General Cemetery Information
Hours of Operation
Interment services are conducted daily Monday through Friday every forty-five minutes between the hours of 10:00 AM and 2:30 PM. Cemetery gates are open to visitors daily at 8:00 AM. with the gates closing at 4:45 PM. to allow visitors to exit the cemetery.
Costs
An eligible veteran is a burial plot, a grave liner, headstone and interment services at no expense. Other expenses incurred in the preparation or transportation of the remains, including funeral costs, is borne by the veteran’s next-of-kin, legal representative or estate.
A veteran’s dependent will be buried in the plot assigned to the veteran after payment of the following fees:
- An opening charge of $600 for all eligible dependents of the veteran;
- This cost is inclusive for casketed interments for dependent spouse(s) or children: and
- The actual cost to the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs for a grave liner, if the family elects to use a state-provided liner.
- An opening and closing charge of $400 for all eligible dependents of the veteran; this cost is inclusive for cremated remains for dependent spouse(s) or children.
- For disinterments or re-interments of casketed remains, an opening/closing cost of $600 will be charged for veterans, dependent spouse(s) or children.
- For disinterments or re-interments of cremated remains, an opening/closing cost of $400 will be charged for veterans, dependent spouse(s) or children.
Check Policy
The MDVA cemeteries will accept only the following forms of payment for opening/closing and liners:
- funeral home business check
- cashiers check
- money order
We are not allowed to accept cash or personal checks. All checks will be made payable to Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs prior to interment.
Interment Receptacles
An interment receptacle is either a burial vault or liner constructed of concrete and is intended to protect the casket from water and other elements.
Maryland law requires the use of an interment receptacle for the interment of all casketed remains in a Maryland State Veterans Cemetery. A burial liner will be provided by the State for the casketed remains of each eligible veteran interred. The liner is provided at no cost to the veteran's next-of-kin. A veteran's eligible dependent may either purchase a liner from the Veterans Cemetery at the actual cost incurred by the Department or may purchase an alternate interment receptacle through the funeral home.
If a grave liner that exceeds the standard dimension is required for the burial of an eligible family member, it is the responsibility of the deceased's next-of-kin or their agent to purchase, deliver and install the grave liner.
If a burial vault is desired, arrangements for its delivery and installation must be made independently by the veteran or his survivors or his legal representative. The cost of the vault and its installation is the responsibility of the veteran or his survivors or his legal representative.
Caskets
The remains of a veteran or a member of his immediate family shall arrive at the cemetery and be interred in a casket that is acceptable for viewing in a funeral establishment. The interment of shipping containers, wooden boxes, and other similar containers is not permitted.
Once the casket has entered the State Veterans Cemetery, it may not be opened or stored in a cemetery building pending final determination of eligibility. All viewings of the veterans's or family member's remains are to be conducted at a funeral home or other establishment outside the State Veterans Cemetery.
Assignment of Grave sites
One grave site will be assigned for the burial of an eligible veteran and the eligible members of his immediate family. If a family member is to be buried, interment will be either above or below the veteran.
Assignment of a grave site will be made on the basis of availability at the cemetery closest to the veteran's home at the time the request for interment is received and after the eligibility of the veteran or member of his family is established.
A particular grave site may not be reserved in advance. All grave sites are assigned on the scheduled date of burial. However, at the time of a veterans's death, if it is established that the surviving spouse is an eligible veteran entitled to a separate grave site, the Department may approve a request to adjoin the grave sites of husband and wife.
Procedure for Arranging Interment
The funeral director or other person making interment arrangements for an eligible person should communicate immediately with the Superintendent of the nearest State Veterans Cemetery. He should furnish all pertinent data, including military service information, the claim number of any Department of Veterans Affairs claim, Social Security number and other information establishing legal residence within the State.
In the event of the veteran's or family member's death, the survivors should furnish to the funeral director a copy of the veteran's military discharge documents and proof of his Maryland residency. The funeral director will contact the cemetery to receive a burial eligibility determination and to schedule a date and time for the burial services.
In each Maryland State Veterans Cemetery, a Chapel is provided for committal services for reasons of public safety. All services in State Veterans Cemeteries are brief committal services, no longer than 20 minutes. If desired, the family may accompany the remains of their loved one to the assigned burial site and view the interment from the roadside where their safety can be assured.
Military Honors
Eligible veterans may be interred with appropriate military honors. Military honors are provided by the applicable branch of the U.S. Armed Forces and are subject to availability. The Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs, including its employees, or representatives cannot assume responsibility for providing those honors. If military honors are desired, the survivors of the veteran should address their request for honors to the funeral director.
National Guard Data
Effective October 1998, the Maryland National Guard may provide military honors if honors are not available from the branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. Maryland funeral directors have been provided with contact information for National Guard honors.
Grave Markers
The standard grave marker in a State Veterans Cemetery is the flat type made of granite. Placement of any type other than the standard flat granite marker type is prohibited.
A permanent type of grave marker with an appropriate inscription will be furnished for each veteran or eligible dependent by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Each grave site in a State Veterans Cemetery is marked with a single granite marker which contains, when appropriate, the inscription of information about the veteran and other eligible family members interred.
The Superintendent of the Veterans Cemetery will file an application for a marker on the day of the eligible veteran's or family member's interment. The grave marker shall be installed and maintained by the cemetery at no expense to the veteran or the veteran's estate. Headstones are generally received from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs within 6 months after the date of burial. Please be aware that the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs has no jurisdiction over the timeliness of headstone delivery.
The Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs is not responsible for damage to, or destruction of, a grave marker by individuals other than employees assigned to that cemetery by the Department. In accordance with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs policy, government-provided headstones and markers remain the property of the United States and no one is authorized to alter them in any manner. Flower vases and other objects are not permitted to be affixed to Government markers.
Placement of Floral Tributes
The placement of floral items and flags on graves, other than on the day of interment, is subject to the following conditions:
- Fresh cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time in metal containers. Glass containers are not permitted.
- Flowers and temporary containers will be removed from graves as soon as bouquets become unsightly. During the growing season, when grass requires cutting, both fresh flowers and those that have become unsightly will be removed from graves prior to grounds maintenance.
- Artificial flowers and wreaths may be placed on graves from November 1 through March 31 only.
- Christmas wreaths are permitted during the Christmas season only, from December 1 through January 31. Any flowers remaining on graves as of February 1 will be removed and discarded. It is recommended that family members and friends retrieve valuable floral arrangements before that date to avoid disappointment.
- With the exception of Christmas, potted plants and holiday wreaths may be placed on graves 10 days before and 10 days after Easter Sunday and Memorial Day (the date of State observance). Potted plants and wreaths are not permitted on graves at any other time.
- Permanent plantings, statues, vigil lights, glass objects, commemorative and religious items are not permitted on graves. All unauthorized items will be removed and discarded by cemetery personnel.
- Floral items and seasonal or other decorations may not be secured or placed on trees, shrubs or other appurtenances within the cemetery.
Over 40,000 interments have been conducted in Maryland State Veterans Cemeteries. The Department cannot adequately police all grave sites to deter theft and cannot be responsible for stolen or missing floral items. It is recommended that family members or friends avoid placing on grave sites expensive, elaborate floral tributes that may invite theft.
Small United States flags will be placed on graves by Department personnel at least one day preceding Memorial Day (the date of State observance) and will be removed the day following the holiday, weather permitting. Flags are not permitted on graves at any other time.
Permanent In-Ground Flower Containers
Effective September 1, 1997, the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs will no longer accept permanent in-ground flower containers in its five veterans cemeteries.