NEW HAMPSHIRE FUNERAL RESOURCES, EDUCATION & ADVOCACY
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How to Have a Home Burial in NH

Creating A Family Cemetery on Your Own land

Burial of relatives on home property is an option in New Hampshire. Here are some things to consider before making this choice:
  • Will the property be staying in the family and for how long?
  • Who do other family members feel about it?
  • Might having a burial on your land impact property values?
  • What will the burial cost in terms of rewriting and filing the deed?
  • Will the burial promote environmental goals?
  • What are your prime reasons for choosing home burial?

State Requirements (RSA 289) include:

  • must be recorded with the Municipal Cemetery Trustees
  • must be recorded on the property deed upon transfer (real estate disclosure)
  • must provide a public right of way (a handwritten map with a parking spot, walking trail, and the gravesite marked on it is sufficient)
  • must be located 100' from any dwelling, store, school or business
  • must be located 50' from known water sources and state highways
  • must comply with local zoning ordinances
  • must be a relative — you are creating a family, not a public, cemetery

Other Things to Prepare

  • dig a test pit to ascertain the soil make up and identify drainage issues
  • research covenant deeds separate from local zoning issues
  • research local health ordinances
  • draw a plat (record of the location with latitude and longitude coordinates)
  • plan to bury around the 3.5 foot level, with 18 inches of soil above the chest or casket top
  • consider building a shrouding board with straps for carrying and lowering into the grave

Process for Filing Paperwork to Bury a Body on Home Land

  • A completed and signed death certificate must be acquired from the medical authority in charge
  • With the medical portion complete, the next-of-kin may complete the demographic portion and sign as the director in charge
  • The death certificate is then taken to the Town Clerk in the town where the death occurred within 36 hours the death
  • There is no cost to filing directly with a Town Clerk
  • The data from the death certificate is then entered into the State's Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS)at the Department of Vital Statistics; copies may be obtained at any time thereafter at any Town Clerk's office
  • Once filed, a burial/transport permit will be issued; this paper gives next-of-kin authority to transport the body and must run with the body if it is transported to locations other than where the person died
  • Once the burial has occurred, the permit is signed by next-of-kin acting as a funeral director and filed with the Town Clerk within 6 days of burial
  • A funeral director may also be hired to handle and file the paperwork. A funeral director can also file it with the Town Clerk after burial for a fee.

For a beautifully written home burial story, go here to Northern Woodlands.org

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New Hampshire Funeral Resources, Education & Advocacy    Designed and content provided by Lee Webster     All rights reserved  © FuneralPartnership.org
  • Home
  • How To
    • Have a Home Funeral
    • Perform Body Care
    • Have a Home Burial
    • Green Up a Funeral
    • Pay for a Funeral
    • Find Financial Assistance
    • Find Guides and Doulas
  • Resources
    • Find it Fast
    • FAQs
    • Home Funerals >
      • State Requirements for Home Funerals
      • New England Legal Requirements
    • Green Burial >
      • Green Burial Cemeteries in the US and Canada
      • Legal Burial Requirements by State
      • Natural Burial Bylaw Language
    • Shop Local
    • Media Resources
    • Important Links
    • Funeral Service >
      • 2020 Price Survey
    • For Professionals
    • Vermont Resources
  • Presentations
    • Speakers & Trainers
    • Workshops
    • In-Services
  • Blog
  • Writings
  • Covid-19 and Funerals: What You Need to Know
  • Contact