Do you need prior permission from the city hall to swallow the headstone or engraving the names of the deceased in a communal cemetery? That is the meaning of the question asked by a senator.
In its reply, the Ministry of Territorial Cohesion and Relations with Local and Regional Authorities pointed out first of all that, unless there was a risk to the hygiene, decency or safety of the cemetery, the renovation of funeral monuments was not regulated by law.
However, cemetery bylaws often require prior notification to the mayor to complete the work.
With regard more specifically to inscriptions made on a funeral monument, Article R 2223-8 of the General Code of Territorial Authorities (CGCT) states that:
No inscription may be placed on tumular stones or funerary monuments without having been submitted to the mayor for approval.
Finally, having police authority over funerals and burial sites, the mayor has an obligation to monitor the cemetery. It may therefore be necessary to prohibit an inscription manifestly prejudicial to public order in the cemetery or to the dignity of the deceased.
