Colorado Veterans Cemetery: Eligibility, Benefits, and How to Apply

Veterans and their families in Colorado have access to burial benefits that most families don't fully understand until they're trying to arrange a funeral under time pressure. Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver is the primary federal veterans cemetery in the state, and Colorado also maintains state veterans cemeteries for veterans who don't qualify for federal burial or whose families want a location closer to home.

Here's what the benefits cover, who qualifies, and what documentation the family needs to have ready.

Fort Logan National Cemetery

Fort Logan National Cemetery in southwest Denver is operated by the National Cemetery Scheduling Office under the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is a fully operating national cemetery accepting veterans and eligible dependents.

What's included at no cost to eligible veterans:

• An open burial space (or inurnment niche for cremated remains)
• Liner or grave box
• Opening and closing of the grave
• Perpetual care of the gravesite
• A government-furnished headstone, marker, or niche cover
• Presidential Memorial Certificate

The cemetery does not charge for any of these services for eligible veterans. Families pay only for funeral home services, transportation of remains to the cemetery, and any memorial services held before internment.

Fort Logan accepts both casket and cremated remains. For cremated remains placed in a columbarium niche, the process follows the same scheduling and eligibility verification steps.

State Veterans Cemeteries in Colorado

Colorado operates state veterans cemeteries for veterans who may not qualify for a national cemetery or whose families prefer a location outside the Denver metro area. The state cemeteries serve veterans with honorable discharge who meet residency criteria.

Check with the Colorado Division of Veterans Affairs (CDVA) for current locations, capacity status, and any eligibility differences between state and national cemeteries. State cemetery benefits are generally similar to federal — a burial space, opening and closing, and a marker — though some specifics vary.

Who Is Eligible

Eligibility for burial in a national cemetery is determined by the VA. The primary eligible categories are:

• Veterans who served on active duty and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable
• Members of the National Guard or Reserve who were activated under federal orders and served the full period for which they were called, or who died while on such service
• Spouses and dependents of eligible veterans
• Surviving spouses of veterans who have not remarried

Veterans with a dishonorable discharge are not eligible. Veterans with "other than honorable" discharges may require a discharge upgrade review before becoming eligible — this is a separate process through the VA or the military branch.

For unremarried surviving spouses of eligible veterans, burial at Fort Logan is available even if the veteran was already interred elsewhere. The spouse's grave will be in the same cemetery but typically not in the same plot.

The DD-214: The Document That Unlocks Everything

The DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) is the single most important document for accessing veterans burial benefits. It establishes the veteran's service dates, character of discharge, and other service details the VA and cemetery officials need to verify eligibility.

If the family doesn't have the DD-214, request it immediately through the National Archives eVetRecs system or by mailing Standard Form 180 to the National Personnel Records Center. Allow processing time — expedited requests for burial purposes are typically handled faster than routine requests, but this isn't guaranteed, so don't wait.

Keep at minimum three certified copies of the DD-214. You'll need one for the cemetery, potentially one for the VA burial allowance claim, and one for the funeral director. Additional copies are useful for life insurance claims, survivor benefits applications, and probate.

Scheduling and Logistics

Burial scheduling at Fort Logan is handled through the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-800-535-1117. The funeral director typically handles this coordination, but the family must provide:

• The veteran's full name and Social Security number
• DD-214 or equivalent discharge documentation
• The funeral home's name and contact information
• The type of burial requested (casketed or cremated remains)

National cemeteries do not allow families to select specific grave locations. The cemetery assigns burial sections based on availability. This is a hard policy — families cannot request a particular area or proximity to another grave.

For a committal ceremony, Fort Logan provides a chapel for indoor services when weather requires it. Military funeral honors — including the folding and presentation of the American flag — are available for eligible veterans through the Department of Defense Military Funeral Honors Program. The funeral director can coordinate this, or the family can contact the nearest military installation directly.

The VA Burial Allowance

Separate from the cemetery benefits, the VA offers a burial allowance to help offset funeral and burial expenses for eligible veterans. The allowance is not automatically paid — the family or funeral director must file a claim.

For a veteran who died of a service-connected disability, the burial allowance is higher than for non-service-connected deaths. There's also a plot allowance if the veteran is not buried in a national or state cemetery.

Claims are filed on VA Form 21P-530EZ. The funeral director may assist with filing, but the family should understand that this is a reimbursement — expenses must typically be paid first, then the allowance is claimed.

Colorado Property Tax Exemption for Surviving Spouses

Veterans who are 100% service-connected disabled or deemed individually unemployable by the VA qualify for Colorado's Senior Property Tax Exemption without the age or time-in-home requirements that apply to civilian seniors. This exemption shields 50% of the first $200,000 in actual home value from property taxation.

For surviving spouses of qualifying veterans, the exemption may carry over — check with your county assessor, specifically in El Paso and Mesa counties where July 15 is the application deadline for this program.

The Colorado Funeral Laws & Consumer Rights Guide covers the full documentation checklist for veterans burial coordination, the VA burial allowance claim process, and the forms needed to access property tax benefits for surviving military families.

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