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  • Cemetery Board

    The Cemetery Board regulates for-profit cemeteries that offer perpetual care services or pre-need burial contracts, and that are required to maintain trust fund accounts. Cemeteries owned and operated by churches, the state, and all counties, cities, and towns are exempt from licensure and the board's jurisdiction. Additional exemptions are given to certain non-profit, association and family cemeteries.

    The seven-member Cemetery Board is composed of four cemetery operators, one local government representative, and two citizen members.

    Licensing Section   (804) 367-0010
    Board Office  (804) 367-8552
    FAX  (866) 826-8863
    Email  cemetery@dpor.virginia.gov  
    • Read the Guidance Document on complying with requirement to engage CPA to analyze trust fund financial report.
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    Forms & Applications

    Cemetery Company/Personnel Forms | Perpetual Care Forms | Preneed Forms | Trustee Forms 

    • Go to: Most Requested Forms (address change, criminal conviction reporting, certification request, etc.) 

    Applicants must read and understand the Cemetery Board Regulations (PDF). Application fees are not refundable. 

    DPOR Boards only accept the most recent versions of the applications provided below. DPOR Boards are not responsible for processing delays associated with forms that do not conform to this requirement.

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    Cemetery Company/Personnel Forms

    • Cemetery Company License Application (PDF) 
    • Cemetery Company Renewal/Reinstatement Application (PDF)  
    • Sales Personnel Registration Form (PDF)  
    • Compliance Agent Designee Application (PDF)  
    • Compliance Agent/Director/Officer Change Form (PDF) 
    • Perpetual Care Trust Fund - Notice of Conversion Form (PDF) 
    • Cemetery Addition Form (PDF)   
    • Sample General Price List (PDF)  

    Perpetual Care Forms

    • Perpetual Care Fidelity Bond Form (PDF)  
    • Perpetual Care Trust Fund Financial Report (PDF) 
      • Perpetual Care Trust Fund Financial Report Instructions (PDF) 
      • Schedule A: Receipts and Expenses (Perpetual Care) (PDF)   
      • Schedule B: Required Deposits (Perpetual Care) (PDF)  
      • Schedule C: Operating Expenses (Perpetual Care) (PDF)  
      • Schedule D: Investment Securities (Perpetual Care) (PDF)  
      • Schedule E: Covered Cemeteries (Perpetual Care) (PDF)  

    Preneed Forms

    • Preneed Burial Contract (PDF)  
    • Preneed Fidelity Bond Form (PDF)  
    • Preneed Trust Fund Financial Report (PDF)  
      • Preneed Trust Fund Financial Report Instructions (PDF)  
      • Schedule A: Receipts and Expenses (Preneed) (PDF)  
      • Schedule B: Required Deposits (Preneed) (PDF)  
      • Schedule C: Investment Securities (Preneed) (PDF)  

    Trustee Forms

    • Perpetual Care Trust Fund Trustee Verification (PDF)  
    • Trustee Approval Application (PDF)  
    • New Trustee/Transfer of Funds Notification Form (PDF)  

    Laws & Regulations

    Sign up for email notification of regulatory action and meetings by registering here.

    VIRGINIA CEMETERY BOARD

    • Chapter 23.1 of Title 54.1 of the Code of Virginia | Cemetery Operators, Perpetual Care Trust Funds & Preneed Burial Contracts
    • Cemetery Board Regulations PDF version | online | pending regulatory action
    • Guidance Documents on Virginia Regulatory Town Hall 
      • Requirement to engage CPA to analyze trust fund financial report (SB 1174) [effective 7/1/2015] 
         

    Cemetery-related statutes NOT administered or enforced by DPOR: 

    • Title 57 | Religious and Charitable Matters; Cemeteries 
    • Chapter 22 of Title 10.1 | Historic Resources 
    • Local government statutes including: 
      • § 15.2-972 (local appropriations for the upkeep of certain cemeteries),
      • § 15.2-978 (local registration of cemeteries, graveyards, or other places of burial on private property), 
      • § 15.2-1111 (regulation of cemeteries and burials), and
      • § 15.2-1121 (local operation of cemeteries).
       

    NOTE: This is not an all-inclusive list and does not constitute legal advice. The entire Code of Virginia is accessible online and searchable at http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode. 

     

     

    Meetings & Minutes

    Sign up for email notification of regulatory action and meetings by registering here.

