Is a VA Burial Medallion the Same as a VA Headstone or Marker?

The mix-up

Families hear “VA will mark the grave” and treat three different things as one order.

1. The bronze medallion is treated as the government stone. It is an emblem for a headstone or marker the family already bought.
2. Medallion paperwork is treated as a funeral-payment claim. Form 40-1330M does not start the burial-allowance path. That money comparison is /blog/va-plot-interment-vs-burial-allowance.
3. A private-cemetery medallion or headstone is treated as a decision about burial in a VA national cemetery. This note does not decide who may be buried in a national cemetery. Start at VA's burial eligibility pages.

This page is only the medallion (Form 40-1330M) versus the government-furnished headstone or marker (Form 40-1330). It is not a burial-allowance note, and it is not a national-cemetery eligibility guide.

What a medallion is

From VA's Medallions page, under “Who's eligible for a medallion?” a Veteran, active-duty service member, or National Guard or Reserve member may be eligible if they meet all of these:

• A character of discharge under honorable conditions or higher, and
• Burial in a private cemetery, and
• A permanent and privately purchased headstone or marker, and
• The eligibility requirements for their specific group

That page then prints separate group rules — active duty and Veterans (including enlisted and officer dates of September 7, 1980, and October 16, 1981, a 24-month continuous active-duty sentence, and a service-connected disability sentence), Public Health Service commissioned officers, National Guard members, and Reserve members. It also notes that National Guard or Reserve members with only limited active-duty service for training aren't eligible in most cases. Read the live list. This note does not add a service rule, and it does not treat that discharge sentence as the same words as the headstones page, which are quoted below.

Bronze sizes, and the Medal of Honor medallion

The Medallions page says:

“You can apply for a bronze medallion in 3 different sizes. Or, you can apply for a Medal of Honor medallion in 2 different sizes. Documentation is required for proof of a Medal of Honor decoration. The Veteran's cemetery must approve the size of medallion you apply for.”

The size page that link opens, NCA's Types of Headstones, Markers, and Medallions, names the bronze sizes Small, Medium, or Large and prints dimensions there: Small (2"W x 1-1/2"H x 1/3"D), Medium (3-3/4"W x 2-7/8"H x 1/4"D), or Large (6-3/8"W x 4-3/4"H x 1/2"D). It says each bronze medallion is inscribed with the word “VETERAN” across the top and the branch of service at the bottom. It says the Medal of Honor medallion comes in Medium or Large, inscribed with “MEDAL OF HONOR” at the top and the branch of service at the bottom. That page does not print inch dimensions for the Medal of Honor sizes. This note does not invent them.

The same types page says the devices are furnished in lieu of a traditional Government headstone or grave marker:

“These devices are furnished in lieu of a traditional Government headstone or grave marker for those Veterans who served on or after April 6, 1917, and whose grave in a private cemetery is marked with a privately purchased headstone or marker.”

And:

“Important: This benefit is only applicable if the grave is marked with a privately purchased headstone or marker. In these instances, eligible Veterans are entitled to either a traditional Government-furnished headstone or marker, or the medallion, but not both.”

If two Veterans share one privately purchased headstone, that page says two medallions can be requested and affixed if the local cemetery official authorizes it. When requesting the Medal of Honor medallion, VA's private-cemetery page says check “Other” in block 11 and write “MOH.” The types page says check “OTHER” in block 11 and specify “MOH.”

Who can apply, and what happens after

The Medallions page says you can apply if one of these is true:

• You're the Veteran's family member, or
• You're the Veteran's personal representative, or
• You're a representative of the Veteran's cemetery or funeral home — or you're legally responsible for handling the Veteran's burial, memorialization, or unclaimed remains, or
• You're a representative of a Veterans Service Organization (VSO), or
• You're an employee of a state or local government or tribal organization, and you're responsible for serving Veterans and their families

A personal representative also sends the authority document that page lists. Supporting service documents on that page are a DD214, other discharge documents, a pre-need determination of eligibility decision letter, or another service document that establishes eligibility. The page says if you don't have those documents, apply anyway — VA will try to get them.

You can apply online, by mail, or by fax:

• Online: the QuickSubmit tool through AccessVA, as that page describes. Register first if it is your first time.
• Mail: VA Form 40-1330M and copies of supporting documents to NCA FP Evidence Intake Center, PO Box 5237, Janesville, WI 53547. The Medallions page labels the form “VA Form VA40-1330M.” The private-cemetery page labels it VA Form 40-1330M. Same form link.
• Fax: that page says fax the application and copies to 1-800-455-7143.

