Arlington National Cemetery Eligibility: Who Qualifies

Arlington National Cemetery has the strictest eligibility of any national cemetery in the United States. In-ground burial is limited to groups such as military retirees, those who died on active duty, recipients of top decorations including the Purple Heart, former prisoners of war and certain officials. Most other veterans with at least one day of active duty (other than training) and an honorable discharge can have cremated remains placed in a columbarium niche. Arlington decides eligibility only after the death, and its number is 877-907-8585.

Who is eligible for in-ground burial at Arlington?

The Army's rules (32 CFR 553.12) name the "primarily eligible" people for in-ground burial. In every case the last period of active duty must have ended with an honorable discharge. They are:

• Service members who die on active duty, other than those serving on active duty for training only, if the commander with general court-martial authority grants a certificate of honorable service.
• Military retirees entitled to retired pay, including a Reserve retiree who served a period of active duty (other than for training), is on the retired list and is entitled to receive retired pay.
• Veterans with certain decorations: the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Air Force Cross, Navy Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star or Purple Heart.
• Former prisoners of war who served honorably while a prisoner and who died on or after November 30, 1993.
• Veterans who served on active duty and also held certain offices, such as President or Vice President, an elected member of Congress, or a Supreme Court justice. The list also includes some senior executive-branch positions and ambassadors to certain posts.
• Veterans honorably discharged before October 1, 1949 for a permanent physical disability who would have qualified for disability retirement under 10 U.S.C. 1201.

The regulation says a Reserve retiree must be receiving retired pay. A Reserve or National Guard member who has retired but is not yet receiving it is an edge case, so call Arlington and ask rather than assume.

Who is eligible for a niche in the columbarium?

Inurnment is placement of cremated remains in a niche in the columbarium. Everyone eligible for in-ground burial is also eligible for a niche. The rules (32 CFR 553.13) add any veteran who served on active duty other than for training, and who ended that service with an honorable discharge. Some Reserve, National Guard and ROTC members who die in training or travel to and from it, and some U.S. citizens who served with an allied force during a war, are also on the list. Spouses and dependents can be inurned in the primarily eligible person's niche if space is available.

Arlington summarizes it this way: eligibility for in-ground burial is the most stringent of all U.S. national cemeteries, but most veterans with at least one day of active service (other than for training) and an honorable discharge qualify for above-ground inurnment.

Does the discharge have to be honorable?

Yes. Arlington requires that the last period of active duty ended with an honorable discharge. The Army's rules say a person whose last period of service was not an honorable discharge is not eligible. They give examples: a discharge under honorable conditions (general), other than honorable, bad conduct, dishonorable or dismissal. This holds whether or not the person received other veterans' benefits or was treated in a VA hospital.

VA national cemeteries use a wider test: any veteran who was not discharged dishonorably is generally eligible, and the VA reviews other types of discharge. If your loved one had a general discharge, a VA national cemetery may be the answer. See our guides to national cemetery eligibility and to how discharge status affects burial benefits.

Two further bars apply at both Arlington and VA cemeteries. People convicted of a federal or state capital crime (with a final conviction), and people convicted of a Tier III sex offense and sentenced to at least life imprisonment, cannot be buried or inurned.

Can spouses and children be buried at Arlington?

Eligibility passes to family members only through a primarily eligible person who is, or will be, buried or inurned at Arlington. The "derivatively eligible" people include:

• The spouse of that person. A former spouse is not eligible.
• A minor child, or a permanently dependent adult child.
• A parent of a minor or dependent adult child who was interred at Arlington based on a parent's eligibility, unless the non-service parent's eligibility was lost through divorce from the eligible parent.

Arlington follows a one-gravesite-per-family policy, so family members share the gravesite or niche. Parents, siblings and in-laws are not eligible because of their relationship alone, even if they depend on the veteran.

There is one narrow route for an honorably discharged veteran who is not primarily eligible. The veteran may be buried in the same gravesite as an already-interred close relative who is primarily eligible, but only under strict conditions. They include a notarized statement from all other close relatives agreeing, a waiver by the veteran's spouse of any claim to Arlington burial based on the veteran's, and private payment of any cost of moving, recasketing or revaulting. If you think this might apply, ask Arlington early.

Our guide to spouse and joint burial covers shared gravesites at VA cemeteries.

Can you check eligibility or reserve a space ahead of time?

