National Cemetery Administration

The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) is the component of the Department of Veterans Affairs responsible for providing burial and memorial benefits to eligible veterans, service members, and their family members. The NCA operates 155 national cemeteries in 42 states and Puerto Rico, maintaining over 4 million gravesites as national shrines dedicated to preserving the memory of those who served. In addition, the VA provides headstones, markers, and burial allowances, and administers grants to help states establish and maintain veterans' cemeteries.

Current Law (2026)

Legal Authority

• 38 U.S.C. § 2400 — Establishment (creates the National Cemetery Administration within VA, headed by the Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs)
• 38 U.S.C. § 2402 — Persons eligible for interment (veterans, active duty members, certain reservists, spouses, and dependent children may be buried in national cemeteries; eligibility extends to any veteran discharged under conditions other than dishonorable)
• 38 U.S.C. § 2306 — Headstones, markers, and burial receptacles (Secretary shall furnish headstones or markers at government expense for the graves of eligible veterans, including those buried in private cemeteries)
• 38 U.S.C. § 2308 — Transportation (Secretary may pay transportation costs for deceased veterans to national or state veterans' cemeteries)
• 38 U.S.C. § 2408 — Aid to states, counties, and tribal organizations (grants for establishing, expanding, improving, operating, and maintaining state and tribal veterans' cemeteries)
• 38 U.S.C. § 2409 — Memorial areas in Arlington National Cemetery (Secretary of the Army may designate memorial areas honoring members missing in action, whose remains are unrecovered, or who died overseas and were buried at sea)
• 38 U.S.C. § 2411 — Prohibition on interment of certain persons (persons convicted of federal or state capital crimes, or certain sex offenses, may not be interred or memorialized in national cemeteries or Arlington National Cemetery)

How It Works

The NCA provides burial benefits at no cost to eligible veterans and their families. The benefits include a gravesite in a national cemetery, opening and closing of the grave, a government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and perpetual maintenance of the gravesite. These benefits represent the nation's commitment to honoring military service in perpetuity. See Veteran Burial & Memorial for additional memorial benefits — national cemeteries are maintained as national shrines.

Eligibility for burial in a national cemetery is broad: any veteran who was discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, any member of the armed forces who dies on active duty, certain reserve and National Guard members, and the spouses and minor children of eligible veterans. The inclusive eligibility means that most American military veterans — approximately 22 million living veterans — are eligible for national cemetery burial.

Headstones and markers are provided by the government for all eligible veterans, even those buried in private cemeteries. The VA will furnish and deliver a headstone or marker inscribed with the veteran's name, branch of service, dates of birth and death, and any applicable awards. For private cemetery burials, the VA will also provide a monetary allowance in lieu of a government headstone.

Arlington National Cemetery operates separately from the NCA — it is administered by the Department of the Army and has more restrictive eligibility criteria. Not all veterans eligible for NCA cemeteries qualify for Arlington. Eligibility for Arlington generally requires active duty service, retirement from active duty, receipt of certain high awards, or being the spouse of someone already buried there.

State veterans' cemeteries supplement the national system. The VA's State Cemetery Grants Program provides funding to states, counties, and tribal organizations to establish, expand, improve, and operate veterans' cemeteries. These state cemeteries follow NCA standards and provide burial options closer to veterans' communities, particularly in areas not served by a national cemetery.

The burial exclusion (§ 2411) prevents the interment or memorialization of persons who have been convicted of certain serious crimes — including federal or state capital offenses and Tier III sex offenses under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. This provision ensures that national cemeteries maintain their dignity as memorial shrines.

How It Affects You

If you're a veteran: You have earned the right to burial in a national cemetery at no cost — this includes a gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, liner or vault, a government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and perpetual maintenance of the gravesite in perpetuity. Eligibility is broad: any veteran discharged under conditions other than dishonorable qualifies, regardless of the era you served, the length of your service, or whether you served in combat. Your spouse and minor children may also be buried in the same gravesite with you at no additional cost to the family. To check which national cemetery is nearest to your home: the NCA's website (cem.va.gov) has a cemetery locator. Note that Arlington National Cemetery is administered separately by the Department of the Army and has more restrictive eligibility — not all veterans eligible for NCA cemeteries qualify for Arlington. Planning ahead: you don't need to apply in advance for eligibility, but the family or funeral home will need your DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) at the time of need — make sure your family knows where to find it, or request a copy through the National Archives (archives.gov/veterans).

