Government Headstones and Niche Covers

An example of an upright white marble headstone provided by the U.S. government

The U.S. government will provide, at no cost to the estate of the deceased, an upright, white marble headstone or white marble niche cover. Arlington National Cemetery staff will place the order, which goes to the National Cemetery Administration (part of the Department of Veterans Affairs). The order for the headstone or niche cover will include the appropriate inscription and choice of an optional emblem of belief.

The next of kin will review the proposed headstone or niche cover text template prior to the date of interment. The template will be finalized with cemetery staff prior to or on the day of the interment.

Upright white marble headstones (13" x 24" x 4") generally contain 11 lines of text, with or without an emblem of belief. Generally, the stone can accommodate 13 characters (including spaces) on the name line, and 15 characters (including spaces) on all other lines. A veteran's government headstone must contain the deceased's name, rank, branch of service, date of birth and date of death. Other lines can include combat service and significant awards. An additional inscription, not to exceed three lines, can include a term of endearment or reference (e.g. Loving Father, Husband and Son; Fought for Freedom; Proud Soldier).

White marble niche covers (15¾" x 11¼" x ⅞") generally contain 11 lines of text, with or without an emblem of belief. Generally, the niche cover can accommodate 11 characters (including spaces) on the name line, and 13 characters (including spaces) on all other lines except the 11th line, which can contain a maximum of nine characters (including spaces). An additional inscription, not to exceed two lines (and shown at the bottom of the niche cover, under all decedents), can include a term of endearment or reference (e.g. Loving Father, Husband and Son; Fought for Freedom; Proud Soldier).

The next of kin can check the status of an order by calling 1-877-907-8585. Headstone/niche cover photos are loaded into Arlington's app, ANC Explorer, approximately 90 days after a service is conducted.