After you apply, the Medallions page says:

“A representative from the Veteran's cemetery must review and sign your application.”

“We'll review your application. If we approve your application, we'll send you a kit to help you attach the medallion to the Veteran's headstone or marker.”

The same paragraph says that if a completed 1330M application and military documents are provided, you can expect a decision on your application in 30 days. That sentence is only the sentence on that page. It is not a promise, and it is not the headstone timeline.

If the medallion was not received by the consignee, that page says to contact the Applicant Assistance Unit at 800-697-6947. NCA's types page says that once an application is received and approved, VA will mail the medallion along with a kit so the family or private-cemetery staff can affix it to a headstone, grave marker, mausoleum, or columbarium niche cover.

What a government headstone or marker is

From VA's Veterans headstones and markers page (updated December 15, 2025), under “For Veterans and active-duty service members to get a headstone or marker”:

“A Veteran who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge or a service member who died while on active duty may be eligible for a headstone or marker if they meet these requirements.”

At least one of these must be true:

• The Veteran or service member died on or after November 1, 1990, and their grave is currently marked with a privately purchased headstone, or
• The Veteran or service member was buried in an unmarked grave, anywhere in the world

NCA's Headstones, Markers, and Medallions page says the same split in its own words: VA furnishes, upon request, at no charge to the applicant, a Government headstone or marker for the unmarked grave of any deceased eligible Veteran in any cemetery around the world, regardless of their date of death. A Government-furnished headstone or marker may be provided for eligible Veterans who died on or after Nov. 1, 1990, and whose grave is marked with a privately purchased headstone. A Government-furnished medallion may be provided for eligible Veterans who served on or after Apr. 6, 1917, and whose grave is marked with a privately purchased headstone or marker.

Those are two items. The November 1, 1990 sentence on the headstones page is about a privately purchased headstone already on the grave. The medallion pages say headstone or marker. This note does not widen either sentence.

The headstones page also says that for Veterans who served as enlisted personnel after September 7, 1980, or as officers after October 16, 1981, at least one of these must also be true: a minimum of 24 months of continuous active duty, or the Veteran died while serving on active duty. That page's National Guard and Reservist lists are separate, including the training-only notes. It also says that if the person served before World War I, VA requires detailed documents such as muster rolls or extracts from state files. A separate note on that page says Hmong individuals who were living in the U.S. when they died are eligible if they were naturalized under the Hmong Veterans Naturalization Act of 2000 and died on or after March 23, 2018. Read those live sentences. This note does not copy them into the medallion rules above.

Styles, and who orders the stone

NCA's Headstones, Markers, and Medallions page says:

“Flat markers in granite, marble, and bronze and upright headstones in granite and marble are available. Bronze niche markers are also available to mark columbaria used for inurnment of cremated remains. The style chosen must be permitted by the officials in charge of the private cemetery where it will be placed.”

This note does not guess which style a cemetery will allow. Ask the cemetery. When burial or memorialization is in a national cemetery, state Veterans' cemetery, or military post or base cemetery, that NCA page says a headstone or marker will be ordered by the cemetery officials based on inscription information from the next of kin or authorized representative. This note does not decide who may be buried in those cemeteries.

The form

For a headstone, grave marker, or wall marker, the headstones page says fill out VA Form 40-1330, Claim for Standard Government Headstone or Marker. You can send it online through QuickSubmit, by mail to NCA FP Evidence Intake Center, PO Box 5237, Janesville, WI 53547, or by fax. The headstones page and the private-cemetery page both print the fax number 800-455-7143. Do not send original discharge documents. The headstones page says VA can't return them.

If this is a second request, or a replacement because of a mistake with the inscription or a damaged headstone or marker, the headstones page says explain it in block 27. The private-cemetery page says explain a second request or a replacement in block 33. Follow the live form. This note does not reconcile those two block numbers.

A memorial headstone or marker — when remains were not recovered or identified, were buried at sea, were donated to science, or were cremated and scattered — is still the headstones page and Form 40-1330, not Form 40-1330M. NCA says those markers bear “IN MEMORY OF” as the first line and must be placed in a recognized cemetery, and that memorial headstones and markers for spouses and other dependents are not available for placement in private cemeteries. This note does not rewrite that memorial path.

