{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/57-35.36.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/57-35.36.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/57-35.36.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/57-35.36.html"}],"law_id":85948,"edition_id":1,"section_id":85948,"structure_id":13326,"section_number":"57-35.36","catch_line":"Cemeteries owned by localities; good faith effort required prior to interment","history":"1991, c. 614.","full_text":"Notwithstanding the exemptions provided for in \u00a7 54.1-2312, a cemetery operated by a county or city shall keep accurate records of the ownership of cemetery lots and shall make a good faith effort to ensure, prior to interment, that the ownership of a cemetery lot is vested in the decedent’s estate or that permission for the interment has been granted by the person holding such ownership. This section shall not apply to lots or cemeteries which are dedicated for the burial of indigents.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":307832,"text":"Notwithstanding the exemptions provided for in \u00a7 54.1-2312, a cemetery operated by a county or city shall keep accurate records of the ownership of cemetery lots and shall make a good faith effort to ensure, prior to interment, that the ownership of a cemetery lot is vested in the decedent’s estate or that permission for the interment has been granted by the person holding such ownership. This section shall not apply to lots or cemeteries which are dedicated for the burial of indigents.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":13326,"edition_id":1,"name":"Abandonment; Removal of Remains","identifier":"4","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13325,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:39","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:39","permalink":{"id":251721,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13326,"identifier":"4","token":"57\/3\/4","url":"\/57\/3\/4\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13325,"edition_id":1,"name":"Cemeteries","identifier":"3","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13324,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:39","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:39","permalink":{"id":251625,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13325,"identifier":"3","token":"57\/3","url":"\/57\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13324,"edition_id":1,"name":"Religious and Charitable Matters; Cemeteries","identifier":"57","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:39","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:39","permalink":{"id":251501,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13324,"identifier":"57","token":"57","url":"\/57\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":77722,"structure_id":13326,"section_number":"57-35.35:1","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/57-35.35_1\/","token":"57\/3\/4\/57-35.35_1","metadata":false},{"id":85948,"structure_id":13326,"section_number":"57-35.36","catch_line":"Cemeteries owned by localities; good faith effort required prior to interment","url":"\/57-35.36\/","token":"57\/3\/4\/57-35.36","metadata":false},{"id":70710,"structure_id":13326,"section_number":"57-35.37","catch_line":"Sale of cemeteries owned by a locality; required notice to descendants of original owner","url":"\/57-35.37\/","token":"57\/3\/4\/57-35.37","metadata":false},{"id":85333,"structure_id":13326,"section_number":"57-36","catch_line":"Abandoned or previously unidentified graveyards may be condemned; removal of bodies","url":"\/57-36\/","token":"57\/3\/4\/57-36","metadata":false},{"id":64086,"structure_id":13326,"section_number":"57-37","catch_line":"Costs of suits, removal and reinterment; how surplus above costs disposed of","url":"\/57-37\/","token":"57\/3\/4\/57-37","metadata":false},{"id":82883,"structure_id":13326,"section_number":"57-38","catch_line":"Exemption from \u00a7\u00a7 57-36 and 57-37","url":"\/57-38\/","token":"57\/3\/4\/57-38","metadata":false},{"id":67509,"structure_id":13326,"section_number":"57-38.1","catch_line":"Proceedings by landowner for removal of remains from previously unidentified or abandoned family graveyard","url":"\/57-38.1\/","token":"57\/3\/4\/57-38.1","metadata":false},{"id":58701,"structure_id":13326,"section_number":"57-38.2","catch_line":"Proceedings by heir at law or descendant for removal of ancestor's remains from previously unidentified or abandoned family graveyard","url":"\/57-38.2\/","token":"57\/3\/4\/57-38.2","metadata":false},{"id":54311,"structure_id":13326,"section_number":"57-39","catch_line":"Proceedings for removal of remains and sale of land vacated","url":"\/57-39\/","token":"57\/3\/4\/57-39","metadata":false},{"id":78941,"structure_id":13326,"section_number":"57-39.1","catch_line":"Improvement of abandoned and neglected graveyards","url":"\/57-39.1\/","token":"57\/3\/4\/57-39.1","metadata":false},{"id":79977,"structure_id":13326,"section_number":"57-39.1:1","catch_line":"Recovery of abandoned interment rights; procedure; rights of owner of record","url":"\/57-39.1_1\/","token":"57\/3\/4\/57-39.1_1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":77722,"structure_id":13326,"section_number":"57-35.35:1","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/57-35.35_1\/","token":"57\/3\/4\/57-35.35_1","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":70710,"structure_id":13326,"section_number":"57-35.37","catch_line":"Sale of cemeteries owned by a locality; required notice to descendants of original owner","url":"\/57-35.37\/","token":"57\/3\/4\/57-35.37","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/57-35.36\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1991. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 614 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1991 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":81993,"section_number":"54.1-2312","catch_line":"Exemptions","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2312\/"}],"permalink":{"id":251727,"object_type":"law","relational_id":85948,"identifier":"57-35.36","token":"57\/3\/4\/57-35.36","url":"\/57-35.36\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/57-35.36\/","token":"57\/3\/4\/57-35.36","dublin_core":{"Title":"Cemeteries owned by localities; good faith effort required prior to interment","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 57-35.36","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Notwithstanding the exemptions provided for in \u00a7 54.1-2312<\/a>, a cemetery operated by a county or city shall keep accurate records of the ownership of cemetery lots and shall make a good faith effort to ensure, prior to interment, that the ownership of a cemetery lot is vested in the decedent’s estate or that permission for the interment has been granted by the person holding such ownership. This section shall not apply to lots or cemeteries which are dedicated for the burial of indigents<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCEMETERIES OWNED BY LOCALITIES; GOOD FAITH EFFORT REQUIRED PRIOR TO INTERMENT\n(\u00a7 57-35.36)\n\nNotwithstanding the exemptions provided for in \u00a7 54.1-2312, a cemetery operated\nby a county or city shall keep accurate records of the ownership of cemetery\nlots and shall make a good faith effort to ensure, prior to interment, that the\nownership of a cemetery lot is vested in the decedent’s estate or that\npermission for the interment has been granted by the person holding such\nownership. This section shall not apply to lots or cemeteries which are\ndedicated for the burial of indigents.\n\nHISTORY: 1991, c. 614.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}