Arlington does offer an online eligibility questionnaire, but it says the questionnaire is informational and is not an official determination. The rules can also change, because they are set by regulation and public law.

What you can do now is keep the veteran's last DD214 where the family can find it. For VA national cemeteries, a veteran can apply for a pre-need eligibility determination, which confirms eligibility but does not reserve a gravesite. If you can't find the DD214, the VA's page on getting military service records explains how to request it.

What documents does Arlington need?

When you call, the family or funeral home gets a case number and is asked to send documents by email or fax. Arlington says it will not schedule a service until it has all of them:

1. The last DD214 (or equivalent) showing an honorable discharge and active duty service. It is mandatory for a veteran and for the first dependent interment.
2. A final or certified death certificate with the full Social Security number. Arlington can start with a working copy but needs the final copy before scheduling. See how to get a death certificate.
3. A cremation certificate, if applicable. It must include the name, date of cremation, crematory name, signature or electronic stamp and cremation tag number. Arlington requires certification that the urn holds 100 percent of the remains and does not accept cremated remains by mail.
4. Succession documents if the person authorized to direct disposition is acting for the primary next of kin. Only the primary next of kin or that person can sign.
5. For an unmarried adult dependent, a notarized statement about marital status and dependency, plus a physician's certificate about the disability.

All documents must match the name and date of birth on the DD214. If the DD214 has an error, Arlington says to contact the board of corrections for the veteran's branch.

How long is the wait to schedule a service?

Arlington says the wait depends on the type of remains, the military resources available and the family's wishes. It holds funeral services on weekdays, not federal holidays, and times are limited.

• Casketed remains are generally scheduled sooner, often within a few weeks of Arlington receiving the full request, but the time varies.
• Cremated remains go into a queue, and Arlington gives no fixed wait. Once the documents are in, call 877-907-8585 for the current time frame.
• Services with more military support, such as honors with a funeral escort, take longer, because the number of available service personnel is limited. Special requests, such as using the chapel at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, can add time.

If the wait is a problem, Arlington says one option is to reduce the military support or the level of honors. It also points to VA national cemeteries, which offer pre-need eligibility.

What does burial at Arlington cost?

Arlington charges no fees for interment or inurnment. The government provides a headstone or niche cover and a grave liner at no cost. The estate pays for preparing the remains, the casket or urn, and shipping to the Washington, D.C. area, unless the person was on active duty. A family that buys a private burial vault does not get the free liner. Arlington uses government-furnished headstones.

The VA may reimburse part of the funeral costs. See our guide to the VA burial allowance and the overview of VA headstones and markers.

What military honors does Arlington provide?

Every eligible service member or veteran is entitled to military funeral honors from their branch, but Arlington's honors depend on rank and status:

See our guide to military funeral honors for how they work, and the 21-gun salute guide for what the volleys and cannon salutes are.

Will the rules change? Arlington's space limits

Arlington covers about 639 acres and is the final resting place for more than 400,000 people. It has said that without changes to eligibility it will run out of space for new burials in the early 2040s. Its Southern Expansion Project adds roughly 50 acres and tens of thousands of burial and inurnment spaces, and Arlington says expansion extends the cemetery's life by about two decades. Construction schedules change, so check Arlington's expansion page for the current status.

Arlington also says that to extend its life as an active cemetery, changes to eligibility criteria or expansion of its footprint are needed. The version of 32 CFR 553.12 we reviewed shows its last amendment in 2019. Check with Arlington at the time of need, because eligibility is subject to change if policies or law change.

What should guests know about attending?

Adults entering Arlington should bring government-issued photo identification, and Arlington has said it requires REAL ID-compliant ID for vehicle entry, so check its current ID rules before the day. Arlington advises guests to arrive well before the service and does not provide transportation for attendees.

What are the alternatives to Arlington?

Arlington points families to the VA's national cemeteries (more than 150) and to state, territorial and tribal veterans cemeteries, which offer pre-need eligibility. Read about state veterans cemeteries and veteran cremation benefits. Our overview of veterans burial benefits shows how the VA's benefits fit together.

What to do next

1. Find the veteran's last DD214 and keep copies where family can reach them.
2. At the time of death, call 877-907-8585 or ask your funeral director to, and send the documents.
3. In the meantime, look at the VA national cemetery as a second option, especially if the discharge was general or if there is no in-ground eligibility.
4. Ask the funeral home to request military honors, and keep receipts for the VA burial allowance.