National Cemetery Administration

Visitation Hours: Open daily from sunrise to sunset.

Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed federal holidays.

This cemetery has space available to accommodate casketed remains, cremated remains and a Memorial Wall for memorialization.

Burial in a national cemetery is open to all members of the armed forces who have met a minimum active duty service requirement and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.

A Veteran's spouse, widow or widower, minor dependent children, and under certain conditions, unmarried adult children with disabilities may also be eligible for burial. Eligible spouses and children may be buried even if they predecease the Veteran.

Members of the reserve components of the armed forces who die while on active duty or who die while on training duty, or were eligible for retired pay, may also be eligible for burial.

» Eligibility for Burial in a VA National Cemetery

Fax all discharge documentation to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-866-900-6417 and follow-up with a phone call to 1-800-535-1117.

For information on scheduled burials in our national cemeteries, please go to the Daily Burial Schedule.

The 338-acre South Florida National Cemetery will serve veterans’ needs for the next 50 years. The cemetery is located in Palm Beach County in Lake Worth on State Road 7/U.S. 441 just south of Lantana Road and north of Boynton Beach Boulevard.

Burial arrangements will be made after death, as with all national cemeteries. VA does not reserve grave space. Veterans or spouses wishing to be buried in national cemeteries should have the veteran’s military separation papers available to establish eligibility, which requires an other-than-dishonorable discharge. Dependent children may also be buried.

For educational materials and additional information on this cemetery, please visit the Education section, located below.

We welcome fresh-cut flowers throughout the year and provide flower containers for gravesite displays as a courtesy. Once the flowers become unsightly, we will remove them. They may also be removed for routine mowing or other maintenance.

Limited floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial can be placed on the completed grave: three for a gravesite; two for a Columbarium inurnment.

Artificial flowers and potted plants are (a) allowed in the Columbarium Complex (non-sodded areas) and are disposed of by cemetery staff the last Thursday and Friday of each month; and (b) also allowed on sodded gravesites only for a period extending five days before and five days after Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Mother's and Father’s Day, and Yom Kippur. Otherwise, artificial flowers are not allowed on sodded gravesites due to the damage they can cause to mowers and other equipment.

Seasonal Holiday Adornments for Christmas and Hanukkah such as wreaths, potted poinsettias and other seasonal items (no glass or ceramics) may be placed on graves from Dec. 1 through Jan. 20. Applicable adornments are also allowed five days before and five days after Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Mother's and Father's Day, and Yom Kippur. (no glass or ceramics)

To maintain the dignity of the cemetery, permanent plants, statues, balloons, pinwheels, vigil lights, breakable objects and similar items are not permitted on the graves. The Department of Veterans Affairs does not permit adornments that are considered offensive, inconsistent with the dignity of the cemetery, or considered hazardous to cemetery personnel.

NOTHING IS TO BE ATTACHED TO OR PLACED ON HEADSTONES AND NICHE COVERS. NO GLASS OR CERAMICS ALLOWED AT ANY TIME.

South Florida National Cemetery is the fifth national cemetery built in Florida and the 125th in the national cemetery system.

Historically, the site of South Florida National Cemetery was used as farmland, as evidenced by the historic canal systems used to irrigate the property. Portions of the site were used for cattle grazing up until the time of its purchase by the National Cemetery Administration in 2002.

The development of Palm Beach County, and South Florida in general, was sparked by the investment in the local railroad system by Henry Morrison Flagler. An early partner of Standard Oil with John D. Rockefeller, Flagler left the company in the late 19th century, turning his attention to the creation of a continuous railway system down the east coast of Florida, stretching from Jacksonville to Key West. This railway was instrumental to the rapid growth of Palm Beach County in the 20th century.

South Florida National Cemetery opened for burials in 2007, and was formally dedicated on March 9, 2008.