National Cemetery Burial Eligibility in the 21st Century

On September 1, 1973, VA became steward of the 112-year-old National Cemetery System, the forerunner of the National Cemetery Administration (NCA).  Today, NCA (www.cem.va.gov) manages 155 national cemeteries in the United States and provides grant-funding to 122 state, territory and tribal Veterans cemeteries.  Over 4.1 million Veterans of every conflict—from the Revolutionary War to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan—are honored by burial in these cemeteries.

NCA has assisted millions of Veterans and their families in scheduling and arranging for burial at national cemeteries for themselves and their spouses.  In 2016, NCA developed a Pre-Need Eligibility application to assist families with burial planning.  No longer do Veterans or spouses need to wait until the time of death to find out if they are eligible for burial in a national cemetery or for memorial benefits such as a headstone, flat marker, or bronze medallion for use in private cemeteries.

In FY 2023, 55,374 Pre-Need applications were approved. There were 139,360 interments in national cemeteries and 33,556 headstones and markers provided for burial in private cemeteries. Pre-Need applications require the Veteran’s social security number, date/place of birth, military status and service history such as service dates, discharge character, and rank—information commonly found on the DD214 or other separation documents. If you do not have discharge documents, NCA staff will help obtain the information needed to determine eligibility. Applicants can apply: online at www.va.gov/burials-memorials/pre-need-eligibility/,  via mail or fax using this form www.va.gov/find-forms/about-form-40-10007/, or simply search for “NCA Pre Need” on the internet.

If you have questions about future burial needs for yourself or a living dependent of a Veteran, or you need assistance with the submitting an application, please call 800-535-1117 and press 4. NCA’s Scheduling Office is open Monday through Friday 8:00am to 7:30pm EST and Saturday 9:00am to 5:30pm EST except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.  Telecommunications Relay Services or TTY available at 711.