Maryland Office of Cemetery Oversight

The Office of Cemetery Oversight’s offices are open and serving our customers through our online licensing resources, via e-mail and telephone, and by limited in-person appointments. Please note, walk-in assistance is not available. We can be reached using our contacts page for e-mail addresses and telephone numbers of individual staff members; or

(Formerly Virtual Appointments)

Use Labor’s Central Scheduling System to meet with a representative from one of our boards or commissions. Please select the type of appointment you need from our list of available in-person services using the drop-down menu on the scheduler. You will receive an e-mail confirming the date and time of your appointment.

Appointments are available Monday through Friday, from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at our offices located at 1100 N Eutaw Street, 5th Floor Baltimore, MD 21201. Please arrive at least 10 minutes early before your scheduled appointment time.

Mission
The Office of Cemetery Oversight was established in Title 5 of the Business Regulation Article of the Maryland Annotated Code by the Maryland Legislature in August 1997. It was placed under the regulatory authority of the Department of Labor. The office provides high standards of performance in the death care industry; enhances healthy economic competition; promote consumer confidence in burial goods, products, and services; and provides structure and oversight to pre-planning arrangements. The Office provides a responsive complaint/resolution process for consumers and operates a fair and effective regulatory enforcement system for cemeteries, monument dealers and sellers of burial goods, and crematories that are subject to its regulatory authority.

Purpose
The primary objective for the office is to register and monitor Maryland sole proprietorships, individuals, partnerships, corporations and limited liability companies operating cemeteries, as well as businesses providing burial goods and services to consumers, including monuments and memorials. The Office also regulates and provides registration for crematories under its jurisdiction in the state.

Responsibilities of the Office include the investigation and mediation of consumer complaints involving registrants and permit holders. To protect Maryland citizens from unfair and unscrupulous practices, the office determines and enforces the ethical standards related to the operation of cemeteries and those related to the provision of burial goods and services within the state.

News and Updates

New Law in Effect: Perpetual Care Trust Funds
Effective October 1, 2021, Maryland has a new law concerning the method of distribution from a cemetery’s perpetual care trust fund. House Bill 5 (HB5) and Senate Bill 192 (SB192) titled “Cemeteries-Perpetual Care-Distribution From Perpetual Care Trust Fund,” were passed into law during the 2021 legislative session.

To read more about the new law, please see one of the following links on the Maryland General Assembly’s website:

2021 Maryland Laws Ch. 241 (HB5) or 2021 Maryland Laws Ch. 242 (SB192)

Instructions on how to submit your perpetual care trust fund report can be found on our website.

FEMA COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Available

Proposed Regulations Currently Open for Public Comment
There are no proposed regulations by the Office of Cemetery Oversight at this time.

To register your comments with the office, please contact us at:

Contact the Office
Maryland Office of Cemetery Oversight
1100 N. Eutaw Street, Room 121
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: 410-230-6229
E-mail: DLOPLCemeteryOversight-LABOR@maryland.gov