Cemetery in the United States: Who Actually Runs Them

Burial in the United States is governed by a patchwork, not a single national system. Our directory lists 14,604 cemeteries in every state. The people in charge of them range from town clerks and church trustees to national agencies and private memorial park companies. Knowing which kind of owner you are dealing with is the fastest way to learn who can sell a plot, approve a burial, or correct a record.

Take three entries from our listings. Acton Woodlawn Cemetery on Concord Road in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, sits in a New England town where burial grounds have been municipal or church property for generations. Alhambra Rose Hills Memorial Park & Mortuary Cemetery on East Main Street in Los Angeles County is a large commercial park that sells plots, crypts and related services together. Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Adel, Dallas County, is a state-run burial ground for veterans and eligible family members. The word on the sign is the same, but the rules behind it are very different.

This page explains the structure behind those differences, so you can call the right office the first time.

Federal, State, County and City Cemeteries: What Each Level Does

Federal. The National Cemetery Administration, part of the Department of Veterans Affairs, operates national cemeteries for veterans, service members and eligible spouses and dependent children. Arlington National Cemetery is run separately by the Department of the Army, and its eligibility rules are narrower. The National Park Service also cares for a few historic national cemeteries, such as the one at Gettysburg. A burial in a VA national cemetery includes the grave, the opening and closing, and a government headstone or marker at no cost to the family.

State. Many states operate their own veterans cemeteries, as Iowa does in Adel. States also regulate private cemeteries, usually through a cemetery board, a department of commerce or insurance, or a consumer protection office. The agency name differs from state to state. Searching your state's name with "cemetery board" or "cemetery regulation" usually finds it quickly.

County and city. Municipal cemeteries such as Abilene City Cemetery on Walnut Street in Taylor County, Texas, are owned by the city. They are often managed by a parks department or a cemetery superintendent. County-owned cemeteries are common in rural areas. Prices at public cemeteries tend to be lower than at commercial parks, and residents sometimes pay less than nonresidents.

Private and religious. Most remaining burial grounds belong to nonprofit associations, congregations or for-profit companies. St Patricks Catholic Cemetery on Parnell Avenue Northeast in Ada, Kent County, Michigan, is a church-affiliated example. Church cemeteries may limit burial to members of the faith or route sales through a parish office. Ask who owns the ground before you ask about prices.

How Rules, Services and Fees Differ From State to State

There is no national code for civilian burials. Each state sets its own laws on who may operate a cemetery, how perpetual care money must be handled, and when a grave may be moved. Many states require commercial cemeteries to place part of each sale into a trust fund for long-term upkeep. Municipal and church cemeteries are sometimes exempt from parts of those rules. The protections you get therefore depend on who owns the ground.

Fees follow the same pattern. A typical price list separates the plot, the opening and closing of the grave, any outer burial container or liner, and the foundation for a marker. A liner requirement is usually a cemetery rule, not a state law. Weekend and holiday burials generally cost more. A large memorial park in Los Angeles County prices very differently from a township cemetery like Chanceford Cemetery in Airville, York County, Pennsylvania, or Ada Woodlawn Cemetery in Hardin County, Ohio. Compare written price lists rather than relying on a number quoted over the phone.

Local paperwork changes too. Most places require a death certificate and a burial or burial-transit permit before interment, issued by the local registrar or health department. A funeral director normally files these for you. If no funeral home is involved, ask the cemetery office and the county health department which forms they expect.

Older regions add another layer. Massachusetts, Maine and Pennsylvania have many small historic burial grounds, such as Albion Maple Grove Cemetery in Kennebec County, Maine. Records at these sites may be kept by a town clerk, a volunteer board or a historical society rather than a full-time office. Expect slower replies and call ahead.

Choosing the Right State Page for Your Search

Start with the state where the grave is, or where the burial will take place, not the state where you live. A family in Chicago burying a parent in a hometown cemetery needs that town's state page, because that state's laws and permit rules apply.

Our largest collections are in a handful of states. Browse Cemetery in Massachusetts for town and church burial grounds like Acton Woodlawn Cemetery. Open Cemetery in Pennsylvania for rural township and church sites. Cemetery in Ohio covers many small village cemeteries, and Cemetery in Texas includes city-run grounds such as Abilene City Cemetery. From each state page you can narrow to a city or county and open a listing for its address and phone number.

Before you drive out or make a call, gather what the cemetery will probably ask for:

  • The full name and date of death of the person to be buried, or the location of an existing grave
  • A copy of the plot deed or interment right certificate, if you own one
  • The death certificate and burial permit, when a burial is planned
  • For veterans, a DD-214 or other discharge papers
  • Photo ID, and proof of residence where resident rates apply

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Arranging a Burial in the United States

Assuming a plot is yours to sell. Many cemeteries restrict resale or require you to offer the space back to them first. Read the deed before you list anything.

