VA Form 27-2008, the Application for United States Flag for Burial Purposes, is the one-page form you complete to receive a free U.S. flag for a deceased veteran’s funeral. Bring the finished form and a copy of the veteran’s discharge papers to a local post office, a funeral director, or a VA regional office, and you can walk out with the flag the same visit. There is no fee and no deadline, though most families file before the service so the flag can drape the casket or accompany the urn.
The form is sometimes referred to as “VA Form 21-2008.” The current official number is 27-2008.
What to Gather Before You Start
The document that matters most is the veteran’s DD Form 214, the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. The form’s own instructions ask you to “provide a copy of the veteran’s discharge documents that shows service dates and the character of service, such as DD Form 214, or verification of service from the veteran’s service department or VA.”1Department of Veterans Affairs. VA Form 27-2008 – Application for United States Flag for Burial Purposes A photocopy is usually enough. Whoever issues the flag will use it to confirm eligibility.
If the DD-214 is missing, the National Archives handles emergency requests when a funeral is pending. Fax a completed Standard Form 180 to 314-801-0764 and write “emergency” in the Purpose field, or select “Emergency Request” through the online system at vetrecs.archives.gov. You can also call 314-801-0800. Next of kin need to include proof of death, such as a death certificate or a letter from the funeral home.2National Archives. Request Military Personnel Records Using Standard Form 180 For burials at a VA National Cemetery, call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117; the Archives coordinates service verification with VA staff in those cases.
You can download the form itself from VA.gov or pick up a paper copy at a VA regional office or post office.3Veterans Affairs. Burial Flags To Honor Veterans and Reservists
Filling Out the Form
The application has three parts: information about the veteran, information about the flag recipient and applicant, and certification at the point of issuance.
Veteran Information (Fields 1–13)
Fields 1 and 2 ask for the veteran’s full legal name and any alternate names used during active duty, such as a maiden name. Match the DD-214 exactly.
Field 3 is for the VA file number if there is one. Leave it blank if you don’t know it.
Fields 4 and 5 ask for the Social Security number and military service or serial number. Providing the SSN is voluntary, and refusing to give it alone will not cause the flag to be denied, though including it speeds up verification.1Department of Veterans Affairs. VA Form 27-2008 – Application for United States Flag for Burial Purposes
Field 6 is the branch of service: Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Selected Reserve, USPHS, NOAA, or Other.
Fields 7 and 8 ask for the dates the veteran entered and was released from active duty or the Selected Reserve. Use MM/DD/YYYY and match the DD-214.
Fields 9 through 11 cover date of birth, date of death, and date of burial. Field 12 asks for the place of burial, including cemetery name, city, and state.
Field 13 is a Yes/No confirmation that you have attached or presented discharge documentation showing the veteran meets eligibility requirements.
Flag Recipient and Applicant Information (Fields 14–19)
Fields 14A through 14D identify the person who will receive the flag: name, relationship to the veteran, mailing address, and phone number. This person doesn’t have to be the applicant. A funeral director might complete the form while the flag goes to the surviving spouse.
Field 15 is a remarks box. Use it for anything that doesn’t fit elsewhere, such as multiple periods of service.
Fields 16 through 19 are for the applicant’s signature, address, relationship to the veteran, and the date. Sign in ink.
Certification and Receipt (Fields 20–21)
The bottom of the form is completed when the flag is issued. The person who actually receives the flag signs Field 20. The issuing official enters the date in Field 21 and certifies that the veteran is eligible and that no flag has been previously applied for or furnished. The form carries a warning that a knowingly false statement is punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both.
After the flag is handed over, the completed form is mailed to the NCA Field Programs Evidence Intake Center, P.O. Box 5237, Janesville, WI 53547. The issuing location usually takes care of this, but confirm before you leave.
Where to Take the Completed Form
You have three options for turning in the application and picking up the flag.
A funeral director is often the simplest route. Many funeral homes keep burial flags on hand or can get one quickly, and the director will handle the paperwork as part of the arrangements.
A United States post office serves as a distribution point. Bring the completed form and a copy of the DD-214, and the postal clerk will review the discharge papers and issue the flag.3Veterans Affairs. Burial Flags To Honor Veterans and Reservists
A VA regional office works well if you are already coordinating other burial benefits, such as a headstone or marker, a Presidential Memorial Certificate, or a burial allowance claim.
In most cases, you leave the same visit with the flag in hand. There is no mailed delivery and no waiting period.
Which Veterans Qualify
Not every veteran is eligible. The flag benefit under 38 U.S.C. 2301 covers veterans whose last discharge was under conditions other than dishonorable and who meet at least one of the following:4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 U.S.C. 2301 – Flags
- Served during any war, or after January 31, 1955
- Served at least one complete enlistment, regardless of when
- Was discharged for a disability incurred or aggravated during active duty
- Completed at least one enlistment in the Selected Reserve, was discharged from the Selected Reserve for a line-of-duty disability, or died while serving in the Selected Reserve
- Was entitled to retired pay under chapter 67 of title 10, or would have been but for being under age 60 at death
Both honorable and general discharges qualify. If you are not sure about a particular discharge type, a VA regional office can review the DD-214 and make a determination.
Disqualifying Offenses
The VA will deny a burial flag to anyone convicted of a federal or state capital crime, meaning an offense carrying a possible sentence of life imprisonment or death. The same bar applies to tier III sex offenders sentenced to life or 99 years or more, and to someone who committed such a crime but was never convicted because they died or fled prosecution.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 U.S.C. 2411 – Prohibition Against Interment or Memorialization in the National Cemetery Administration
Who Can Apply and Who Receives the Flag
You do not need to be a family member to apply. The VA accepts applications from the next of kin, from a close friend or associate who helped arrange the burial, or from the funeral director handling the arrangements. Under 38 CFR 1.10, a “close friend or associate” is someone who arranged or assisted with the burial or can show evidence of a genuine personal relationship with the veteran. If you are applying as a friend, be ready to explain your connection.
The recipient of the folded flag follows a set order of precedence under federal regulation: surviving spouse (who has not remarried), then children in order of age, then parents, then siblings, then aunts and uncles, then nieces and nephews, then other relatives such as cousins or grandparents (in-laws are not included).6eCFR. 38 CFR 1.10 – Eligibility for and Disposition of the United States Flag for Burial Purposes If no relative claims it, the flag can go to a close friend or associate who helped with the burial. When more than one person at the same level requests it, the head of the VA field facility with jurisdiction decides.
Only One Flag, and No Replacements
The VA issues exactly one burial flag per deceased veteran. The form states this in capital letters: “ONLY ONE FLAG MAY BE ISSUED FOR EACH DECEASED VETERAN.”7Department of Veterans Affairs. VA Form 27-2008 Application for United States Flag for Burial Purposes There is no second flag, and the VA will not replace one that is lost, destroyed, or stolen.8Department of Veterans Affairs. Memorandum 796-23-01, Guidance for Distribution and Replenishment of Burial Flags Plan accordingly when deciding how the flag will be displayed or stored after the service.