What is a VA pre-need eligibility determination?

A decision from the VA, made while the veteran is still living, on whether they are eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery. It is requested on VA Form 40-10007. The VA stores the application, the supporting documents and the decision letter for use at the time of need.

Do I need my DD-214 to apply for pre-need eligibility?

No. Supporting documentation is not required to apply. If you cannot locate military records, apply anyway — the VA will attempt to obtain them. Including a DD-214 if you have one simply makes the determination faster.

Does a pre-need determination reserve a specific gravesite?

No. A determination of eligibility does not guarantee burial in a specific VA national cemetery. Burial at a particular cemetery is scheduled at the time of need, subject to space being available there.

Can a spouse apply for pre-need eligibility?

Yes. A spouse or surviving spouse, and certain unmarried adult children with disabilities, may apply. Each claimant requires a separate VA Form 40-10007.

Where do I send VA Form 40-10007?

You can apply online at VA.gov, mail it to the NCA Evidence Intake Center, PO Box 5237, Janesville, WI 53547, or fax it to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-855-840-8299.

Is a pre-need decision final?

It is validated again at the time of need. Because laws and personal circumstances change, the VA re-checks the determination using the law in effect when the burial request is received, and checks for statutory bars. A favourable decision can be appealed within one year if denied.

What happens if the pre-need application is denied?

The VA issues a written denial letter explaining the basis. You have one year from the date of that letter to file a notice of disagreement and appeal.

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Settle it now, so nobody has to settle it then

The VA will decide a veteran's burial eligibility while they are still alive, and hold that decision on file. It costs nothing, it takes one form, and almost nobody knows it exists.

A pre-need determination is the VA deciding, in advance, whether a veteran is eligible for burial in a national cemetery. Request it on VA Form 40-10007 — online, by mail to the NCA Evidence Intake Center in Janesville, or by fax to 1-855-840-8299. It is free, and supporting documents are not required to apply.

What it actually buys you

Not a plot. Not a guarantee of a particular cemetery. What it buys is time, at the moment time is worth the most.

Without it, a family that has just lost someone spends the first week hunting for a DD-214, establishing eligibility from scratch, and making decisions about inscriptions while they are in no state to make them. With it, they make one call to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office and the VA pulls a decision letter that already exists.

The VA stores the application, the supporting documentation and the decision letter for use at your time of need. You get a copy to keep with your papers.

What it does not do

It does not reserve a gravesite. A determination of eligibility does not guarantee burial in a specific VA national cemetery. That is scheduled at the time of need, and depends on whether the cemetery still has space.
It is not permanent. The VA validates the decision again when the burial request comes in, using the law in effect at that time, and checks for statutory bars.
It is not for someone who has already died. Pre-need means before death. If the person has died, the family schedules a burial instead by calling 1-800-535-1117.
It is not for active duty members unless they have a record of prior qualifying service. Service members who die on active duty are eligible for burial regardless.

The thing that stops most people, and why it shouldn't

You do not need the DD-214 to apply. Supporting documentation is not required. If you cannot find the records, apply anyway — the VA will attempt to obtain them.

This is worth repeating because the missing discharge document is the single most common reason people put this off for years and then die without having done it. The form asks for what you have. It does not require what you don't.

Who can apply

The veteran or service member	Based on qualifying active service with a discharge other than dishonorable. Certain Reserve duty is decided case by case.
A spouse or surviving spouse	Including a surviving spouse who later remarried. A spouse divorced from the veteran by a court is not eligible.
An unmarried adult child	Who became permanently disabled and incapable of self-support before age 21, or before 23 if in full-time education. Requires physician and family statements.
An authorised representative	Recognised by the VA through Form 21-22 or 21-22a. A notarised statement is not required.

Each claimant needs their own form. A veteran and spouse filing together are two separate applications.

What to settle while there is no rush

The determination is one item on a list. Here is the rest of it, and the reason to do it now is simple: none of it has to be done in the first week after a death.

One bar worth knowing about

By statute, the VA cannot inter or memorialise in a national cemetery a person found to have committed a capital crime or a serious sex offence under federal or state law. This is checked at the time of need even where a favourable pre-need determination exists.

The headstone is a separate application

A pre-need burial determination and a headstone claim are different things on different forms. The headstone claim can only be filed after death, and it applies in private cemeteries too — not just national ones.

Check headstone eligibility

Procedures follow VA Form 40-10007 and National Cemetery Administration guidance current for 2026. Apply free at VA.gov — no third-party service is needed or required. National Cemetery Scheduling Office: 1-800-535-1117.