The headstones page prints its own list of who may apply, including a sentence for any individual representing the deceased if the Veteran's service ended before April 6, 1917. Use that live list. It is not the medallion applicant list above.

What VA furnishes, and what a private cemetery may charge

VA's burial in a private cemetery page (updated September 22, 2026) says Veterans buried in a private cemetery may be eligible for a headstone or marker, and for a medallion. Under “How much does a burial in a private cemetery cost?”:

“It depends. We provide a headstone, marker, or medallion to you and your family at no extra cost. But a private cemetery may charge setting, placement, maintenance, or other fees. We recommend that you ask about these additional costs when planning a burial in a private cemetery.”

NCA's Headstones, Markers, and Medallions page says:

“There is no charge for the headstone or marker itself, however arrangements for placing it in a private cemetery are the applicant's responsibility and all setting fees are at private expense.”

The same page says arrangements for setting a Government-furnished headstone or marker in a private cemetery are the applicant's responsibility and all placement costs are at private expense. It also says cemetery staff in national, military post, and military base cemeteries set the headstone or marker at no cost to the applicant, and that some state Veterans' cemeteries may charge a nominal fee for setting. This note does not invent that nominal amount, and it does not invent a private-cemetery dollar figure. It also does not decide burial eligibility in those cemeteries.

The private-cemetery page says only the National Cemetery Administration can inscribe a headstone or marker, and that VA does not allow private or local contractors to make inscriptions. That sentence is about the government headstone or marker. The medallion pages describe a kit to affix the medallion. This note does not turn one sentence into the other.

Questions that private-cemetery page says you may want to ask the cemetery:

• If the private cemetery is offering a free gravesite for Veterans, will you be required to buy a gravesite in addition to the free Veteran gravesite?
• If you have to buy an additional gravesite, what will it cost? Where will it be located?
• Can you get a written list of the services the family will get from the private cemetery during the burial?
• Can you get a written list of the information or resources you need to give the cemetery in order to plan the burial?
• What type of trust fund does the private cemetery have to protect buyers?
• Are there any requirements or restrictions on headstones or grave markers?
• Do you need to buy a special marker base before ordering a VA headstone?
• Will you have to pay to place, set, or take care of a VA headstone or marker? If yes, will this cost more than if you buy a private headstone or marker?
• Do you need to buy an outer container (sometimes called a vault or a grave liner)? If yes, how much will this cost?

Those are the page's questions. This note does not answer them with a price.

If you applied for a headstone, marker, or medallion for a Veteran buried in a private cemetery and the grave is still unmarked, that page says: if more than 30 days have passed since you filed, call 800-697-6947 to make sure VA received the claim. If you know VA received it and more than 60 days have passed, contact the cemetery, funeral home, or other party responsible for accepting delivery. If they have not received it, call that same number. NCA prints a matching status note for private-cemetery orders. Those clocks are status checks. They are not the medallion page's “decision in 30 days” sentence, and they are not a promise the grave will be marked.

Spouses and dependents in a private cemetery

VA's private-cemetery page answers this directly:

“No. A spouse or dependent child buried in a private cemetery isn't eligible for these benefits. Only an eligible Veteran can receive a headstone, marker, or medallion for burial in a private cemetery.”

The headstones page says the same limit for a headstone or marker, and adds that a spouse or dependent child buried in a national cemetery, state or tribal Veterans cemetery, military post cemetery, or military base cemetery may be eligible for a headstone or marker. NCA says spouses and dependents are not eligible for a Government-furnished headstone or marker unless they are buried in a national cemetery, state Veterans' cemetery, or military post or base cemetery. This note does not rewrite who may be buried in those cemeteries. Use VA's eligibility pages for that question.

An inscription on the Veteran's government headstone or marker is a different sentence on the private-cemetery page. If the spouse or dependent child is eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery but isn't buried there, VA says it will provide an inscription on the Veteran's headstone or marker. You apply for the inscription when you request the headstone or marker, in block 18 of VA Form 40-1330, with documents that show the relationship. What VA inscribes depends on the date of the Veteran's death, as that page writes it:

• If the Veteran died on or after October 1, 2019: name, date of birth, and date of death of an eligible spouse or dependent child, plus a term of endearment if you request one. On the back of an upright headstone, or below the Veteran's information on a flat marker. If a government headstone or marker is already in place, that page says VA will pay for a replacement to add the inscription. The family pays all fees to remove the original and install the replacement. This note does not invent that fee.
• If the Veteran died before October 1, 2019: the eligible spouse's name after the words “Husband of,” “Wife of,” or “Spouse of.” VA will not inscribe the spouse's date of birth or death. The name goes below the Veteran's information. In some cases VA may inscribe an eligible dependent child's name; you can apply and VA will review the request.

