Will the VA replace a damaged headstone for free?

Yes. Headstones and markers previously furnished by the government may be replaced at government expense if they are badly deteriorated, illegible, stolen, or vandalised. The VA will also replace a modern marker if the inscription is incorrect, if it was damaged during shipping, or if the material or workmanship does not meet contract specifications.

Can a headstone with the wrong name or dates be corrected?

Yes. An incorrect inscription is grounds for a free replacement. For historic markers, if inaccurate information can be verified with documents such as a death certificate or discharge papers, the VA will correct the error and replace the marker in kind.

Who pays if the cemetery damaged the headstone?

The cemetery. If a government headstone or marker in a private cemetery is damaged by cemetery personnel, the cemetery should pay all replacement costs, not the VA and not the family.

What happens to the old headstone?

Marble and granite headstones removed from a grave must be destroyed so the inscription is no longer legible. Bronze markers must be returned to the contractor. Government-furnished markers remain federal property in perpetuity and converting them to private use is a violation.

How do I request a replacement headstone?

File VA Form 40-1330 and explain the situation in block 27. That block is specifically for second requests and for replacements of incorrect or damaged markers. You can also call the VA at 800-697-6947 with the veteran's name, service or Social Security number, and date of death.

Are historic headstones eligible for replacement?

Some historic markers, and those more than 50 years old, may be eligible. They are replaced in kind, meaning the new marker keeps the same type, style and inscription used when the veteran was buried.

Home › Replacing a headstone

When the VA will replace a headstone free

A government marker that has gone unreadable, been vandalised, or carries the wrong name can be replaced at government expense. Most families have no idea this benefit exists, and it applies to stones set decades ago.

The VA replaces a government-furnished headstone at no cost if it is badly deteriorated, illegible, stolen, vandalised, wrongly inscribed, damaged in shipping, or below contract specification. Request it on VA Form 40-1330, explaining the situation in block 27.

What qualifies

Badly deteriorated or unreadable. Weathering over decades is the most common reason, and it is a legitimate one.
Stolen or vandalised.
Incorrect inscription. A misspelled name, a wrong date, a wrong branch.
Damaged during shipping.
Material or workmanship below contract specification.

Historic markers, and those more than 50 years old, may also qualify. Where a historic marker carries inaccurate information that can be verified against a death certificate or discharge papers, the VA corrects it and replaces the marker in kind — the same type, style and inscription that would have been used at the time of burial. The replacement doesn't turn a 1918 stone into a modern one.

The rule worth knowing before you call anyone

If a government headstone in a private cemetery was damaged by cemetery personnel — a mower, a backhoe, a careless crew — the cemetery should pay all replacement costs.

This comes up more often than it should. A family notices a chipped or knocked stone, assumes it is nobody's fault, and pays for a private repair. If the damage came from cemetery operations, that bill was not theirs to pay.

How to ask

Complete VA Form 40-1330. It is the same form used for an original claim.
Explain the reason in block 27. That block exists for second requests and for replacements of incorrect or damaged markers, and skipping it is what turns a replacement request into a duplicate order.
Photograph the marker as it stands. It is the clearest evidence of deterioration or vandalism you can offer.
Or call the Applicant Assistance Unit at 800-697-6947, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET. Have the veteran's name, Social Security or service number, and date of death ready.

What happens to the old stone

You don't get to keep it, and the reason is worth understanding rather than resenting.

Government-furnished headstones and markers remain the property of the United States government in perpetuity. Marble and granite markers removed from a grave must be destroyed so the inscription is no longer legible. Bronze markers go back to the contractor.

Knowingly converting a government marker to private use — building it into landscaping, or offering it for sale — is a violation. Old military headstones do turn up in salvage yards and online listings, and that is the rule that makes those listings a problem.

Before you request a replacement

Try cleaning it. A stone that reads as "illegible" is often just carrying sixty years of lichen and pollution, and the VA's own protocol will bring the inscription back without replacing anything. It costs an afternoon and about twenty dollars of materials.

If the surface is cracked, spalling, or sugaring, cleaning will make it worse. That is a replacement case, not a cleaning case.

Clean it first, if it can be cleaned

The VA publishes a protocol for cleaning government headstones, and it is specific about what will damage the stone permanently. Power washing and bleach are both prohibited.

How to clean a headstone safely

Replacement criteria follow National Cemetery Administration guidance and 38 CFR part 38. This is general information, not an official determination. Questions: 800-697-6947.