If you're a family member planning or pre-planning for a veteran's burial: The burial benefits extend to families in meaningful ways. As the veteran's surviving spouse, you have the right to be interred in the same gravesite — your remains can be added at the time of your death with no additional cost or need for additional gravesite reservation. Minor children are eligible for burial with their veteran parent. The VA provides a Presidential Memorial Certificate — a parchment certificate signed by the President — to the next of kin of any deceased veteran eligible for national cemetery burial; request it online at VA.gov at any time, including years after the veteran's death. The VA also provides a burial flag (draped over the casket or accompanying cremated remains) at no charge — request it from the funeral home or a VA regional office. For veterans buried outside of national cemeteries: the VA will furnish and deliver a government headstone or marker at no charge to any eligible veteran's grave in a private cemetery, inscribed with name, branch, and dates of service. If you choose a private cemetery marker, request it through the MAACS program at VA.gov — it will be shipped directly to the cemetery.

If you're a funeral director serving veteran families: Understanding NCA procedures smooths the experience for families during a difficult time. To schedule a burial in a national cemetery: the funeral home contacts the cemetery directly or through the NCA's centralized scheduling system — the cemetery confirms availability and scheduling requirements for committal services. The VA provides burial flags free of charge to funeral homes for all eligible veterans; maintain a supply and ensure staff know to offer them proactively. For headstones and markers: the VA's memorial affairs website (va.gov/burials-memorials) allows online ordering; the stone or bronze marker is delivered directly to the cemetery or private burial location at no charge. VA burial allowances — separate from national cemetery benefits — are available for veterans who die from service-connected conditions ($883) or while receiving VA care, and a smaller plot allowance is available for private cemetery burials. File VA Form 21P-530EZ on behalf of the family. The burial allowance is modest but should be claimed for every eligible veteran.

If you work for a state, county, or tribal government interested in veterans' burial programs: The VA's State Cemetery Grants Program (38 U.S.C. § 2408) provides up to 100% federal funding to establish, expand, or improve state and tribal veterans' cemeteries. These cemeteries follow NCA standards — maintaining the quality and dignity of national cemeteries — while being administered locally, reducing travel distances for veterans in communities underserved by national cemeteries. The grants cover land acquisition, construction, equipment, and improvements; operating and maintenance costs are the state's responsibility after the grant period. To apply: submit through the NCA grants program office at the planning stage; the process involves feasibility studies, site selection, and NCA review of design standards. Over 117 state veterans' cemeteries operate across the country — this program has dramatically expanded veterans' burial access, particularly in western states and in areas where national cemeteries are far from population centers.

State Variations

National cemeteries are federal, but burial benefits interact with state programs:

• 117 state veterans' cemeteries operate across the country, funded partly by VA grants
• States may offer additional burial benefits beyond VA programs
• State veterans' cemeteries generally follow NCA eligibility and operational standards
• Some states provide burial allowances or plot allowances supplementing VA benefits
• State laws govern private cemetery operations and burial rights

Implementing Regulations

• 38 CFR Part 38–39 — National cemeteries (eligibility for burial, headstones/markers, Presidential Memorial Certificates, state cemetery grants)

• 32 CFR Part 553 — Army National Military Cemeteries: the Army-specific regulations governing Arlington National Cemetery and the U.S. Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery — the two military cemeteries administered by the Army rather than the VA. Arlington is the nation's most prestigious military burial ground (approximately 400,000 interments across 635 acres in Arlington, Virginia); the Soldiers' Home National Cemetery in Washington D.C. serves residents of the Armed Forces Retirement Home. Part 553 operates under the Army National Military Cemeteries Act (10 U.S.C. § 985 et seq.) and 38 U.S.C. § 2402, with the Army's Executive Director for Army National Military Cemeteries overseeing operations. Key provisions:

