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3.11. Same Sex Marriage

On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court held in Obergefell v. Hodges that the Fourteenth Amendment of the U. S. Constitution requires a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex and to recognize a marriage two people of the same sex when their marriage was lawfully licensed and performed out-of-state.


Accordingly, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) may now recognize all same-sex marriages without regard to a Veterans's state of residence. VA will generally accept a claimant's statement that he or she is married, but may investigate further if an assertion appears unreliable. The same procedure applies regardless whether the claimant is in an opposite-sex marriage or a same sex marriage.


VA is dedicated to serving all eligible Servicemembers, Veterans and their families and providing them the benefits they have earned. All Veterans is same-sex marriages who believe they are entitled to benefits, (including those whose claims were previously denied on a ground related to their marriage) are encouraged to promptly apply for benefits.

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