Rules & Regulations
The Oakland Cemetery Association respects your memorialization of deceased family members and friends, and strives to limit the rules and regulations to give you more flexibility. However, in an effort to keep the cemetery safe for you and our personnel, and to maintain our high standards of appearance, the following rules and regulations are necessary. We thank you in advance for your understanding.
General Regulations & Decorum
- The cemetery is open for visitation from dawn to dusk.
- The cemetery is a place of remembrance, reverence, and final rest. Visitors shall conduct themselves with due regard to the standards of decorum and decency deserving of such a place. Unseemly or disrespectful behavior, loitering, or other conduct not in keeping with the due decorum of a cemetery is strictly prohibited. Anyone engaging in such conduct is subject to removal from the cemetery.
- No person shall destroy, damage, mutilate, alter, or remove any marker, monument, gravestone, niche cover, structure, tree, shrub, plant, or other property located within the cemetery.
- Automobiles and other vehicles shall be driven only on the roadways and at no greater speed than 15 miles per hour.
- Minor children will not be permitted within the cemetery unless accompanied by an adult.
- Drugs and alcohol are prohibited.
- Animals, other than dogs and service animals, are prohibited. Dogs must be leashed and curbed at all times.
- The cemetery is reserved for the interment of human remains only.
- Signs, advertisements, and notices of any kind are prohibited, unless placed by the Association, and shall be removed.
Flowers & Decorations
- In Oakland Cemetery and at earth interments in Oakland Gardens, natural or artificial cut flowers are permitted year-round, except that no flowers are permitted in vases at graves with bronze markers from November 1st through March 1st of each year, during which time such vases are inverted to prevent ice damage.
- Oakland Cemetery will conduct a fall cleanup beginning November 1st. At this time all summer/spring arrangements will be removed from grave sites. Fall and Christmas themed decor and arrangements will be permitted between November 1st and March 1st. After March 1st any remaining Christmas, holiday themed, or fall decor will be removed.
- In Oakland and Elkin Mausoleums, natural or artificial cut flowers may be placed in vases on tables designated by the Association. No other items, containers, or furniture are permitted. No flowers or other items are permitted outside of the mausoleum.
- Wilted, faded, or unsightly flowers anywhere on the property will be removed.
- The planting of any flower, tree, shrub, grass or any other plant, or imbedding of any pot or vase into the ground or lawn is strictly prohibited.
- The cemetery will not be responsible or liable for any decoration or other item in any way.
- All decorations shall be placed and maintained with due regard to the standards of decorum and decency deserving of a place of remembrance, reverence, and final rest and with due respect for those interred and their visitors. Unseemly, unsightly, or disrespectful items or any decorations not in keeping with these standards are strictly prohibited and will be removed.
- Faded, worn, deteriorated, or unsightly decorations will be removed.
- Any decoration that could present a hazard to visitors or cemetery staff will be removed.
- In no event may decorations extend beyond a single lot.
- No fence, wall, hedge, or structure, other than an approved marker, shall be placed anywhere on cemetery property.
- The following items are also specifically prohibited: solar lights; balloons; yard or lawn ornaments; hanging items such as wind chimes; anchors, wires, and stakes; items made of glass, ceramic, terra cotta, or other easily broken material; and any item that substantially interferes with the maintenance of the cemetery.
- Flags and lodge or service emblems may be placed on graves. Flags will be removed if they become unsightly or weatherworn and replaced, if replacements are available from the county. Flags may also be removed as a part of the cemetery’s normal course of maintenance on or after the first working day after Independence Day. Lodge or service emblems will be removed if they become unsightly or weatherworn or if they present a hazard to visitors or staff.
Mausoleums
The Oakland Mausoleum hours are 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday, and Saturday and Sunday by appointment only. 24-hour access is available by key fob, which may be purchased from the Association for a one-time cost.
- Access to the Elkin Mausoleum is by appointment only.
- All inscriptions shall be procured and installed by the Association.
- Interment in the Elkin Mausoleum ossuary is communal and permanent; remains cannot be removed.
Oakland Cemetery
Lots in Oakland Cemetery are reserved for casketed interments, which are limited to one per lot, except that a second interment of cremated remains may be made after the lot has been used for a casketed interment, provided that the cremated remains are placed in a vault approved by the Association. No cremated interments will be permitted before the lot has been used for a casketed interment.
- All interments must include a vault approved by the Association.
- All markers must be appropriately sized for the size of the lot and, in no event, may extend beyond the lot.
- Markers in Section L and M are limited to flush mounted bronze markers.
Oakland Gardens
- Oakland Gardens is reserved for the inurnment of cremated remains only.
- Earth inurnments are limited to no more than two per lot, except for specially designated family lots, which are limited to four inurnments per lot. Earth inurnment rights sold as a single may be converted to a double at additional cost and only with a receptable of appropriate size for the available space.
- All markers for all earth inurnments must be selected from those offered by the Association.
- Veterans wishing to use government supplied markers are permitted in designated sections only.
- Columbarium inurnments are limited to no more than two per niche. Niches sold as singles may be converted to a double at additional cost and only with a receptable of appropriate size for the available space.
- All columbarium engraving shall be done by the Association. All engraving designs must be approved in advance by the Association to ensure uniformity of size, style, and placement.
- Inurnments in the Oakland Gardens ossuary is communal and permanent; remains cannot be removed. All columbarium engraving shall be done by the Association.
- No coins or other objects may be put into the Oakland Gardens fountain.