That is the inscription split that page writes. It is not a medallion for the spouse, and it is not a full inscription manual.

This is not a burial allowance

VA's private-cemetery page has a separate question: “Can VA help with the cost of a Veteran's burial in a private cemetery?” It points to the burial allowance. That money path is VA's Veterans burial allowance and transportation benefits page. People who must file use VA Form 21P-530EZ, Application for Burial Benefits — not Form 40-1330 and not Form 40-1330M. The allowance mailing address on that page is the Pension Intake Center, not the NCA evidence intake address above.

Burial allowance, plot or interment allowance, and transportation reimbursement are compared in /blog/va-plot-interment-vs-burial-allowance. This note does not rewrite those lines or their dollar tables. Monthly survivor compensation is a different benefit again: /blog/va-burial-allowance-vs-dic.

The burial-allowance page also has a table titled “Headstone or marker allowance amounts.” That is a payment line on the money page. This note does not reprint those dollars. It does not treat that table as the physical headstone, the marker, or the medallion.

Related

• Plot or interment allowance versus burial allowance: /blog/va-plot-interment-vs-burial-allowance
• Burial allowance versus DIC: /blog/va-burial-allowance-vs-dic
• How to appoint an accredited representative: /blog/va-accredited-representative
• National-cemetery and other burial eligibility (not this note): VA.gov — Burials and memorials eligibility

What this note is not

• Not a promise that VA will approve a medallion, headstone, or marker.
• Not a rule that a family receives both a medallion and a government headstone. NCA's types page says either, but not both, when a privately purchased headstone or marker already marks the grave.
• Not a rewrite of who may be buried in a VA national cemetery, a state or tribal Veterans cemetery, or a military post or base cemetery.
• Not burial allowance, plot or interment allowance, or transportation reimbursement. Those lines are /blog/va-plot-interment-vs-burial-allowance.
• Not the “Headstone or marker allowance amounts” table on the burial-allowance page. This note does not reprint those dollars.
• Not Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. That comparison is /blog/va-burial-allowance-vs-dic.
• Not a burial-flag or Presidential Memorial Certificate guide. The private-cemetery page lists those as separate memorial items.
• Not a dollar amount for a private cemetery's setting, placement, or maintenance fee.
• Not funeral-home advice and not a reading of a cemetery contract.
• Educational only; not accredited representation; no guaranteed outcome; independent of VA.

Sources

• VA.gov — Medallions (updated June 1, 2026) — primary for the medallion
• VA Form 40-1330M — Claim for Government Medallion for Placement in a Private Cemetery
• VA.gov — Veterans headstones and markers (updated December 15, 2025) — primary for the headstone or marker
• VA Form 40-1330 — Claim for Standard Government Headstone or Marker
• VA.gov — Burial in a private cemetery (updated September 22, 2026)
• NCA — Headstones, Markers, and Medallions
• NCA — Types of Headstones, Markers, and Medallions (medallion sizes; furnished in lieu of a traditional headstone or marker; either the headstone or marker, or the medallion, but not both)
• VA.gov — Veterans burial allowance and transportation benefits (separate money path; not rewritten here)
• VA Form 21P-530EZ — Application for Burial Benefits
• VA.gov — Burials and memorials eligibility (not rewritten here)
• VA — Get help from an accredited representative
• Internal: /blog/va-plot-interment-vs-burial-allowance
• Internal: /blog/va-burial-allowance-vs-dic
• Internal: /blog/va-accredited-representative

Quick answers

Educational only. Not a VSO, attorney, or claims agent. Not affiliated with VA. Not funeral advice. No guaranteed outcome. Confirm the live VA.gov Medallions page (updated June 1, 2026), Veterans headstones and markers page (updated December 15, 2025), burial in a private cemetery page (updated September 22, 2026), and NCA Headstones, Markers, and Medallions pages before you act. This article does not invent setting-fee dollars, eligibility beyond those pages, or funeral outcomes. A 30-day decision sentence applies only as the Medallions page writes it, when a completed 40-1330M and military documents are provided.