Veteran Bronze Grave Markers

Every eligible veteran can be buried under a government furnished marker, and for many families that is the right choice. But the free marker comes with fixed wording, a fixed size and no provision for a spouse buried in a private cemetery, so families often buy a cast bronze marker or companion plaque privately. This page sets out what the Department of Veterans Affairs provides, what it will not do, and how to design a private bronze marker or companion plaque online with the price shown as you work.

What the VA provides at no cost

The Department of Veterans Affairs furnishes a headstone, grave marker or niche marker at no charge for an eligible veteran buried in any cemetery in the world, regardless of the date of death. The flat bronze marker is 24 inches long by 12 inches wide with a 3/4 inch rise and weighs about 18 pounds; it ships with anchor bolts, nuts and washers. The bronze niche marker for a columbarium is 8 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches. Upright headstones and flat markers in granite or marble are also available. The family applies on VA Form 40-1330 with a copy of the discharge papers, online through AccessVA, by mail or by fax, and the cemetery official signs the form. The VA Applicant Assistance Unit is on 1-800-697-6947.

The marker itself is free. Setting it is not: in a private cemetery the family pays the cemetery’s setting fee and, where the cemetery requires one, the granite or concrete base. The VA does not supply or reimburse the base.

What the VA marker cannot do

• Wording is fixed. The marker carries the legal name, branch of service, years of birth and death, and optionally war periods, rank and awards. An additional line of endearment or a nickname is allowed, but on a flat bronze marker it is limited to 27 characters across two lines, and the VA will not inscribe graphics, pictures or emblems other than its approved emblems of belief.
• No spouse marker in a private cemetery. A spouse or dependent child is eligible for a government marker only in a national, state veterans or military cemetery. In a private cemetery the family buys the spouse’s marker. If the veteran died on or after October 1, 2019, the spouse’s name and dates can be added to the veteran’s own marker.
• One marker or a medallion, not both. A family that prefers a privately purchased headstone or marker can instead receive a bronze medallion, in small, medium or large, to fix to it, for a veteran who served on or after April 6, 1917.
• The cemetery decides what it accepts. The style must be permitted by the private cemetery, which may require a base, a flush setting and its own approval before the marker is placed.

When families buy a private bronze marker

• A spouse’s marker in a private cemetery, made to match the veteran’s VA marker in size, border and lettering, so the two read as a pair.
• A companion plaque that sits beside the government marker on the same base, carrying the words, the photo or the family emblem the VA marker cannot.
• A single private marker for both, where the family chooses its own design and adds the VA medallion for the veteran.
• A replacement or an upgrade where the cemetery’s section requires a larger marker, such as 28 by 16 inches, than the VA’s 24 by 12.

Our designer prices plaques up to 22 1/16 by 15 3/4 inches, so a companion plaque or a spouse’s marker up to that size is designed and priced online. A full 24 by 12 or 28 by 16 inch lawn marker is quoted on request: send us the cemetery’s specification and we will reply with a drawing and a price.

Prices from our live designer for a standard rectangle with a classic border and leatherette background, shipping included, checked on October 7, 2026.

Emblems and service details

A private marker can carry what the VA marker cannot: a branch of service emblem, a unit crest, a flag, a cross or star beside the name, a photograph as a ceramic insert, and a verse or a message of any length the plaque will hold. Upload your own artwork or pick from the motif library in the designer. If you would like the official VA medallion as well, apply for it on the same VA Form 40-1330 and we will leave a space for it on the marker.

Cemetery rules for bronze markers

Most US cemeteries that allow bronze require it to be mounted on a granite base and set flush with the lawn, with nothing raised more than about 3/8 inch above the marker surface. Many set the marker themselves and charge a setting fee, and most want a drawing approved before the marker is made. Send the cemetery our proof; it shows the size, the wording and the fastening, which is what the office needs to say yes. Our bronze grave markers page covers sizes and bases in more detail.

How to order

1. Open the free design tool, pick the shape and set the size in inches. The price updates as you go.
2. Add the wording, choose a border and background, and add an emblem, motif or photo if you want one.
3. Pick the fastening: flat back, concealed lugs with studs, or screws visible from the front.
4. Save the design and order it from My Account. We send a written proof, and nothing is cast until you approve it.

Frequently asked questions

Does the VA provide a bronze grave marker for free?

Yes, for an eligible veteran in any cemetery. The flat bronze marker is 24 by 12 inches with a 3/4 inch rise, and there is also a bronze niche marker. The family pays the cemetery’s setting fee and any base the cemetery requires.

Can my mother be buried under a VA marker next to my father?

In a national, state veterans or military cemetery, yes. In a private cemetery a spouse is not eligible for a government marker, so the family buys the spouse’s marker privately. If the veteran died on or after October 1, 2019, the spouse’s name and dates can be added to the veteran’s marker instead.

Can I add a photo or a unit crest to the VA marker?

No. The VA inscribes text and its approved emblems of belief only. A privately made companion plaque beside the marker, or a private marker with the VA medallion, is how families add a photo, a crest or a longer message.

Can you make a 24 by 12 inch marker?

Our online designer prices plaques up to 22 1/16 by 15 3/4 inches. For a full 24 by 12 or 28 by 16 inch lawn marker, send us the cemetery’s specification and we will quote it with a drawing.

How long does it take?

Allow about 3 to 4 weeks for casting after you approve the free proof, plus 5 to 10 days for delivery anywhere in the USA and worldwide.