Cemetery Ownership and Care Across Washington

Finding a cemetery in Washington usually starts with one practical question: who runs the ground? The answer changes from county to county. Some Washington burial grounds belong to large commercial operators. Others are run by churches, fraternal groups, nonprofit cemetery associations, or small public districts that exist only to mow, dig and keep records. Our directory lists 229 cemeteries across 114 cities and 36 counties, and that mix reflects the state's settlement history.

Seattle, Spokane, Vancouver and Tacoma lead the list, which fits their size. The smaller names matter just as much. Snohomish GAR Cemetery on Avenue D is named for the Grand Army of the Republic, the Civil War veterans' organization. Anacortes Grandview Cemetery on 6th Street serves families on Fidalgo Island. Chelatchie Cemetery on Northeast Yale Bridge Road in Amboy sits in rural northern Clark County, far from the suburbs of Vancouver.

This page explains how the system fits together. You will know whom to call, what to ask, and what paperwork to expect before you visit a cemetery or sign a contract.

Who Regulates Cemeteries in Washington State

Washington treats cemeteries as a regulated business. The core rules sit in Title 68 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW). The state Department of Licensing oversees cemetery authorities and works with the Funeral and Cemetery Board on standards and complaints. A cemetery authority is the legal term for whoever owns or runs the grounds, whether that is a company, an association or a public district.

A few parts of that framework affect families directly:

Unmarked burials follow a separate track. If a construction crew or homeowner finds human bones, work stops and the county coroner or law enforcement is called. When the remains may be Native American or historic, the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation becomes involved. Chapter 27.44 RCW protects Indian graves.

Washington also lets families handle much of a funeral themselves. You do not always need a funeral director, but the death certificate, the burial-transit permit and the cemetery's own paperwork must still be completed. Since 2020 the state has also allowed natural organic reduction, often called human composting, alongside burial and cremation.

Seattle Metro, Puget Sound and Eastern Washington: Where the Differences Show

Western Washington: dense, wet and heavily commercial

The Interstate 5 corridor holds most of the state's people and many of its cemeteries. King County leads with 41 listings. They include Hills Of Eternity Cemetery on West Raye Street in Seattle, Kent St Patricks Cemetery on South 204th Street, Auburn Pioneer Cemetery, Enumclaw Evergreen Memorial Park and Evergreen Washelli in Bothell. Jimi Hendrix Memorial Cemetery on Monroe Avenue Northeast in Renton draws visitors from around the world.

Farther along the corridor, Pierce County includes New Tacoma Cemeteries & Funeral Home on Chambers Creek Road West. Snohomish County includes Cypress Lawn Memorial Park on Everett Mall Way. Thurston County has Olympia Calvary Cemetery and the Union Cemetery - Pioneer Calvary Cemetery on Littlerock Road Southwest in Tumwater. Across Puget Sound, Ivy Green Cemetery in Bremerton and Fraola Cemetery in Port Orchard serve Kitsap County.

Rain shapes how these sites work. Winters are wet, and groundwater runs high in many lowland areas. Cemeteries commonly require outer burial containers, and those requirements come from each cemetery's own rules rather than one statewide standard. Ask which section you are buying in and what it requires.

Eastern, northern and rural Washington: longer distances, smaller offices

East of the Cascades, Spokane County holds 20 listings. They include Pines Cemetery on South Pines Road in Spokane Valley and Loon Lake Cemetery Association in the county's north. Terrace Heights Memorial Park Cemetery on Terrace Heights Drive anchors Yakima County. Richland Cemetery Association on By Pass Highway serves the Tri-Cities in Benton County. Hard winter freezes can slow digging in this part of the state, so allow extra scheduling time.

Up north, Whatcom County includes Monumento Cemetery Association in Lynden and Ferndale Enterprise Cemetery on Vista Drive. Clark County pairs Vancouver Old City Cemetery on Mill Plain Boulevard with rural Chelatchie. Castle Rock Jackson Cemetery in Cowlitz County, Mount Angeles Memorial Park Cemetery in Port Angeles and Shelton Cemetery Association in Mason County show the rural pattern. Smaller offices may keep limited hours, so call ahead rather than drive out.

Preparing to Contact a Cemetery Office in Washington

Call before you drive. Many cemetery offices close on weekends, and some small sites are managed by volunteers or tied to a funeral home. Grounds usually stay open during daylight hours. Sales, records and burial scheduling only happen when someone staffs the office.

Have these details ready when you call:

Family historians should begin with the Washington State Digital Archives, run by the Secretary of State. It holds searchable death records and can save you a cold call. For veterans, the federal government provides a headstone or marker at no charge to eligible veterans, and the state operates Washington Veterans Cemetery at Medical Lake in Spokane County.

