(a) The personal representative or primary next of kin is responsible for providing appropriate documentation to verify the decedent's eligibility for interment or inurnment.
(b) The personal representative or primary next of kin must certify in writing that the decedent is not prohibited from interment, inurnment, or memorialization under § 553.20 because he or she has committed or been convicted of a Federal or State capital crime or is a convicted Tier III sex offender as defined in 38 U.S.C. 2411.
(c) For service members who die on active duty, a statement of honorable service from a general court martial convening authority is required. If the certificate of honorable service cannot be granted, the service member is ineligible for interment, inurnment, and memorialization pursuant to § 553.19(h).
(d) When applicable, the following documents are required:
(1) Death certificate;
(2) Proof of eligibility as required by paragraphs (e) through (g) of this section;
(3) Any additional documentation to establish the decedent's eligibility (e.g., marriage certificate, birth certificate, waivers, statements that the decedent had no children);
(4) Burial agreement;
(5) Notarized statement that the remains are unavailable for the reasons set forth in § 553.16; and
(6) A certificate of cremation or notarized statement attesting to the authenticity of the cremated human remains and that 100% of the cremated remains received from the crematorium are present. The Executive Director may, however, allow a portion of the cremated remains to be removed by the crematorium for the sole purpose of producing commemorative items.
(7) Any other document as required by the Executive Director.
(e) The following documents may be used to establish the eligibility of a primarily eligible person:
(1) DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty;
(2) WD AGO 53 or 53-55, Enlisted Record and Report of Separation Honorable Discharge;
(3) WD AGO 53-98, Military Record and Report of Separation Certificate of Service;
(4) NAVPERS-553, Notice of Separation from U.S. Naval Service;
(5) NAVMC 70-PD, Honorable Discharge, U.S. Marine Corps; or;
(6) DD Form 1300, Report of Casualty (required in the case of death of an active duty service member).
(f) In addition to the documents otherwise required by this section, a request for interment or inurnment of a subsequently remarried spouse must be accompanied by:
(1) A notarized statement from the new spouse of the subsequently remarried spouse agreeing to the interment or inurnment and relinquishing any claim for interment or inurnment in the same gravesite or niche.
(2) Notarized statement(s) from all of the children from the prior marriage agreeing to the interment or inurnment of their parents in the same gravesite or niche.
(g) In addition to the documents otherwise required by this section, a request for interment or inurnment of a permanently dependent child must be accompanied by:
(1) A notarized statement as to the marital status and degree of dependency of the decedent from an individual with direct knowledge; and
(2) A physician's statement regarding the nature and duration of the physical or mental disability; and
(3) A statement from someone with direct knowledge demonstrating the following factors:
(i) The deceased lived most of his or her adult life with one or both parents, one or both of whom are otherwise eligible for interment;
(ii) The decedent's children, siblings, or other family members, other than the eligible parent, waive any derivative claim to be interred at Arlington National Cemetery, in accordance with the Arlington National Cemetery Burial Agreement.
(h) Veterans or primary next of kin of deceased veterans may obtain copies of their military records by writing to the National Personnel Records Center, Attention: Military Personnel Records, 9700 Page Avenue St. Louis, Missouri 63132 or using their Web site. All others may request a record by completing and submitting Standard Form 180.
(i) The burden of proving eligibility lies with the party who requests the burial. The Executive Director will determine whether the submitted evidence is sufficient to support a finding of eligibility.
[81 FR 65877, Sept. 26, 2016, as amended at 84 FR 45408, Aug. 29, 2019]