  • § 553.11 — General eligibility rules: Arlington eligibility divides into primarily eligible persons (those with their own service-based eligibility) and derivatively eligible persons (spouses and dependent children of a primarily eligible person who has been or will be interred at Arlington); because Arlington's capacity is finite, Congress and the Army have progressively restricted eligibility since 1967; a derivatively eligible spouse's interment depends on a primarily eligible person being interred first (§ 553.17 — the interment/inurnment agreement)
  • § 553.12 — Interment (casket burial): the most restricted category; primarily eligible for full casket interment are active duty service members who die in the line of duty, retirees with 20+ years of active duty, Medal of Honor recipients, Presidents and Vice Presidents, active duty warrant officers and commissioned officers, and prisoners of war repatriated upon death; the eligibility categories reflect ongoing tension between honoring broad military service and preserving space at a cemetery projected to reach capacity within decades
  • § 553.13 — Inurnment (columbarium, cremated remains): eligibility for the Arlington columbarium is broader than for ground burial — veterans with any honorable discharge may be eligible for columbarium inurnment even without qualifying for ground interment; this allows a larger pool of honorably discharged veterans to be honored at Arlington through cremated remains placement while preserving ground space for the restricted categories
  • § 553.14 — Cremated remains in the Unmarked Area: any primarily eligible person may have cremated remains interred in the Arlington Unmarked Area (garden-style placement without an individual marker) — a more accessible Arlington option when other placements are unavailable
  • § 553.15 — Group burial: when remains of multiple service members cannot be individually identified after a mass casualty event, the Executive Director may authorize group burial; used for aircraft crash victims and other events where individual identification is not possible; treated as a single interment but may include individual memorial markers
  • § 553.16 — Memorialization: under 38 U.S.C. § 2409, memorial areas may accommodate service members whose remains are not recoverable (killed in action, lost at sea); no remains are present — only a marker; eligibility for memorialization is broader than for interment, designed for those whose sacrifice cannot be marked any other way
  • § 553.19 — Ineligibility: persons separated from service under dishonorable conditions, persons convicted of certain offenses (sexual offenses, crimes against minors), and those not meeting the §§ 553.12–553.16 criteria are ineligible; Arlington is an honor, not an entitlement
  • § 553.18 — Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery: this small cemetery adjacent to the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington is reserved exclusively for current residents of the Armed Forces Retirement Home; it is not open to the general veteran population and operates separately from the VA National Cemetery System

  Arlington's long-term capacity constraint is the defining policy challenge for the cemetery's administration: at current interment rates, Arlington will reach capacity for new ground burials within coming decades. Congress has responded by restricting eligibility (most significantly in 1967 and 1993), authorizing expansion onto adjacent parcels, and promoting columbarium and cremated remains options that use less space per person. Recent rulemakings: 81 FR 65877 (Sept. 23, 2016) — major update to the eligibility framework clarifying primarily eligible and derivatively eligible definitions and tightening eligibility categories; 84 FR 45408 (Aug. 29, 2019) — further eligibility amendments.

Pending Legislation

• HR 6921 — Create new national cemetery in Hawaii for local veteran burial access. Status: In committee.
• S 3613 — Require VA to build new Hawaii national cemetery with site selection and environmental review. Status: Introduced.
• HR 5942 — Require all national cemeteries open to visitors on federal holidays. Status: In committee.
• S 4108 — Raise VA burial benefit from $2,000 to $3,000, index to CPI. Status: Introduced.

Recent Developments

The NCA has been expanding to serve the growing number of aging veterans from the Vietnam era and subsequent conflicts. New national cemeteries have been established in underserved areas, and existing cemeteries have been expanded. The VA healthcare system and cemetery administration together serve veterans across their full lifecycle. The VA has invested in cemetery infrastructure — columbaria for cremated remains, which are increasingly chosen by veterans and families. The Honoring our PACT Act and other legislation have expanded eligibility for burial benefits to additional categories of veterans. Arlington National Cemetery has implemented eligibility reforms to extend the cemetery's operational lifespan, which under previous criteria was projected to reach capacity within decades.