Settle it now, so your family never has to guess
Planning a burial is not a grim task so much as a kind one. Handling the eligibility paperwork ahead of time means that, in a hard moment later, your family is not hunting for documents or wondering what you would have wanted. This guide covers three things you can settle calmly and in advance: a pre-need eligibility determination, what a burial in a VA national cemetery includes, and the headstone, marker, and medallion options for a private cemetery. If a term is new to you, the glossary defines the basics.
The pre-need determination
You can ask VA to confirm your eligibility for a national cemetery burial before it is ever needed. As VA puts it: "You can apply to find out in advance if you're eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery. This is called a pre-need determination of eligibility, and it can help make the burial planning process easier for your family members in their time of need."
The form is straightforward. VA says to "Fill out an Application for Pre-need Determination of Eligibility for Burial in a VA National Cemetery (VA Form 40-10007)." You can apply online, by mail to the NCA Evidence Intake Center, PO Box 5237, Janesville, WI 53547, or by fax to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office. Sending a copy of the DD214 or other separation documents helps VA process it faster, and if you do not provide a DD214, VA "will try to find the records we need to determine eligibility."
A few scope notes matter here. This application "is only for planning a burial in a VA national cemetery before the time of need." If the person "has already died, you can't apply for pre-need eligibility. You'll need to schedule a burial instead." And two kinds of cemeteries are handled separately: for Arlington National Cemetery or the Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery, "you'll need to contact Arlington National Cemetery directly," and for a VA grant-funded state, territory, or tribal veterans cemetery, "you'll need to contact the cemetery about their pre-need program."
What a national cemetery burial includes
If you qualify for burial in a VA national cemetery, several benefits come at no cost to your family. VA frames it this way: "If you're a Veteran, service member, Reservist, or family member who qualifies for burial in a VA national cemetery, you'll receive certain burial benefits at no cost to your family."
VA lists what is included:
- "A gravesite in any of our national cemeteries with available space
- Opening and closing of the grave
- A burial liner provided by the government
- A headstone or marker provided by the government
- Perpetual (ongoing) care of the gravesite"
Veterans, service members, and Reservists qualify for additional benefits on top of that list:
- "A burial flag
- A Presidential Memorial Certificate
- Military funeral honors provided by the Department of Defense
- Veterans burial allowance and transportation benefits"
| Benefit | Who it is for |
|---|---|
| Gravesite with available space | Those who qualify for national cemetery burial |
| Opening and closing of the grave | Those who qualify for national cemetery burial |
| Government-provided burial liner | Those who qualify for national cemetery burial |
| Government-provided headstone or marker | Those who qualify for national cemetery burial |
| Perpetual care of the gravesite | Those who qualify for national cemetery burial |
| Burial flag | Veterans, service members, Reservists |
| Presidential Memorial Certificate | Veterans, service members, Reservists |
| Military funeral honors | Veterans, service members, Reservists |
| Burial allowance and transportation benefits | Veterans, service members, Reservists |
One honest caveat to plan around. VA cannot promise a specific cemetery: "We can't guarantee that you'll be buried in your preferred cemetery. If your preferred cemetery isn't available at your time of need, we'll help your family select another cemetery with available space." A pre-need determination confirms eligibility; it does not reserve a plot at one particular place.
Headstones, markers, and medallions for a private cemetery
You may prefer burial in a private or family cemetery. VA still furnishes a grave marker at no charge in many cases. As the National Cemetery Administration states: "The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) furnishes upon request, at no charge to the applicant, a Government headstone or marker for the unmarked grave of any deceased eligible Veteran in any cemetery around the world, regardless of their date of death."
If the grave already has a privately purchased headstone, two date-based rules decide what is available: "A Government-furnished headstone or marker may be provided for eligible Veterans who died on or after Nov. 1, 1990 and whose grave is marked with a privately purchased headstone. A Government-furnished medallion may be provided for eligible Veterans who served on or after Apr. 6, 1917 and whose grave is marked with a privately purchased headstone or marker."
The application forms are specific. For a headstone or marker, "A VA Form 40-1330, Claim for Standard Government Headstone or Marker must be submitted." For a medallion, you "Fill out a Claim for Government Medallion for Placement in a Private Cemetery (VA Form VA40-1330M)." VA offers "a bronze medallion in 3 different sizes" or "a Medal of Honor medallion in 2 different sizes." A medallion applicant must have a character of discharge under honorable conditions or higher, be buried in a private cemetery, have a permanent and privately purchased headstone or marker, and meet the requirements for their specific group.
Two limits are worth knowing while you plan. First, in a private cemetery the setting is on you: "There is no charge for the headstone or marker itself, however arrangements for placing it in a private cemetery are the applicant's responsibility and all setting fees are at private expense." In national and military cemeteries, staff set the marker at no cost, and some state veterans cemeteries may charge a nominal setting fee. Second, spouses and dependents have narrower options: they "are not eligible for a Government-furnished headstone or marker unless they are buried in a national cemetery, state Veteran's cemetery, or military post/base cemetery," though a spouse or dependent child in a private cemetery "may be eligible for an inscription on the Veteran's headstone or marker."
A hypothetical to make it concrete
Consider a hypothetical veteran named Walter, who wants to spare his family any uncertainty. Well ahead of any need, he submits VA Form 40-10007 for a pre-need determination and includes a copy of his DD214. VA confirms he is eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery. Walter keeps the determination letter with his important papers and tells his spouse where it is. He also notes that if he later chose a private cemetery instead, his family could request a government headstone, marker, or medallion using the right form. This example is hypothetical and only shows how the planning steps fit together; VA determines actual eligibility, and it cannot guarantee a specific cemetery.
What this does not mean: A pre-need determination confirms eligibility; it does not reserve a plot at your preferred cemetery, and VA can help your family choose another cemetery with available space if needed. It is also only for planning before the time of need. If a veteran has already died, the family schedules a burial instead of applying for pre-need eligibility.
Planning versus the moment itself
This guide is the calm, ahead-of-time half. Its companion is our guide on what happens to VA benefits when a veteran dies, which walks a family through the steps at the actual time of need, including the burial allowance and survivor benefits. Read this one to plan; read that one when the moment comes. For the monthly survivor benefit that can follow a service-connected death, see our guide on VA DIC survivor benefits. And because eligibility often comes down to proving service, keeping your veteran ID cards and DD214 organized now makes every one of these steps easier later.
The official pathway
Apply for a pre-need determination with VA Form 40-10007 at VA.gov, and confirm the current headstone, marker, and medallion rules on VA's National Cemetery Administration pages. State and tribal veterans cemeteries run their own pre-need programs, and Arlington is handled directly by Arlington; check state options at /va-benefits. We help you and your family understand and organize these records ahead of time. We never prepare or file a claim for you.