    The Virginia Regulatory Town Hall provides access to the board's meeting schedule, agendas, and past meeting minutes.  

    Visit the Town Hall: http://www.townhall.virginia.gov/L/viewboard.cfm?boardid=131&display=meetings 

    Education & Exams

    Applicants for Compliance Agent or Designee must complete a training program approved by the Cemetery Board.

    Resources for Approved Training Courses

    Virginia Cemetery Association
    Diane Munn
    P.O. Box 74821
    Richmond, Virginia 23236
    (804) 675-7502

    News & Publications

    Sign up for email notification of regulatory action and meetings by registering here.

    Board News

    Guidance Document | Complying with SB 1174 requirement to engage CPA to analyze trust fund financial report 

    Consumer Guide 

    DPOR Consumer Guide: Cemeteries and Pre-Need Burial Contracts  

    Frequently Asked Questions

    1. How do I contact the Board office? Will I be able to speak directly with a Board member?  
    2. Does the Cemetery Board regulate all cemeteries? 
    3. Where can I get information concerning funeral homes? 
    4. Is a salesperson registration required to sell cemetery plots or merchandise? 
    5. May a cemetery require vaults or grave liners? 
    6. Does the Cemetery Board regulate the depth of graves or how close graves can be to each other? 
    7. I think the prices charged by a cemetery are too high. Should I complain to the Cemetery Board? 
    8. How do I go about filing a complaint against a cemetery or a salesperson? 
    9. I need to renew my registration, but I haven't received my renewal form. What do I need to do? 
    10. My renewal payment was one day late and I have always paid on time. Can you waive the late fee? 
    11. I did not renew on time because I didn't receive my renewal card. Do I still have to pay a late fee or reinstate my registration? 
    12. Does the Board office use the date of receipt or the postmark date to determine whether an application or renewal was received on time? 
    13. My address and/or name has changed. What do I need to do to notify the Board? 

    1. How do I contact the Board office? Will I be able to speak directly with a Board member?

    You may reach us by phone at 804-367-0010 (Licensing Section) or 804-367-8552, by FAX at 1-866-826-8863, or by e-mail at cemetery@dpor.virginia.gov. Additionally, if you have information to mail to the Board, please send it to:

    Cemetery Board
    Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
    9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 400
    Richmond, VA 23233

    The Board members do not work in the Board office. They come into the Board offices for Board meetings and hearings, but are not here on a daily basis. Board office staff members can answer your questions and are trained to process all information that comes into the Board office. Please do not contact Board members directly.

    2. Does the Cemetery Board regulate all cemeteries?

    No, the law specifically exempts cemeteries owned and operated by churches, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and all counties, cities and towns. Additional exemptions are given to certain non-profit, association, and family cemeteries. Please contact the Board office for specific information.

    3. Where can I get information concerning funeral homes?

    The Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers is responsible for regulating funeral directors, funeral establishments and crematories. That Board is housed at the Department of Health Professions. More information is available calling (804) 367-4479, or by visiting www.dhp.virginia.gov.

    4. Is a salesperson registration required to sell cemetery plots or merchandise?

    Yes. All individuals selling for a licensed cemetery must obtain their salesperson registration from the Cemetery Board. Application forms are available on this web site or can be obtained by contacting the Board office.

    5. May a cemetery require vaults or grave liners?

    Vaults or grave liners are not required by law, but cemeteries may have their own policies requiring them, because they keep the ground from settling after burial and make mowing and maintenance easier. Be sure to check a cemetery's rules and regulations for this and other requirements before you sign a contract.

    6. Does the Cemetery Board regulate the depth of graves or how close graves can be to each other?

    The Cemetery Board does not regulate the depth of graves, or how close graves can be to each other. Most cemeteries are guided by the requirements set forth by their locality, and in the event the locality has no requirements, by their individual rules and regulations.

    7. I think the prices charged by a cemetery are too high. Should I complain to the Cemetery Board?

    The Cemetery Board does not regulate the prices charged by any cemetery. However, the law requires licensed cemeteries to provide a General Price List (GPL) when you inquire in person about burial arrangements and prices. When you contract for services with a licensed cemetery, the law requires the cemetery to give you an itemized statement of your final choices. Make sure the statement includes only those items you have selected. Get a total dollar amount in writing before you sign the contract.  

    8. How do I go about filing a complaint against a cemetery or a salesperson?

    If you have a complaint about a licensed cemetery or a cemetery salesperson, first try to settle it with management. If you cannot resolve the issue, you may file a complaint with the Regulatory Programs and Compliance Section.

