Places of Interment
In BC, it is unlawful to bury human remains anywhere except where the law allows, such as licensed cemeteries, or on land specifically set aside under other laws. To operate a place of interment, a property must first be established as a place of interment. After that, anyone who wants to operate a place of interment needs a licence.
Read the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act.
Read the Cremation, Interment and Funeral Services Act.
Read the Cremation, Interment and Funeral Services Regulation.
Read the Consumer Contract Regulation.
How to designate land as a place of interment
Before you apply for an operator’s licence, we have to approve and designate your site as a place of interment. Here’s how to do that:
Step 1: Apply for a Certificate of Public Interest
Prepare a cover letter and include:
- a copy of a plan deposited to Land Titles Office
- legal description of the site
- evidence of ownership or option to purchase site
- a map showing the location of the site, surrounding areas and access roads
- a site report from a professional engineer or geoscientist that includes
- a site description showing drainage (in respect to adjoining property), soil conditions, underlying rock formations
- an assessment with recommendations regarding suitability of the site to be used as the proposed place of interment
- a project description showing development plans, whether it is to be carried out in stages, the order of development, and required description of each section
- for mausoleums or columbaria, a plan showing sections, rooms, corridors and other divisions, as well as their descriptive names or numbers
- an approval document from your municipal council, regional board, or local trust committee that confirms the proposed use is permitted by its bylaws
- application fee
How to get licensed
You are required to provide the following to be licensed. If you are proposing to operate a family or indigenous cemetery, please click here to download the application form.
Step 1: Provide proof of registration or incorporation
You must provide proof of incorporation or registration during the application process. To register your business in BC, visit OneStop BC Business Registry. If you are starting a new business, visit Small Business BC.
If you are set up as a proprietorship, partnership, or society, you must provide:
- names of all directors, senior officers, partners or proprietors
- current copy of any trade name registration(s) under which you intend to operate
If you are set up as a corporation, you must provide:
- names of all directors, senior officers, and beneficial owners with voting shares
- current copy of any trade name registration(s) under which you intend to operate
- copies of the most recent financial statements or, if a newly incorporated company, a statement of the proposed financial organization of the company
Step 3: Complete a criminal record check
Senior officers, partners, or proprietors of your business must complete a criminal record check.
For Canadian residents, get your criminal record check through our third-party supplier. The results will be sent directly to us.
Get a criminal record check.
For non-Canadian residents, a criminal record check from your home jurisdiction is required.
Step 4: Provide detailed site and building plans
You must provide a map that shows:
- each proposed interment area, relative to other place of interment areas
- dimensions of every lot, fence, walk, road, watercourse, or building in the place of interment
- total interment lot area and land area
- descriptive names and numbers for each proposed interment area
Step 5: Set up a trust account
To operate a place of interment, you may be required to set up a Care Fund trust account with a savings institution in BC. If your business is required to set up a care fund, you must submit a copy of your care fund trust agreement with your savings institution.
Download a sample Care Fund trust agreement
If you offer preneed cemetery or funeral services, you are required to set up a preneed trust account and provide:
- a copy of your preneed trust agreement with your savings institution
- a copy of your preneed cemetery or funeral services contract
Step 6: Provide plans for future care and maintenance
You must provide a detailed plan for the future care and maintenance of the property and include:
- plans to fund the care and maintenance of the place of interment
- plans to keep monies for the care and maintenance separate from all other monies
Step 7: Provide financial feasibility study
You must provide a 5-year financial feasibility study for the place of interment from the projected date of licence receipt and include:
- expected expenses for land, development and maintenance
- source of funds for operating the cemetery
Licence application forms
