Request a Presidential Memorial Certificate
Use this form if you want to request a Presidential Memorial Certificate. A Presidential Memorial Certificate is an engraved paper certificate signed by the current president. It honors the memory of a deceased Veteran and expresses the country’s grateful recognition of their service in the Armed Forces.
Follow these steps to get started
Check the Veteran’s or Reservist’s eligibility
You can request a certificate for a deceased Veteran or Reservist who was your family member or close friend.
To be eligible for a Presidential Memorial Certificate, the deceased Veteran or Reservist must meet eligibility requirements for burial in a VA national cemetery.
Not sure if the Veteran or Reservist is eligible? Check eligibility requirements for burial in a VA national cemetery
Note: If the Veteran or Reservist is buried in a national cemetery, we’ll automatically present a Presidential Memorial Certificate to the next of kin at the burial. If the Veteran or Reservist is eligible for burial in a national cemetery but is instead buried in a private cemetery, you can request a Presidential Memorial Certificate. We’ll accept multiple requests for certificates.
Gather the Veteran’s or Reservist’s information
We don’t require that you submit anything with this form. But to speed up the process, we encourage you to upload these documents if they’re available:
- Military records
- Discharge documents (we prefer DD214).
Fill out the request
Complete this request form. After submitting the form, you’ll get a confirmation message. You can print this page for your records.
Respondent Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average three minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data sources, gather the necessary data, and complete and review the collection of information. The obligation to respond is voluntary and not required to obtain or retain benefits. Statutory authority for the Presidential Memorial Certificate (PMC) Program is 38 U.S.C. 112. The information requested is approved under OMB Control Number 2900-0567, and is necessary to allow eligible recipients (next of kin, other relatives or friends) to request PMC.
The National Cemetery Administration does not give, sell or transfer any personal information outside of the agency. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) may not conduct or sponsor, and you are not required to respond to this collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB Control Number. Responding to this collection is voluntary. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspects of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to VA Clearance Officer (005R1B), 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420. SEND COMMENTS ONLY. Please do not send applications for benefits to this address.
Privacy Act Information: VA will not disclose information collected on this form to any source other than what has been authorized under the Privacy Act of 1974 or Title 38, CFR 1.576 for routine uses (for example: Authorizing release of information to Congress when requested for statistical purposes) identified in the VA system of records, 55VA26, Loan Guaranty Home, Condominium and Manufactured Home Loan Applicant Records, Specially Adapted Housing Applicant Records, and Vendee Loan Applicant Records - VA, published in the Federal Register. Your response is required to obtain or retain benefits. Giving us your SSN account information is mandatory. Applicants are required to provide their SSN under Title 38, CFR 3.809. The VA will not deny an individual benefits for refusing to provide his or her SSN unless the disclosure of the SSN is required by a Federal Statute of law in effect prior to January 1, 1975, and still in effect.