefits)
• Filing deadline: Within 2 years of the veteran's permanent burial or cremation (non-service-connected claims)
• Applicants must show they paid for burial/funeral services and have not been reimbursed from another source

VA provides government headstones, markers, and medallions to commemorate eligible veterans. Items are furnished at no cost; in private cemeteries, the family is responsible for installation.

Types Available

Medallions are designed for veterans buried in private cemeteries with a privately purchased headstone. Each medallion is inscribed with "VETERAN" at the top and the branch of service at the bottom. Medal of Honor medallions are also available.

Inscription Requirements

• Required: Legal name, branch of service, birth and death years, section/grave number (if applicable)
• Optional: Full dates, rank, awards, emblems of belief, nicknames, terms of endearment
• Memorial markers (when remains are unavailable): must begin with "IN MEMORY OF"

Cost

• National/military cemeteries: Government provides and sets the marker at no cost
• State veterans cemeteries: Some may charge a small fee for setting
• Private cemeteries: Government provides the marker free; family pays for installation

How to Request

• VA Form 40-1330 — headstones and markers
• VA Form 40-1330M — medallions for private cemetery markers
• VA Form 40-1330UP — commemorative urns or plaques
• Submit online via AccessVA QuickSubmit, by mail to NCA FP Evidence Intake Center (PO Box 5237, Janesville, WI 53547), or by fax
• Include a copy of the veteran's DD214 or other discharge documents

A Presidential Memorial Certificate is an engraved paper certificate signed by the current president, honoring the veteran's military service. Multiple copies may be requested.

• National cemetery burial: Automatically presented at the burial
• Private cemetery: Family or friends must apply
• Eligible requesters: next of kin, family members, close friends, or authorized service representatives

How to Apply

• Online through VA.gov
• By mail: VA Form 40-0247 with death certificate and DD214
• Upload through AccessVA QuickSubmit
• In person at a VA regional office
• By fax: 800-455-7143

If more than four months have passed without receiving the certificate, call 800-697-6947.

A United States flag is provided at no cost to drape the casket or accompany the urn of a deceased veteran. After the funeral, the flag is given to the next of kin or close friend.

Eligibility

• Veterans who served in wartime
• Those who died while serving on active duty after May 27, 1941
• Veterans who served after January 31, 1955
• Peacetime veterans who completed at least one enlistment before June 27, 1950, or separated due to a service-connected disability
• Selected Reserve members

How to Obtain

Complete VA Form 27-2008 (Application for United States Flag for Burial Purposes) and present it to a funeral director, VA regional office, or U.S. Post Office (call ahead for availability).

Under 10 USC § 1491, the Department of Defense must provide a funeral honors detail upon request for any eligible veteran's funeral.

What's Provided

• At least two uniformed service members (non-retired)
• Folding of the United States flag
• Presentation of the flag to the veteran's family
• Playing of Taps (live bugler or recorded audio)

Additional detail members may include retired service members or approved veterans organization members. Coordinate with your funeral director, who can request honors through the appropriate military branch.

Veterans, service members, and eligible family members can apply in advance to find out if they qualify for burial in a VA national cemetery. Planning ahead reduces stress for families during a difficult time.

Who Can Apply

• Veterans and current service members
• Eligible spouses and dependent children
• Representatives acting on behalf of eligible persons (with proper documentation)

How to Apply

• Online: Through VA.gov
• By mail: VA Form 40-10007 to NCA Evidence Intake Center, PO Box 5237, Janesville, WI 53547
• By fax: National Cemetery Scheduling Office

Important Caveats

• Pre-need eligibility is not a guarantee of burial — final determination is made at the time of death
• VA cannot guarantee burial in your preferred cemetery
• Each family member must submit a separate application

In addition to national cemeteries, VA funds 124 state and tribal veterans cemeteries through the Veterans Cemetery Grants Program (VCGP). These cemeteries interred 43,705 veterans and eligible family members in 2025 — more than 25% of all annual interments nationwide.

• Operated by state, territory, or tribal governments — not the federal government
• May have broader eligibility categories than national cemeteries (some allow more family members)
• Some may charge small fees for headstone or marker setting
• May offer additional services not available at national cemeteries
• VA provides grants covering up to 100% of development costs (but cannot pay for land acquisition)

Contact your state's Department of Veterans Affairs for eligibility requirements and available locations.

The Nationwide Gravesite Locator (NGL) searches burial locations across VA national cemeteries, state veterans cemeteries, military cemeteries, and private cemeteries where the grave is marked with a government marker. Records are updated daily.

• Search the Nationwide Gravesite Locator
• Private cemetery records are available from 1997 onward only
• If unable to locate online, mail requests to: NCA (43A1), 810 Vermont Ave NW, Washington, DC 20420 (allow approximately 4 weeks)

To schedule a burial in a VA national cemetery, contact the National Cemetery Administration. The cemetery will handle gravesite assignment, opening and closing, and coordination with the funeral provider.

• Call: 800-697-6947 (TTY: 711), Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET
• Have ready: DD214 or separation documents, death certificate, and the preferred national cemetery
• Funeral or cremation arrangements are made separately with a funeral home or cremation office
• For pre-need (advance planning), use VA Form 40-10007 as described above

• National Cemetery Administration: 800-697-6947 (TTY: 711), Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET
• VA Benefits Hotline: 800-827-1000 (TTY: 711)
• Presidential Memorial Certificate Fax: 800-455-7143
• Mail (headstones, pre-need, medallions): NCA FP Evidence Intake Center, PO Box 5237, Janesville, WI 53547
• Mail (gravesite location requests): NCA (43A1), 810 Vermont Ave NW, Washington, DC 20420