VA National Cemeteries: How the 155-Cemetery System Works

What the VA provides at every national cemetery

• Grave plot or columbarium niche — selected by the cemetery, not the family. Plots are assigned in order; families cannot reserve specific locations except in narrow circumstances.
• Opening and closing of the grave — coordinated by the cemetery's interment office.
• Perpetual care — federal funding covers grounds maintenance, headstone cleaning, and long-term cemetery upkeep.
• Government-furnished headstone, marker, or niche cover — provided at no cost from the VA's standard catalog.
• U.S. burial flag — presented to the next of kin at the committal service.
• Presidential Memorial Certificate — available on request, signed by the sitting President.

Who is eligible — federal standard

Federal eligibility for burial at any VA national cemetery requires that the veteran (1) was discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, (2) completed at least 24 months of continuous active service or was discharged for service-connected disability, and (3) is not barred by 38 U.S.C. § 2411 felony provisions.

Spouses and dependent children may also be eligible, even if they predecease the veteran. The federal standard for spousal eligibility includes legal marriage at the time of the veteran's death (or at the spouse's death if the spouse predeceases). Same-sex spouses are fully eligible following post-Windsor (2013) regulations.

Dependent children are eligible up to age 18 (or 23 if a full-time student), or for life if permanently disabled before age 18.

How burial is scheduled

1. The funeral home or family contacts the National Cemetery Scheduling Office (NCSO) at 1-800-535-1117. The office is open 24/7 for active funeral arrangements.
2. The NCSO operator collects the veteran's full name, date of birth, social security number, dates of service, and branch.
3. The operator faxes or emails a copy of the DD-214 to the cemetery's interment office for verification.
4. Once eligibility is confirmed (typically within 30–60 minutes for complete documentation), the NCSO assigns a date, time, and committal shelter at the cemetery.
5. The funeral home transports the deceased to the assigned committal shelter at the assigned time. The cemetery handles opening, closing, and perpetual care from that point.

Cemetery types in the federal-cemetery system

VA national cemeteries (155 sites) are administered directly by the National Cemetery Administration. Burial is free for eligible veterans and their families.

State veteran cemeteries (110+ sites) are operated by individual state governments under the VA's Veterans Cemetery Grants Program (VCGP). The federal government funds construction and a portion of operating costs; the state administers day-to-day operations. Eligibility follows the federal standard plus state residency.

Tribal veteran cemeteries (10+ sites and growing) are operated by sovereign tribal nations under the VA's Tribal Organization Cemetery Grants Program. Eligibility follows the federal standard plus tribal enrollment requirements. The first tribal veteran cemetery, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Veterans Cemetery, opened in 2013.

Soldiers' lots (34 sites) are sections within civilian cemeteries that contain veteran burials from the Civil War era and earlier. Most are closed to new burials but remain under VA care for historical preservation.

Confederate cemeteries are a separate category inherited from the post-Civil War cemetery system. Burial is closed; the VA maintains them for historical purposes.

Recent expansion

The 2003 National Cemetery Expansion Act authorized six new national cemeteries in regions with at least 170,000 veterans not served by an existing cemetery. The result included Alabama National Cemetery (dedicated 2008), Bakersfield National Cemetery (2009), Sarasota National Cemetery (2009), and others.

The 2016 Veterans' Compensation COLA Act authorized additional rural cemeteries in regions with 25,000+ veterans not served by an existing facility within 75 miles. The first rural cemetery under this authority, Tuolumne County Veterans Cemetery (CA), opened in 2021.

Where to get help

VA Burial Benefits help line: 1-800-827-1000 — 8am–9pm Eastern, weekdays. Operators can pre-screen eligibility and answer specific questions.

National Cemetery Scheduling Office: 1-800-535-1117 — 24/7, for active funeral arrangements only. Not for general questions.

DoD Honors Coordination: 1-877-MIL-HONR (1-877-645-4667) — for honors requests inside 72 hours of service time.

Veterans Service Officers (VSO) at VFW, American Legion, AMVETS, DAV, or county Veterans Affairs offices — file claims and appeals at no charge.

VA.gov — official documentation, downloadable forms, claim status tracking.