Skipping the written price list. Charges for opening, closing, liners and foundations add up. Ask for every fee in writing, and compare at least two cemeteries when you have the choice.

Buying a marker before reading the rules. Cemeteries set limits on size, material and placement. A monument that does not fit the rules may be refused or may have to be removed.

Calling the wrong office. A listing may be a church office, a township clerk or a caretaker who works part-time. If nobody answers, try the town or county clerk.

Waiting until the last day. Grave preparation needs scheduling, and rural sites may need extra notice. Contact the cemetery as soon as a burial date looks likely.

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Using the Cemetery Listings Across the United States

Each listing in our directory is tied to a real address and county, so you can check where a cemetery sits before you call. Entries run from Evergreen Lawn Cemetery on Bloomingdale Road in Akron, Erie County, to Abingdon Cemetery on West Memorial Drive in Knox County, Illinois. Large metro areas in Cemetery in California mix municipal, religious and commercial sites in the same county. Cemetery in Maine has many small town burial grounds with part-time staff. Confirm hours and contact details by phone before you visit, since small cemeteries may keep seasonal schedules. If a call goes unanswered, try the town or county clerk, who usually knows who holds the burial records.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cemeteries in the United States

Eligibility is set by federal law. It covers veterans discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, many active-duty service members, and often their spouses and dependent children. The VA's National Cemetery Administration decides eligibility for its cemeteries, while Arlington National Cemetery, run by the Army, applies narrower rules. Families usually need the veteran's discharge papers, such as a DD-214. Burial in a national cemetery includes the grave, opening and closing, and a government headstone or marker at no charge. You can ask the VA for a pre-need eligibility decision so your family is not left guessing later.

In most cases you buy a right of interment, not the land itself. The cemetery keeps title to the ground and grants you the right to bury one or more people in a specific space under its written rules. Those rules can limit marker size, require a grave liner, and restrict who may be buried there. Resale and transfer are often controlled as well. Keep the deed or certificate with your estate papers and tell your family where it is. If you cannot find it, the cemetery office should have a record, whether the owner is a city, a church or a private company.

No single agency regulates civilian cemeteries nationwide. Federal agencies run national cemeteries, but private, church and municipal cemeteries fall mostly under state law, and the oversight body differs by state. It may be a cemetery board, a department of commerce or insurance, or the attorney general's consumer office. Local governments add zoning and health rules. The FTC's Funeral Rule mainly covers funeral providers, so a cemetery that sells only plots is often outside it. For a complaint, start with the cemetery's manager, then contact your state regulator, or the county or city if the cemetery is public.

Some states allow it, but the conditions vary widely. Common requirements include local zoning approval, a minimum distance from wells, streams and property lines, a burial permit, and a recorded notice on the property deed so future buyers know a grave exists. Other states or counties restrict or prohibit private burial, especially in dense areas. Before you plan anything, call the county health department and the planning office. A funeral director who works in that county can also tell you what local officials have approved in the past. Never assume a rural location means no rules apply.

Start with the county recorder or register of deeds, who may hold the land records, and the town or city clerk. In many New England towns, the municipality or a cemetery committee cares for old burial grounds, which is common among Massachusetts and Maine listings. Historical societies, genealogy groups and county courthouses often keep burial registers. Many states have laws about abandoned or neglected cemeteries, but the details differ, so ask your state's historic preservation office or cemetery regulator. Do not clear stones or dig without permission, because disturbing a burial ground can break state law even when no one seems to own it.

Ask for a written price list that separates each charge. Common items include opening and closing the grave, a liner or vault if the cemetery requires one, the foundation for a headstone, and a perpetual care or endowment fee. Weekend, holiday and late-afternoon burials often add surcharges. Cremation burials usually cost less but may still need a space and a marker fee. Municipal cemeteries like Abilene City Cemetery often charge lower rates for residents, while commercial memorial parks set their own prices. Comparing two or three price lists before you decide is the simplest way to avoid surprises.

Most cemeteries ask for at least a day or two, and some want more, because staff must schedule the crew, mark the grave and confirm that the paperwork is complete. Rural and volunteer-run sites may need longer. Frozen ground in northern states and holiday weekends can also delay work. Call the cemetery office as soon as a date is likely, confirm that the burial permit and deed are in order, and ask about the earliest available time. If a funeral home is handling the arrangements, give them the cemetery's name and phone number right away so they can coordinate.