Rules and Regulations

The absolute control of the cemetery operations in every particular is vested in the Board of Trustees of the Corcoran Cemetery District. The District Manager or other persons authorized by the board are to follow and carry out these regulations in accordance with the Health and Safety Code of California.

Plots in the cemetery are conveyed for the privilege of burial of human remains only. Purchase of a plot or lot at the cemetery is the purchase of the burial rights only. No person or family owns the plot or lot, Corcoran Cemetery District retains ownership. Person or family owns the burial rights only, not the land. Plots and lots are subject of such rules and regulations as are now or hereafter put in force by the Board of Trustees.

All fees must be paid before the grave is opened and at the rate set by the Board of Trustees.

Concrete grave liners must be used with all burials. No burials will be permitted without a permit from the proper authorities. Corcoran Cemetery District reserves the right to install its own liner should the OBC (outside burial container) not arrive in a timely fashion, or the fees paid.

It will not be the responsibility of the Corcoran Cemetery District or cemetery personnel to carry a casket by hand to the grave. It will be the responsibility of the mortuary in charge of the service to provide the personnel (casket bearers) to carry the casket to the grave.

A distance of 100 feet from the grave must be maintained by all persons other than cemetery personnel while lowering and after lowering a casket until the grave is completely closed.

No plot holder shall allow any interment to be made in his or her plot for remuneration.

No person of persons other than those employed by the cemetery shall excavate any earth, place any liner, lay or remove any sod or alter the grade of any plot within the cemetery or plant, remove or trim any tree, herbage. shrub or plant.

No curbing of masonry of any description shall be placed or installed, nor shall any trees, shrubs, flowers, plants of any kind be planted on any of the plots therein granted. Donations for trees are acceptable, but trees will be selected and planted under the direction of the Board of Trustees

Non-residency:

Non-residency fees must be paid before burial can take place. "Non-resident" means a person who does not reside within a district or does not pay property taxes on property located in a district.

(c) A person is an eligible non-resident if the following apply:

(1) The person was a resident of the district or paid property taxes on property located in the district for continuous period of at least five years, a portion of which time period shall have occurred within the 10 years immediately before the person's death.

(2) The person died while either:

(A) Serving in the Armed Forces or the active militia, or 

(B) In the line of duty as a peace officer or firefighter.

There shall be a state mandated surcharge of 15% for non-residents.

The placement of flowers on the graves of our loved ones is a time-honored tradition. It is an expression of love and remembrance to those who have passed from this life and is a beautiful and effective memorialization. In recent years, artificial flowers, including treated blossoms, plastic and silk flowers, have been used more and more, and as these become dirty and unsightly, they sometimes create an impression of neglect rather than respect, love and remembrance. When left in the vase for long periods of time, they also create problems for care and maintenance of the cemetery grounds, and possible safety issues for the public and cemetery employees. For these reasons, the following regulations were passed by the Corcoran Cemetery Board of Trustees;

• Corcoran Cemetery District personnel will periodically remove items placed at gravesites located at the Corcoran Cemetery. The removal will take place to accommodate safety, and care and maintenance, of the cemetery grounds.
• Flowers (fresh-cut or artificial) may be placed in the permanent vases installed with the marker. Flowers in such containers shall be removed as, in the opinion of Cemetery district personnel, they become unsightly. Unauthorized containers will be removed and discarded. Dead flowers and other rubbish must be placed in containers provided for that purpose.
• No person shall gather flowers, nor disturb growing plants or trespass on any site of which he or she does not hold the Interment Right.
• Flowers or items put in or on the ground will be removed and discarded.
• No person or persons shall place or pour sand, gravel, rocks, cement, casting plaster, wax or any metal of any type in vases, cans or flower containers, due to issues of safety to public and cemetery District personnel, in addition to potential hazards to expensive mowing equipment.
• The Cemetery District shall not be liable for floral pieces, baskets or frames used at funeral services held at the cemetery.
• The Cemetery District shall not be liable for any lost, broken or misplaced flower vases.
• No person shall burn any combustible material within the cemetery grounds. This includes candles.

American Flags:

We welcome the placement of the American Flag at gravesites within the Corcoran Cemetery District. In order to maintain safety for the public and for employees of the Cemetery District, the Board of Trustees has set the following regulations for placement of flags at gravesites:

• Flags must be of a size that does not interfere with ongoing maintenance at the cemetery. To that end, flags are to be no larger than 6 (six) X 12 (twelve) inches in length. Oversize flags shall be removed.
• Flags are to be placed in permanent vases installed with the marker. Poles of flags are not to be placed in the ground at the gravesites.
• Placement of flags honoring Corcoran veterans buried at Corcoran Cemetery District during special commemorative holidays will be determined by Corcoran Cemetery District personnel and appropriate representatives of Corcoran veterans' groups.

For the health and safety of the pubic and cemetery employees, no glass, ceramic, plaster, brick, concrete, stone, metal or the like may be placed in the cemetery. Such items shall be discarded.

Unused plots:

Plots, Lots, and Niches are for use of family members as defined in the California Health and Safety Code for Public Cemeteries. Unused plots pass to heirs in accordance with inheritance law. Unused plots may be resold only to the cemetery. Resale rate is one third the current value or the original cost, whichever is less.

Grave Markers:

All grave markers purchased for placement shall be of granite or standard bronze. 

Lot: 20-inch x 10 inch

Single plot: 24-inch x 12 inch or 30-inch x 12 inch 

Double plot: 36-inch x 12 inch

Flat and 6-inch pillow markers are allowed on single and double plots.

Marker size must match application. A 24-inch x 12-inch marker shall not be used between double plots. A 20-inch x 10-inch marker shall not be used on a single plot.

All markers will be set in concrete of and installed in the ground by cemetery personnel.

A minimum of one vase is required on all marker foundations. Markers remaining at the cemetery in excess of ninety days without arrangements and payment for installation are subject to a storage fee of five dollars per week, not to exceed one hundred dollars. After three years, if no arrangement with the cemetery has been made to install the marker, it will be declared abandoned and may be discarded at the discretion of the cemetery district.

Memorial Benches:

• Memorial benches shall be placed at the discretion of the District Manager.
• All bench designs must receive approval of the District Manager and or the cemetery board of trustees before they are placed on the grounds of the Corcoran Cemetery District.
• All bench designs must be submitted within 60 days of purchase, or the purchaser will be liable for cost overrun.

Immediate burial:  No funeral is held; no persons are allowed in the area of the burial except mortuary and cemetery personnel. The burial will take place immediately upon delivery of the casket. No ceremony, ritual, service, or observance is allowed during an immediate burial, nor will the public be allowed in the vicinity of the burial. Cremains need to be delivered to the office.

1. The cemetery grounds are open for visitation during daylight hours only.
2. No pets allowed.
3. Alcoholic beverages are strictly prohibited.