Can You Legally Bury Someone in Louisiana On Your Own Property?

Losing a loved one is the absolute hardest thing in life and deciding where to lay them to rest is a huge decision by families.

Anytime you lose a loved one you must decide, if plans are not already made, where to bury them. Often plots or crypts are purchased before one's death, but when a death happens unexpectedly, it can leave the family when an important decision.

So, I recently researched a conversation I had with someone about burials in Louisiana because, during my conversation with a family member, we both agreed that there are probably people buried everywhere.

Before regulations and laws were on the books when someone died many generations ago, the family just buried them on the land they owned.

So, I was curious to know if you can legally bury a loved one on your property when they pass, without the property being designated as a cemetery.

According to NOLO, one CANNOT bury a loved one on their private property, unless the property on which the body is to be buried is established and recognized as a "family cemetery".

This prevents someone from purchasing land after a burial, and the party that bought the land is not aware of what lies below or underground. For example, you'd hate for a property owner to dig up a gravesite when working on their new property.

If one wants to create a family cemetery there's a protocol outlined and the family or person hoping to designate the land as a cemetery must contact the Louisiana Cemetery Board. 

Something else which I found interesting when researching the legalities of burying someone in Louisiana on private property is that, "No law requires a casket for burial. However, you should check with the cemetery; it may have rules requiring a certain type of container."

To read more on the legalities of burials and cremations in Louisiana, click HERE.