Interment Services Regulations

The Coachella Valley Public Cemetery District (“District”) has adopted an Interment Service Policy to provide for an orderly, respectful, and dignified transfer of remains to the interment site. All families, funeral homes, vendors, or volunteers associated with the interment process shall adhere to this policy.

Staff and Security

Staff and security are provided to help ensure services are conducted in a professional manner. Guests are to follow the directions of staff and security while on District property. Guests who refuse to follow the direction provided to them, or who violate District policy while on the grounds, will be required to leave.

Private-Party Services

If a family has arranged for the private transfer of remains to cemetery grounds (service arrangements made without the use of a funeral service provider), they will need to check in with staff upon arrival. If the family arrives with a procession, the procession may proceed to the interment area while a representative of the family checks in at the office.

Please note, transfer of remains in a private vehicle are only permitted with human ashes contained in an appropriate urn. The family should verify with staff in advance that the urn will fit within the interment or inurnment area.

Funeral Home Services

All funeral homes conducting services on District property must be approved vendors, including having a “Liability Waiver and Release Agreement” on file with the District. Funeral homes may coordinate the arrangement of services, including scheduled arrival and start time, on behalf of the family.

Guest Arrival

It is recommended all guests arrive with the funeral procession to ensure the parking of vehicles is done uniformly and guests are parked as close to the service area as possible.

If guests do arrive early (before the funeral coach arrives), guests to the cemetery should observe the following:

If guests arrive early, it is recommended they not arrive more than 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start of the service they are attending. Early arrivals often interfere with the District’s ability to conduct other scheduled services.
If arriving early, guests may park anywhere within the cemetery that has available curbside parking, with the following exceptions.
- No parking in emergency areas, indicated by red curbs or traffic signs.
- No double parking or obstruction of through traffic.
- No parking in spaces designated for front office visitors.
- Do not enter areas blocked by traffic cones.
- Do not park on the perimeter of the cemetery (outside the walls, along the street) unless no other parking is available inside the cemetery.
- Do not park in front of the cemetery, along Avenue 52, as this area is reserved for vendors and oversized vehicles (semi-trucks, boom trucks, and other vehicles that cannot comfortably navigate or park on the cemetery roads without blocking them).
- Do not park in a manner that would obstruct other services already in progress.
Guests arriving early may exit their vehicles and wait in the area designated for their interment within 15 minutes of the start time. Please do not make your way to the service area prior to that as it may interfere with the staff’s ability to complete setup. The service location will be designated with a sign stating the name of the service (deceased).

Funeral Coach & Procession Arrival

The funeral coach must arrive within 15 minutes (before or after) the scheduled service start time. The funeral coach shall not proceed to the interment site without being accompanied by a member of staff. If a member of staff is not present at the front to greet you within the specified arrival time, please call staff immediately.

If the funeral coach is arriving outside of the required 15-minute window, they must call staff prior to arrival at the cemetery. If the funeral coach arrives more than 15 minutes prior to the service’s scheduled start time, the coach and procession may be subject to a temporary “hold” in a separate staging area if the interment location has another active service in progress.

Ingress

When arriving with the funeral coach, once on District grounds please follow behind the coach at a safe distance that keeps traffic flowing smoothly. Do not stop unless it is an emergency. Do not attempt to drive in front of or “jump ahead” of the funeral coach. If you follow behind the funeral coach, staff and/or security will be available to guide you to the appropriate parking spot. If you stop before being instructed to do so those behind you may do the same, resulting in vehicles parked further from the interment site than was necessary. Once you are parked, you may exit your vehicle and make your way to the interment site. Please be cautious of traffic when crossing roads.

Please note the following additional rules regarding ingress:

If the procession follows a horse and carriage into the cemetery, the same rules apply as that of a funeral coach.
At no time are individuals or groups of individuals allowed to walk behind the funeral coach once it enters District property. If circumstances require you to enter the cemetery on foot, please walk only in the grassy areas unless required to cross a road.
The speed limit within the cemetery is 10 miles an hour, adhere to the posted speed limit at all times.
No casket may arrive on District property unless transported by a licensed funeral home that has a vendor “Liability Waiver and Release Agreement” on file with the District. All caskets must arrive in a standard size funeral coach, or horse and carriage. No other form of funeral coach transportation is allowed without prior written consent from District management, to include tractors, trailers, semitrucks, modified or oversized vehicles, aerial devices/vehicles, wagon pulled by a farm animal, etc.

