Yellowstone National Cemetery

Yellowstone National Cemetery is a VA national cemetery in Laurel, Montana. VA lists it as open for burials. Burial is free for eligible veterans, their spouses and dependent children.

Source: National Cemetery Administration (cem.va.gov), retrieved May 2026

History of Yellowstone National Cemetery

Yellowstone National Cemetery was transferred from Yellowstone County Veterans Cemetery to the National Cemetery Administration on Memorial Day, May 26, 2014.

Directions

The cemetery is located in northern Laurel, Montana. From Billings Logan International Airport, take East Airport Road to Highway 3. Turn right onto 6th Avenue North, right onto Montana Avenue and continue onto Interstate 90. Travel west on Interstate 90 (approximately eight miles) to exit 437 to I-90 E Laurel. Continue onto 1st Avenue. Turn left onto Buffalo Trail Road. The cemetery is on the right.

Flowers and grounds rules

Floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial will be placed on the completed grave. Fresh cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time of the year. They will be removed when they become unsightly or when it becomes necessary to facilitate cemetery operations such as mowing.

Artificial flowers and potted plants will be permitted on graves during periods when their presence will not interfere with grounds maintenance. As a general rule, holiday decorations and potted plants will be allowed on graves for a period extending 10 days before through 10 days after Easter Sunday. Memorial Day floral decorations may be placed the Friday prior to Memorial Day and must be removed by the Sunday following Memorial Day. Artificial flowers are allowed on graves starting the 2nd Saturday in October and must be removed by the 2nd Sunday in April.

Who can be buried at Yellowstone National Cemetery?

VA national cemeteries accept a veteran who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge, a service member who died on active duty or in training, the veteran's spouse or surviving spouse (even if they remarried), and minor or, in some cases, unmarried adult dependent children. National Guard and Reserve members qualify under narrower rules. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision in advance; it does not reserve a gravesite.

What does burial here include at no cost?

• A gravesite in any VA national cemetery with available space
• Opening and closing of the grave
• A government-provided burial liner
• A government-provided headstone or marker
• Perpetual care of the gravesite

Veterans also receive a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate (presented to the next of kin at the burial) and military funeral honors, which include the playing of Taps and two uniformed service members who present the flag. The committal service is held at a committal shelter, not at the grave, and lasts about 20 minutes. National cemeteries have no viewing facilities, so the funeral itself is held elsewhere.

How do you schedule a burial at Yellowstone National Cemetery?

1. Gather the veteran's DD214 or other discharge papers, and the deceased's details (Social Security number, dates of birth and death, relationship to the veteran).
2. Fax the discharge papers to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 866-900-6417, or email them to [email protected] with the deceased's name in the subject line.
3. You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Yellowstone National Cemetery and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

Where is the Yellowstone National Cemetery burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Yellowstone National Cemetery to see the committal services planned there. It only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them. To change or cancel a burial that's already scheduled, contact Yellowstone National Cemetery directly at 406-647-2746.

Headstone, flag and burial allowance

• Government headstone or marker: tell the scheduling office which headstone, marker, niche cover or medallion you want when you schedule the burial.
• Burial flag: VA Form 27-2008.
• Burial allowance: For a non-service-connected death on or after October 1, 2026, VA pays up to $1,032 toward burial and funeral costs and $1,032 for a plot; for a service-connected death on or after September 11, 2001, the burial allowance is up to $2,000. Claim it with VA Form 21P-530EZ. All benefits

After the funeral: survivor benefits and the estate

A surviving spouse, child or parent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a tax-free monthly VA benefit, for example when the death was service connected (VA Form 21P-534EZ). The veteran's estate is settled under Montana law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Montana and lists each county's probate court. For the rest of the paperwork, from Social Security to bank accounts, DeathUS has a step-by-step checklist of what to do when someone dies.

Nearest cemeteries

The three veterans cemeteries closest to Yellowstone National Cemetery, by straight-line distance:

• Apsaalooke Veterans Cemetery, Crow Agency, MT: 60 mi, open for burials
• Eastern Montana State Veterans Cemetery - Miles City, Miles City, MT: 150 mi, open for burials
• Montana State Veterans Cemetery - Fort Harrison, Fort Harrison, MT: 171 mi, open for burials