National Cemetery Administration
Apply for a Headstone or Marker by FAX
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION FOR A HEADSTONE OR MARKER (VA FORM 40-1330) USING OUR TOLL FREE FAX NUMBER
NOTE: This toll free fax service is only available for headstones or markers being placed in private cemeteries. All state Veterans, military and post cemeteries must submit their applications by regular mail.
PLEASE – WHEN USING THE TOLL FREE FAX NUMBER – DO NOT SEND A PAPER COPY OF THE APPLICATION THROUGH THE MAILTo ensure your application is processed quickly and the marker is delivered without errors, please follow all of the steps outlined below when using the toll free FAX number
1. Find a copy of the Veteran's DD-214 and/or other military discharge documents you will be using to support your application.
2. Using the information on the DD-214 and other supporting documents, fill out the application (VA Form 40-1330) as completely as possible. Be sure to include telephone numbers and signatures. If you aren’t sure if you are using the most current version of the application form, select the following link:
VA Form 40-1330, Application for Standard Government Headstone or Marker
IMPORTANT – If this is a second request, or if you are requesting a replacement for an incorrect or damaged marker, you must explain this in block #27 of the application.
3. Make sure you let us know who is faxing the application. You can do this by activating the feature on your fax machine that causes the name and fax number to print across the top of all faxed documents. Regardless of where you are faxing from, be sure you include information that tells us who we should contact if the faxed application does not transmit properly.
4. Verify your fax machine is set at standard resolution, not high resolution. A setting of fine resolution may cause the transmission to terminate due to the type of scanning equipment on our receiving end.
5. Check the application carefully to be sure it is accurately filled out and properly signed. Make sure you have all of the supporting documents (preferably including a DD-214) that show active duty service, war service, valor awards, etc. These documents are needed to establish eligibility and to support requests for special inscription items.
6. Put your application and supporting documents in the following order:
Top – Application form (VA Form 40-1330);
2nd – Fax cover sheet with your name and phone number (use of a cover sheet is optional)
Last – ALL supporting documents for this application.
7. FAX YOUR APPLICATION AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS TO THE FOLLOWING
Toll Free Fax Number: 1-800-455-7143
Important Message for VSO's, Funeral Homes and Other Businesses: Send one application package (application plus supporting documents) at a time. For this totally electronic system to work as intended you must disconnect the call and re-dial between each new application package – if you fax several applications without re-dialing between each one, it will delay the process while we manually separate the applications and supporting documents from each other.