License and Permits

When arriving at the cemetery with human remains, the required County Health Department permits must be provided to staff immediately to proceed with the interment. If the funeral home, family, or private party transporting the remains are unable to produce the required permits, the remains may not be unloaded from the transporting vehicle. Staff may, at their discretion, allow the transport vehicle to wait in a designated area while the permits are retrieved, so long as the delay does not interfere with the District’s ability to conduct other scheduled services. If a permit cannot be produced in a timely manner, the service may be postponed or rescheduled at the sole determination of District management and a rescheduling fee may apply.

Attending the Service

Attendees of the service may proceed to the designated interment area as soon as the procession comes to a stop and their vehicle is safely parked. Attendees should be mindful of other traffic that may be present, as not all vehicles on cemetery grounds may be attending your service. In almost all cases, the path to the interment site will be across grass and uneven surfaces. Guests should consider these conditions when choosing the appropriate footwear. The cemetery does not have a dress code (public nudity not allowed), but guests may want to strongly consider weather conditions when choosing their attire as the cemetery is subject to excessive heat warnings throughout summer months.

Upon arrival to the interment site, you will find the following items provided for the family’s comfort:

A 14’ X 20’ portable chapel, or awning, to provide shade for guests.
Ten (10) folding chairs.
Bottled water.
During summer months, an industrial fan and hand fans may be provided for midday services.

Please note, the portable chapel will provide shade comfortably for 20-25 people. Larger parties may require additional shade. In most areas of the cemetery trees are available to provide additional shade, but it is not guaranteed. If additional shade is a concern, guests are welcome to bring umbrellas (no canopies allowed). Guests may also bring their own portable folding chairs to the service, but please do not use uncovered metal chair legs as they can scratch adjacent headstones.

The interment stand may be roped off from public access when arriving at the interment site. At no point should any member of the public, including the family, officiant, or the funeral home representative(s) enter the restricted area without permission from staff to do so. If entering the area with permission from staff, a member of staff must accompany you.

Transfer from Funeral Coach to Interment Site

All services must have sufficient able-bodied people (“pallbearers”) capable of carrying the casket or urn from the funeral coach to the location of the service area. A “casket dolly” is available to aid the pallbearers if needed, please request in advance of the service. Pallbearers will receive instruction from staff on how to properly transfer the casket or urn to the service area, as well as the proper placement onto the interment stand. Please follow their instructions carefully, failure to do so may result in damage to the stand or the casket/urn.

Additional notes regarding the proper transfer of remains from the funeral coach to the interment site:

Casket weight is determined by many factors, including the casket type and weight of the decedent. Depending on the lot selection of the family, the casket may have to be walked up to distances of 100 feet or more across asphalt, curbs, and uneven ground. This should be considered by the family when determining who is capable of performing this task, as well as the number of pallbearers required. Typically, six (6) able bodied individuals are capable, but in some instances additional support may be required.
Pallbearers should wear proper footwear. Open toed shoes, sandals, flipflops, and other footwear that does not offer stability are strongly discouraged.
District staff cannot assist with pallbearer duties unless informed in advance of the service. If you require staff assistance, or the possibility exists that you may require assistance, please let staff know in advance of the start of your service. Please note, a fee will be required for staff assistance.
At no time while on District property may a casket or urn be opened unless it is approved by the General Manager, which generally is only done when a casket or urn has sustained significant damage, and a licensed funeral home provider is present to handle the remains.

Lowering of the Casket

When ready, the family, officiant, or funeral home representative may request staff to lower the casket. The District utilizes a lowering kit to accomplish this. Once the staff has completed the lowering of the casket, if the family wishes those gathered may proceed in an orderly fashion to pay their last respects. This process will often involve the “tossing of flowers” into the grave site*. Staff, with the possible assistance of the funeral home representative, will provide instructions to the family on how the procession line should form. For guests’ safety, all should adhere to the following guidelines:

Follow the direction of staff.
Do not rush or crowd around the interment site.
Do not push, shove, or otherwise disturb those around you.
Do not lean against the rope or attempt to lean over the rope.
Always watch children and do not allow them to enter the roped off area.

Failure to follow these instructions may result in severe injury or death to yourself or others.

*Note, some customs involve the tossing of dirt. Please inform cemetery staff in advance if this is your preferred custom.