    For complaints you are unable to resolve with cemeteries that are not under the Cemetery Board's jurisdiction, contact an official of the managing organization.

    9. I need to renew my registration, but I haven't received my renewal form. What do I need to do?

    Send in the renewal fee, make checks payable to the Treasurer of Virginia, and include your registration number on your check. Also submit a Name/Address Change Form if you have moved or changed your name. Mail this information to:
    Cemetery Board
    Department of Professional & Occupational Regulation
    9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 400
    Richmond, VA 23233

    10. My renewal payment was one day late and I have always paid on time. Can you waive the late fee?

    No. The Cemetery Board's regulations provide a 30-day period after the expiration date in which a license may be renewed without penalty (therefore, your payment is actually 31 days late). Staff cannot waive the fee. Board regulations state that if the requirements for renewal of a license, including receipt of the fee by the board, are not complete within 30 days of the expiration date, a reinstatement fee is required.

    11. I did not renew on time because I didn't receive my renewal card. Do I still have to pay a late fee or reinstate my registration?

    Yes. Regulation 18 VAC 47-20-100 B states that failure to receive the renewal notice does not relieve the licensee of the obligation to renew.

    12. Does the Board office use the date of receipt or the postmark date to determine whether an application or renewal was received on time?

    The date the application or renewal was received in the agency determines whether it is on time, not the postmark date. If the renewal fee is received after the due date, you will be required to pay the reinstatement fee. If the reinstatement fee is received after the due date, you will be required to reapply for licensure, meeting all current requirements.

    13. My address and/or name has changed. What do I need to do to notify the Board?

    Many Boards allow you to update your ADDRESS using Online Services, so login to your personal profile to see if this is an option for your license type. The alternative is to complete, print, sign, and submit an Address Change Form to the Board office by mail. Unless updated online, all Address Change Forms must be received by the Board in writing. When providing a post office box as the mailing address, it must be accompanied by the physical address.

    To report a NAME CHANGE: complete, print, sign, and submit a Name Change Form to the Board office. All name changes must be received by the Board in writing. Individual name change requests must be accompanied by a copy of a marriage certificate, divorce decree, court order, or other official documentation that verifies the name change.

    Cemetery Board

    Board Executive Director

    Christine Martine

    Board Member Roster

    Randolph Minter
    BOARD CHAIRMAN
    Cemetery Operator
    Term ends June 30, 2020
    James A. Meadows, Jr.
    Cemetery Operator
    Term ends June 30, 2020
    Armistead W. Dudley
    Cemetery Operator
    Term ends June 30, 2018
    Enid Walker Butler 
    Citizen Member
    Term ends June 30, 2018
    Judy S. Lyttle
    Local Government Representative
    Term ends June 30, 2021
    Michael H. Doherty
    BOARD VICE-CHAIRMAN
    Cemetery Operator
    Term ends June 30, 2021
    Marx Eisenman
    Citizen Member
    Term ends June 30, 2021 
     

    Board members are appointed by the Governor. To learn more about the gubernatorial appointment process, visit the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website.

    Military and Veterans Services

    DPOR stands ready to assist veterans and active-duty military personnel as they maintain or transition to civilian careers requiring professional credentials.

    Active-duty military personnel and their spouses having served outside the U.S., as well as certain diplomatic service members and veterans, may be eligible to receive up to a five-year extension for meeting license renewal requirements (pursuant to Section 54.1-117 of the Code of Virginia).

    Spouses of active-duty military personnel assigned to a duty station in Virginia are eligible for expedited processing using the Military Spouse Expedited License Application (PDF). A temporary, non-renewable 12-month license for certain military spouses licensed in another state who need more time to meet Virginia-specific requirements is also an option if necessary. [Section 54.1-119] 

    For honorably discharged veterans, “substantially equivalent” military training, education, or experience may be credited toward certain license requirements (pursuant to Section 54.1-118). In addition, the Virginia Department of Veterans Affairs may reimburse veterans for the cost of license or certification exams. See the VA Pamphlet 22-02-1 for more information.

    Available Online Services

    (Please check back periodically as we modify transactions in the future.)


    Address change

    ALL license types 


    Renew a license

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    Reinstate an expired license

    ALL individual license types 


    Go to Online Services

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Jay W. DeBoer, Director 

 

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