Presidential Memorial Certificate Application: How to Get One for a Veteran

What a Presidential Memorial Certificate Is

The Presidential Memorial Certificate is a gold-embossed paper certificate bearing the signature of the sitting President of the United States, issued to honor the memory of an honorably discharged veteran. It's not a plaque or a framed award — it's a high-quality document designed to be kept by the family as a permanent tribute to the veteran's service.

The VA provides these certificates completely free of charge. Any next of kin, family member, or friend can request one, and the VA honors multiple requests for the same veteran. Siblings, adult children, grandchildren, and close friends can each receive their own certificate — there's no limit on the number of copies.

Who Can Request One

The eligibility requirement mirrors general veteran funeral honors eligibility: the deceased must have been a veteran discharged under honorable conditions or must have died on active duty. The DD Form 214 (or equivalent separation document) must verify the character of service.

If the veteran was interred in a VA national cemetery, the next of kin automatically receives a PMC at the burial. No application needed — the National Cemetery Administration initiates it as part of the interment process.

For veterans buried in private cemeteries, you must apply. VA grant-funded state veterans cemeteries provide related burial and memorial benefits through their own cemetery processes, so confirm with the cemetery whether it submits the PMC request.

How to Apply

Submit VA Form 40-0247 along with:

• A copy of the veteran's DD Form 214 (or equivalent discharge document)
• A certified copy of the death certificate

Mail the completed form and documents to the address printed on the form, or submit them electronically through the VA's online portal.

The most common mistake is submitting duplicate applications to try to speed up processing. This actually creates duplicate records in the system, which causes further delays and can trigger a manual review that adds weeks. Submit once, then wait.

Processing Time

Expect up to four months from submission to receipt. The VA processes PMC requests centrally, and the volume is substantial — roughly 670,000 veterans die each year, and many families request multiple copies.

If you haven't received the certificate after five months, contact the VA at 1-800-827-1000 and reference your application. Don't resubmit.

Common Questions

Can I request one for a veteran who died years ago? Yes. There's no time limit on PMC applications. Families have successfully requested certificates for World War II veterans decades after their death.

What if the DD-214 is missing? You can submit Standard Form 180 to request the veteran's military records from the National Personnel Records Center, then use those records to support the PMC application. The SF-180 military records request process covers this in detail.

Can a non-family member request one? Yes. The VA accepts requests from any person, not just next of kin. Close friends, fellow veterans, and unit members can all request a certificate.

The Military Funeral & Honors Guide includes a memorial benefits tracker that covers the PMC application alongside the headstone/marker request, burial flag application, and medallion request — so all four memorial items are filed in the right order without missing any.