Cemetery Administration

Contents

• Introduction
• General Statutes
• Municipal Cemeteries
• Cemetery Districts
• General Ordinance Provisions - Cemetery Board, Rules and Regulations, Fees
• Historic Preservation
• Disposal of Remains of Indigent Persons
• Green Burial
• Additional Reference Sources
• Related MRSC Pages
  • List of Cemetery Districts by County
  • List of Municipal Cemeteries

Introduction

At our last count, there were 103 cemetery districts and 77 cities and towns that are known to operate municipal cemeteries in Washington. Many municipal cemeteries are operated by the city parks department and maintained by the department's grounds personnel. This page provides information about the statutes governing cemetery administration, sample ordinances, and information about historic preservation activities. Contact Page Editor

General Statutes

• RCW 68.20.080 - Provides that cities and counties may regulate private cemeteries
• Ch. 68.52 RCW - Public Cemeteries and Morgues - Provides for county morgues, burial, cemetery acquisition and improvements, city and town cemetery boards, cemetery improvement funds, and the creation of cemetery districts.
• Ch. 68.60 RCW - Abandoned and Historic Cemeteries and Historic Graves
• Washington State Department of Licensing Cemetery Licensing
• Title 68 RCW - Cemeteries, Morgues, and Human Remains Title 98 WAC - Licensing, Department of (Cemetery Board)
• WAC 458-16-180 - Property Tax exemptions - Embalmers - Cemeteries

Municipal Cemeteries

• Authority
  • General counties and cities - RCW 68.52.030
  • General cities and towns - RCW 68.52.040
  • First class cities - RCW 35.22.280 (20)
  • Second class cities - RCW 35.23.440 (48)
  • Towns - RCW 35.27.370(2)
• List of Municipal Cemeteries

Cemetery Districts

• Authority for Cemetery Districts - RCW 68.52.090 - RCW 68.52.330
• List of Cemetery Districts by County   - Includes cities in cemetery districts

General Ordinance Provisions - Cemetery Board, Rules and Regulations, Fees

• Anacortes Grand View Cemetery
  • Anacortes Policies and Procedures for Grand View Cemetery (),  Revised 2007
  • Grand View Cemetery Master Plan ( 16 MB), 2006
• Auburn Mountain View Cemetery
  • Auburn Municipal Code  Ch. 2.72 - Cemetery
• Bellingham Bayview Cemetery
  • Bellingham Municipal Code Ch. 8.08  - Cemetery Operation
  • Selected Policies and Procedures () - Administration and operation, memorial sales, contracting at-need services, contracting pre-arrangement services, and cancelling or changing pre-arrangement contracts
  • Bayview Cemetery Brochure () - Description of Services
  • Bayview Cemetery Pictorial Map ()
• Burlington
  • Burlington Municipal Code  Ch. 2.68 - Cemetery
  • Parks & Recreation and Cemetery Boards
• City of Camas Cemetery Master Plan ( 14 MB), November 2009
• Edmonds Memorial Cemetery and Columbarium
  • Edmonds Municipal Code  Ch. 10.16 - Cemetery Board
• Kirkland Cemetery
  • Kirkland Municipal Code  Ch. 5.36 - Cemetery Improvement Fund
  • Kirkland Cemetery Administrative Policy ()
• Langley Langley-Woodmen Cemetery
  • Cemetery Board
  • Langley Municipal Code Ch. 2.52 ( ) - City Cemetery
• Mason County Cemetery District No. 1 - Twin Firs Cemetery - Includes bylaws and policies
• Okanogan County Code  Ch. 2.56 - Cemeteries and Cemetery Districts
• Poulsbo Municipal Code  Ch. 2.76 - City Cemetery
• Island County Cemetery District No. 2 - Sunnyside Cemetery - Includes rules and regulations
• Vancouver Municipal Code  Title 13  - Cemeteries
• Walla Walla Mountain View Cemetery
  • Walla Walla Municipal Code  Ch. 2.76 - Mountain View Cemetery

Historic Preservation

• Ch. 68.60 RCW - Abandoned and Historic Cemeteries and Historic Graves
• Cemeteries - Washington State Office Archaeology and Historic Preservation
  • Cemetery Preservation Guidance  - Reference sources
• Guidelines for Evaluating and Registering Cemeteries and Burial Places Bulletin - U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service 
• Washington State Cemeteries - Washington State Cemetery Association (WSCA)
• Washington Tombstone Transcription Project
• Links to Resources on Cemetery History and Preservation - by Lawrence Kestenbaum.

Sample Provisions Related to Historic Public Cemeteries

• Bothell -  Ordinance No. 1416 () - Assumption of Pioneer Cemetery, passed 04/22/1991
• Tumwater Historic Sites - Union/Pioneer Calvary Cemeteries
  • Tumwater Municipal Code Ch. 12.40 - Union and Calvary Historic Cemeteries

Disposal of Remains of Indigent Persons

• RCW 36.39.030 - Disposal of remains of indigent persons
• RCW 73.08.070 - County burial of indigent deceased veterans
• Auburn Municipal Code, Section 2.72.305 - Welfare burials
• Okanogan Municipal Code  8.08.030 - Potter's Field
• Thurston County Code  Ch. 2.116 - Disposal of Unclaimed Remains of Indigent Persons
• Whatcom County Code Ch. 2.06  - Article II - Disposition of Indigent Human Remains

Green Burial

• Green Burial Council
  • Green Burial Council Standards/Eco-Rating System for Burial Grounds
• "Green" Cemetery Plan Raises Grave Concerns in Ga. Counties, by Charles Taylor, NACO County News, February 9, 2009

Additional Information Resources

• The Multiple Use of Cemeteries,  Planning and Advisory Service Report No. 285, American Planning Association (Available through  MRSC Library Loan)
• Planning for Cemeteries, by Valerie Capels and Wayne Senville, Planning Commissioners Journal, Fall 2006  (Available through MRSC Library Loan)
• International Cemetery and Funeral Association
  • Washington Cemetery & Funeral Association
• Burials and Memorials Home - U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Related MRSC Resources

MRSC Index - Cemeteries - Administration and management