The VA will mark a veteran's grave with a headstone, flat marker, or medallion at no cost. What you actually get, and which form you file, depends on where the burial happens and whether a marker already exists. Here's how the benefit breaks down by scenario.
Does the VA Pay for a Headstone in a National Cemetery?
Yes. If a veteran is buried in a VA national cemetery, a state veterans cemetery, or a tribal cemetery, the government sets the headstone or marker itself. You don't file a separate claim for it — it's arranged as part of scheduling the burial. See How Do I Schedule a Burial at a National Cemetery? for how that process works, and Who Can Be Buried in a VA National Cemetery? if you're still confirming eligibility for the plot itself.
What If the Veteran Is Buried in a Private Cemetery?
This is where families most often leave money on the table. If a veteran died on or after November 1, 1990, and is buried in a private cemetery — either in an unmarked grave, or under a headstone the family already paid for — the VA will furnish a government headstone or marker at no charge. That's true anywhere in the world, not just in the United States.
To claim it, you file VA Form 40-1330 (Claim for Standard Government Headstone or Marker), either through QuickSubmit on the AccessVA website, by mail to the NCA FP Evidence Intake Center in Janesville, WI, or by fax. You'll need a copy of the veteran's DD214 or other discharge paperwork showing a character of discharge under honorable conditions.
What Is a VA Medallion, and When Do You Use One?
A medallion is a bronze emblem the VA provides to attach to a headstone or marker the family already purchased — it doesn't replace the existing marker, it supplements it. This is the right option when the family wants to keep a privately bought headstone in place rather than swap it for a government one.
Medallions come in bronze in three sizes, or a separate Medal of Honor version in two sizes; the cemetery has to approve which size fits the existing marker. You apply with VA Form 40-1330M, through the same three channels — QuickSubmit, mail, or fax — and you'll need a DD214, a pre-need eligibility letter, or other proof of service. Once approved, the VA sends a kit for attaching the medallion to the marker. Expect a decision within about 30 days of a complete, documented application.
Who Qualifies for a Government Marker or Medallion?
| Situation | Eligible? |
|---|---|
| Veteran discharged under honorable conditions, buried in national/state/tribal cemetery | Yes — marker set by the cemetery |
| Veteran discharged under honorable conditions, buried in private cemetery, no marker or a private one already in place | Yes — file Form 40-1330 or 40-1330M |
| National Guard or Reservist | Yes, if entitled to retirement pay or served in a federal (non-training) status |
| Spouse or dependent child, buried in national/state/tribal/military cemetery | Yes, may qualify for their own marker |
| Spouse or dependent child, buried in a private cemetery | No separate marker, but may be eligible for an inscription added to the veteran's own headstone |
Veterans who enlisted after September 7, 1980, generally need at least 24 months of continuous service, or must have died on active duty, to qualify. Older, pre-World War I service records may need extra documentation to establish eligibility. A dishonorable discharge disqualifies a veteran from this benefit — see What Does a Dishonorable Discharge Mean for VA Burial Benefits? if that's a question for your family. If eligibility is unclear because of a discharge upgrade, a name change, or missing records, it's worth applying anyway and letting the National Cemetery Administration make the determination rather than assuming the claim will be denied.
Can You Choose What Gets Inscribed?
The government-furnished headstone or marker includes the veteran's name, branch of service, and dates of birth and death at no additional charge, along with space for an emblem of belief and other standard service details. In a private cemetery, if you're adding an inscription to an existing family headstone rather than requesting a new government one, cemetery rules — not VA rules — usually control what fits and how it's engraved, so check with the cemetery before you finalize anything.
What to Do About It
- Confirm where the burial is or will be. National/state/tribal cemetery burials get a marker automatically; private cemetery burials require a claim.
- Pull the DD214 or discharge paperwork now, before you need it under time pressure. If you don't have it, request it early — it's the document every form in this process asks for.
- Decide between a new government headstone (Form 40-1330) and a medallion for an existing private marker (Form 40-1330M). You can't get both for the same grave.
- File through AccessVA's QuickSubmit for the fastest turnaround, and keep a copy of what you submitted.
- If you're planning ahead of need, look into a pre-need eligibility determination — see What Is a VA Pre-Need Burial Eligibility Determination? — so the headstone question is already settled when the time comes.
None of this costs the family anything beyond the plot itself in a private cemetery. But it does require paperwork, and paperwork is exactly what grieving families are least equipped to handle quickly. Getting the DD214 and eligibility question sorted out ahead of time is the single biggest thing you can do to make this step painless later.