Conclusion of Service

To conclude the service, it is important all attendees exit the area in an orderly manner. Guests should be mindful of the following:

All services are allowed one hour from their scheduled start time. If the service arrived or started later than their scheduled time, additional time is not “added on.”
Approximately 5 minutes prior to the scheduled conclusion of the service, a member of staff will inform the funeral home representative or a member of the family that the service time is about to conclude. It is not the intention of staff to be rude or insensitive in performing this service, but rather to allow the family the adequate time to conclude as needed.
When the one hour has concluded, it is essential that the congregated group leave the interment area as requested. Staff will post signs around the area designating their required “work zone.” This is the area required to bring in the equipment necessary to complete the interment process, including heavy equipment to backfill the grave site. Staff cannot bring in this equipment until the area is clear. Any delay in allowing the equipment to enter the work zone may negatively impact staff’s ability to perform other scheduled services. If those gathered are not following the direction of staff in clearing the area, security will be called to assist with this process.
The family and those gathered are not required to leave the cemetery at the conclusion of the one hour, only the work zone. If the family or others wish to observe the completion of the interment process, they may do so at a safe distance outside the work zone. Once staff has completed the work, they will remove the work zone signs and those observing may return to the interment site.
At no point, and for no reason, may a member of the public enter a designated work zone. Doing so will cause all work to stop until the area has cleared.

Retention of Flowers and Memorial Items

Flowers and other items left at the interment site shall be retained as specified in the District’s “General Rules and Regulations,” which may be found on our website at CVPCD.org. Please note, while District staff may leave memorial items at the interment site and refrain from removing them for a specified period of time, those items are still subject to the District’s liability waiver. We cannot guarantee the retention or safety of any items left in the cemetery, which is a public space, regardless of value.

“The District is not responsible for lost, stolen, damaged or displaced decorations, memorials or personal items placed on or around the interment area. This limitation includes damage that may be done to items by District vehicles, weed eaters, and other equipment essential to cemetery maintenance and the performing of interments. Leaving items at an interment site is done solely at your own risk.”

Customs and Traditions

The District serves a broad and diverse community, and its goal is to honor and respect the various traditions, customs, and religious aspects of each service that takes place on District grounds. To ensure the cemetery can accommodate each family’s requests, we ask that a representative of the family, or the funeral home designated to perform services, inform staff of specific plans for the service by completing the District’s “Call Sheet” and submitting it to staff in advance of the service.

The following are common provisions the District will allow on grounds:

Officiants of the Service (Priests, Ministers, Pastors, etc.) that are arranged for by the family or funeral home.
Live music performed by a band. The band members must not exceed twelve (12) members and must play instruments that do not utilize generators or other sound “boosters”.
Music played by an electronic device. The device must have its own power source (no generators) and be played at a reasonable sound level, as determined by staff. A vehicle may not be used for this purpose.
Doves may be released by an approved vendor (must have a “Liability Waiver and Release Agreement” on file).
Rifle Volley and other military salutes performed for members of the armed forces.
Balloons may be released if they can be done without interfering with the District’s natural resources, including our natural tree habitat. This determination will be made at the sole discretion of staff.
A horse and carriage may be utilized (vendor must have a “Liability Waiver and Release Agreement” on file). The transfer of the casket from the funeral coach to the horse carriage must take place prior to arrival on District property.

If a family or funeral home wishes to utilize a custom, practice, or tradition that is not described above, it must be approved in writing by the District’s General Manager prior to the start of the service. Common requests that are not allowed under any circumstances include:

Discharge of live firearms (live ammunition).
Display of weapons not associated with military honors.
Fighting hens or roosters.
Ranch or farm animals on grounds.
Pets on grounds (service dogs only).
The presence of alcohol or drugs.
Private vehicles on the grass.

Large Gatherings

The District has provisions in place for services that anticipate large gatherings. The District defines a “Large Gathering” as more than one hundred (100) attendees. If the family anticipates a large gathering, the District strongly encourages you to take advantage of the “Large Gathering” service. Contact a member of District staff prior to the service to discuss this option if applicable. Please note, if a service has more than one hundred attendees and District staff is not informed in advance and/or the Large Gathering service is declined, it can negatively impact staff’s ability to effectively manage the service.

Additional Considerations

The “Interment Service Policy & Procedure” is meant as a guideline for services performed at the District. While we have attempted to address the general policies and procedures associated with services, it is not possible for this policy to specifically address all possible scenarios and requests that may be associated with an interment service. If you have questions, comments, concerns, or requests that were not covered in this section or addressed in other policies governing District operations, please contact staff in advance of your service so that we may work with you on your item.