Finally, compare prices in writing. Washington sets licensing and fund rules, but it does not set what a plot, an opening and closing, or a marker costs. A public-district cemetery and a commercial memorial park in Seattle can differ sharply. Ask each office for a current written price list before you decide.

Government cemeteries in Washington include facilities administered by the VA's National Cemetery Administration, state veterans cemeteries funded through state and federal partnerships, and local municipal and county cemeteries operated by city and county governments throughout the state.

Cemetery locations are available in 114 cities across Washington. They are spread across 36 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Seattle, Spokane, Vancouver, where established municipal cemeteries have served their communities for generations and maintain extensive historical burial records.

Veterans in Washington may be eligible for burial in a state veterans cemetery at little or no cost. Contact the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs or Veterans Services to confirm eligibility requirements and available state-operated facilities.

Cemetery by Counties

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Families and genealogists in Washington can often request burial records from municipal cemetery offices or search online databases maintained by state archives and historical societies. Many Washington counties have digitized older cemetery records that are available through county clerk or public library genealogy collections.

Browse Cemetery by county across Washington to find the nearest location.

Planning Ahead for a Burial or Grave Visit in Washington

Washington's geography sets the rhythm of cemetery life. West of the Cascades, moss and rain mean headstones may need regular cleaning, and flowers fade quickly in the damp. East of the mountains, summers are dry and hot, and many families visit early in the day. Memorial Day weekend is typically the busiest visiting period at cemeteries statewide, so expect heavier traffic and ask about any decoration rules.

If you are planning ahead rather than responding to a death, start with three steps. First, decide between burial, cremation with a niche or scattering garden, or an alternative method. Second, visit two or three cemeteries in your county, because grounds, rules and prices vary widely even within King County. Third, write down your wishes and give copies to the person who will act for you. A pre-need contract only helps if your family knows where to find it.

Washington Cemetery Questions Answered

Cemeteries fall under Title 68 of the Revised Code of Washington. The Department of Licensing oversees cemetery authorities, and the Funeral and Cemetery Board advises on standards and complaints. Public cemetery districts, formed under Chapter 68.52 RCW, answer to elected commissioners and a local property tax levy. Concerns about a district cemetery often go first to its board. Permits for moving or burying remains come through your local health jurisdiction and registrar, and death certificates are filed with the state Department of Health. For a complaint about a licensed cemetery, try the manager first, then contact the Department of Licensing.

No. Washington lets families carry out many funeral tasks themselves, including transporting the body and filing the required forms. You still need a completed death certificate, which involves a medical certifier and sometimes the county coroner or medical examiner, plus a burial-transit permit through the local registrar. Call the cemetery first. Offices such as Ivy Green Cemetery in Bremerton or Enumclaw Evergreen Memorial Park can explain their opening-and-closing schedules, container rules and payment terms. Some cemeteries prefer to work through a funeral home for logistics, so confirm what they will accept before you commit to a family-directed plan.

Yes. In 2019 Washington became the first state to legalize natural organic reduction, and the law took effect in May 2020. The state also allows alkaline hydrolysis, sometimes called aquamation, along with traditional flame cremation. Licensed businesses provide these services, not most cemeteries. If you want cremated remains placed in a niche or a family plot, ask the cemetery about urn size limits, container requirements and any interment fee. Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in Everett and New Tacoma Cemeteries & Funeral Home are examples of sites you can call to learn what they accept.

Beyond private cemeteries, veterans have two main options. Tahoma National Cemetery, in the Kent area of King County, is a federal cemetery run by the VA's National Cemetery Administration. Washington Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake, in Spokane County, is operated by the state. Eligibility usually depends on discharge papers such as a DD-214, and spouses and some dependents may qualify. The VA also supplies a headstone or marker free of charge for eligible veterans, even when burial takes place in a local cemetery. Contact the cemetery or the VA before the funeral so the paperwork is ready.

Stop digging immediately and do not move the bones. Call local law enforcement or the county coroner or medical examiner, who decides whether the remains are recent or historic. If they appear old or Native American, the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation becomes involved, and Chapter 27.44 RCW protects Indian graves. Work may be paused while specialists assess the site. Older communities with pioneer cemeteries, such as Auburn and Snohomish, are places where early burials can lie outside today's cemetery boundaries, so builders there should be ready for this possibility.

Washington regulates licensing and endowment funds but does not set prices, so costs vary by cemetery and region. Ask for a written price list covering the plot or niche, opening and closing, any required vault or liner, marker or foundation fees, and the endowment care charge. Compare at least two cemeteries in your county. An association cemetery such as Shelton Cemetery Association in Mason County may price very differently from a large memorial park in Seattle. If you sign a pre-need contract, keep a copy, tell your family, and ask what happens if you move away.