Free Military Headstone Application: Government Markers, Medallions, and Inscription Rules

The VA provides a headstone, flat marker, or niche cover at no cost for any eligible veteran — regardless of whether they're buried in a national cemetery, a state veterans cemetery, or a private plot behind a country church. If the family already purchased a private headstone, the VA will furnish a bronze medallion to attach to it instead. The benefit covers everything: the marker itself, the shipping to the cemetery, and for national cemeteries, the installation.

Here's how each option works and how to apply.

What the VA Provides

Upright headstone: White marble or light granite, inscribed with the veteran's name, branch of service, birth and death dates, and any approved emblems. Standard government headstones are the ones you see in rows at Arlington and other national cemeteries.

Flat marker: Bronze, granite, or marble, set flush with the ground. Some private cemeteries require flat markers for mowing, so this option lets families comply with cemetery rules while still getting a government-furnished marker.

Niche cover: For veterans whose cremated remains are placed in a columbarium niche. Bronze face plate with the same inscription options as a headstone.

Bronze medallion: A separate option for veterans buried under a privately purchased headstone. The medallion (available in several sizes) affixes to the existing stone and features the word VETERAN and the branch-of-service emblem. This is not a replacement for a headstone — it marks an existing private marker with military recognition.

Inscription Rules

The VA allows specific categories of inscription, and they're more flexible than most families realize.

Required elements: Legal name, branch of service, year of birth, year of death.

Optional elements: Full dates (month and day), highest rank, war service (e.g., KOREA, VIETNAM, PERSIAN GULF), awards and decorations (Purple Heart, Bronze Star, etc.), and an emblem of belief or non-belief. The VA maintains a list of over 80 approved emblems, including religious symbols, atheist emblems, and humanist emblems.

Personal inscription: You can add a brief personal inscription at the bottom — a term of endearment, a short phrase, or a nickname. This is subject to approval and must not be commercial, political, or in poor taste. Examples that have been approved: "Beloved husband and father," "Always in our hearts," or "Doc" for a combat medic.

What you cannot include: Profanity, political statements, commercial messages, or text that the VA determines could be considered offensive. The VA reviews each inscription request.

Who's Eligible

Veterans who completed active service and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable qualify. This includes:

• Veterans who served on active duty
• National Guard and Reserve members who died during or as a result of active duty for training or inactive duty training
• Commissioned officers of the Public Health Service and NOAA

Spouses and dependent children of eligible veterans can also be memorialized on the veteran's headstone (added after the veteran's burial) or receive their own marker if buried in a national cemetery.

How to Apply

For national or state veterans cemeteries: The cemetery handles the headstone order automatically when you schedule the burial. You don't need to file a separate application.

For private cemeteries: Submit VA Form 40-1330 (Claim for Standard Government Headstone or Marker) to the Memorial Products Service. The form asks for the veteran's service information, the cemetery name and address, and your inscription preferences. Mail it to: Memorial Products Service (41B), Department of Veterans Affairs, 5109 Russell Road, Quantico, VA 22134.

For the medallion: Submit VA Form 40-1330M (Claim for Government Medallion for Placement in a Private Cemetery). Same address.

Processing typically takes 8 to 12 weeks after the application is received. The marker ships directly to the cemetery or to the applicant's address if specified.

Installation Costs

In national cemeteries, the VA handles installation at no charge. In private cemeteries, the VA ships the marker for free, but the family is responsible for paying the cemetery's setting fee. For deaths on or after October 1, 2025, the VA reimburses up to $441 toward the cost of setting a government headstone in a private cemetery. Claim this reimbursement on VA Form 21P-530EZ (the burial benefits application).

The Veteran's Death Benefits & Survivor Claims toolkit includes a burial benefits tracker that helps you coordinate the headstone application alongside burial allowance claims so nothing gets lost in the process.