How to Request a Free Burial Flag From the VA (Step by Step)

Sep 18, 2026

If you’re arranging a veteran’s funeral, the VA provides one free burial flag to honor their service. Real American Flag is one of the four manufacturers of the official VA Interment Flag and a proud supplier to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for our nation’s veterans burial flags. You request it after death using VA Form 27-2008, and in most cases your funeral director will already know how to handle the paperwork. Here’s exactly what to do, who qualifies, and what to expect.

The Steps at a Glance

1. Download VA Form 27-2008, “Application for United States Flag for Burial Purposes.”
2. Complete the applicant and veteran information sections.
3. Gather the veteran’s DD-214 or other discharge documentation, if available.
4. Take the completed form to a funeral director, VA regional office, or participating post office.
5. If you’re visiting a post office, call ahead to confirm the location has burial flags in stock.
6. Receive the flag on the spot, or have the funeral director obtain it on your behalf.

The sections below walk through each step in more detail, including who qualifies and what happens if the flag is ever lost or damaged.

Who Is Eligible for a VA Burial Flag

Most veterans discharged under conditions other than dishonorable qualify for a free burial flag, which covers the vast majority of service members. Beyond that baseline, the law spells out a few specific categories.

Qualifying service includes death on active duty after May 27, 1941, wartime service, and service after January 31, 1955. Peacetime veterans discharged before June 27, 1950 also qualify if they completed at least one enlistment or were discharged due to a service-connected disability. Certain former Selected Reserve members and specific Philippine military forces who served under U.S. command and died on or after April 25, 1951 are eligible as well.

Proof of eligibility comes from the DD-214, the veteran’s Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, though alternatives exist if a copy isn’t available (more on that below). Next of kin, a close friend, or a funeral home representative can all submit the request on the veteran’s behalf.

How to Request the Flag (VA Form 27-2008)

The form is VA Form 27-2008, “Application for United States Flag for Burial Purposes,” downloadable as a PDF directly from the VA. It asks for the veteran’s service information, your relationship to them, and where you’d like the flag sent.

Attach a copy of the veteran’s DD-214 or other discharge documentation if you have it; the form asks for it to confirm service dates and character of service. If you can’t locate those records, you’re not necessarily out of options: VA guidance allows a flag to be issued without documents when someone who personally knew the veteran signs a statement certifying their eligibility. Contact the funeral director or issuing location before you visit, since they may ask for additional certification or verification.

Most funeral homes complete and submit this paperwork as a standard part of their service. Ask yours whether they handle it, because most do. The current application doesn’t list a filing deadline for requesting the flag; if it’s been a long time since the veteran’s death, call the VA at 800-827-1000 or contact an issuing location for guidance.

Where You Can Pick Up the Flag

Participating U.S. Post Offices are a primary distribution point, but not every location keeps burial flags in stock, so call ahead before visiting. VA Regional Offices and VA Medical Centers distribute them too; bring your completed form, and the DD-214 copy if you have one.

USPS has a locations tool on its website that lets you filter by “Burial Flag” to find a participating post office near you.

If a funeral director is handling things, pickup is usually just one more item they take care of, one less errand for the family. Going to a post office directly works fine too; just budget a little extra time for them to review your paperwork.

When the Flag Is Given, and to Whom

You can only request the flag after death; there’s no way to pre-arrange or order one ahead of a veteran’s passing.

During the funeral, it drapes the casket (see our guide on the honor of a flag-draped coffin), or sits alongside the urn for a cremation. Once the service ends, it’s folded and presented as a keepsake. When more than one relative could claim it, the VA follows a set order: surviving spouse first, then children by age, then parents, then siblings, then more distant relatives such as aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, or cousins. If there’s no next of kin at all, whoever submitted the request, such as a close friend, receives it instead (more on who receives the burial flag after a veteran’s funeral).

From there, it’s yours to keep. Most families either display it in a shadow box, sized to properly fit the flag (see our guide on burial flag sizes and display cases), or fold it away for safekeeping, a lasting reminder of their loved one’s service.

How Many Flags Does a Family Get?

By law, the VA issues exactly one burial flag per veteran, full stop. In the VA’s own words: “The law allows VA to issue one flag for a Veteran’s funeral. We cannot replace it if it is lost, destroyed, or stolen.”

That single flag does double duty: it drapes the casket, then becomes the family’s keepsake. There’s no requesting a second one for another family member or a separate shadow box display.

This catches a lot of families off guard. It’s worth knowing ahead of time, if only to help decide who in the family will end up keeping the flag.

What If the Flag Is Lost, Damaged, or You Need an Extra?

Lost, destroyed, stolen, worn out from display: none of it changes the VA’s replacement policy. A few veterans’ service organizations occasionally offer replacement help, but it’s not guaranteed and depends entirely on the organization and your location.

That’s usually the moment families start looking for a burial flag replacement, after finding out, often the hard way, that the VA won’t issue a second one. If you’re facing this now, our guide on replacing a lost or damaged burial flag walks through your options.

Real American Flag offers commercially made burial flags in the traditional 5-by-9½-foot burial-flag size, a practical option when the original can’t be replaced, or when a family member wants a flag of their own. These are not issued, endorsed, or approved by the VA. Per the VA’s own distribution guidance, government-issued flags are manufactured to VA specifications using 100% U.S. materials and construction, and the VA does not endorse any particular commercial manufacturer or vouch for the quality of a commercially purchased flag. Real American Flag’s own flags are made to that same standard: you can see how they’re made, 100% in the USA.

Frequently Asked Questions About VA Burial Flags

Is there a deadline to apply? The current application doesn’t list a filing deadline. If it’s been a long time since the veteran’s death, call the VA at 800-827-1000 or contact an issuing location for guidance.

Can I get a burial flag from the post office? Yes, participating U.S. Post Offices are a primary distribution point, but not every location keeps burial flags in stock. Call ahead or use the USPS locations tool to confirm your nearest branch has one on hand.

What if I don’t have the DD-214? Bring it if you can; it confirms the veteran’s service dates and character of service. If you can’t locate it, VA guidance allows a flag to be issued when someone who personally knew the veteran signs a statement certifying their eligibility; contact the funeral director or issuing location before you visit, since they may ask for additional certification. If you’d still like a copy of the DD-214 for your records, the National Archives or your state’s veterans affairs office can help; funeral homes often assist with this too.

Can the flag be flown outdoors? The VA advises against leaving it outside for long stretches or exposed to weather. It’s better treated as an indoor keepsake or ceremonial flag than one flown year-round.

What should I do with the flag after the funeral? Most families display it in a shadow box, fold it away for safekeeping, or donate it to a national cemetery’s Avenue of Flags.

A Lasting Symbol of Service

Arranging a veteran’s funeral comes with a long list of details, and the burial flag is one of the few that can’t be undone if it’s mishandled: there’s only one, and the VA won’t issue a second. Knowing the process now, before you’re standing at a post office counter, makes it one less thing to figure out on a hard day. And if that original flag is ever lost or damaged, or a family member wants one of their own, Real American Flag offers interment flags in the traditional burial-flag size as a practical keepsake option.