Goleta Cemetery District | District Rules & Regulations

Goleta Cemetery

District Office hours are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm; Monday through Friday.
Cemetery grounds are open Monday – Friday, 7 am – 5 pm during Pacific Standard Time, and open Monday – Friday, 7 am – 5:30 pm during Daylight Saving Time. On weekends & holidays the grounds open at 8:00 am.
All visitors are expected to conduct themselves and their activities in a manner appropriate for a cemetery, as determined by the cemetery authority.
No alcoholic beverages are permitted on cemetery grounds.
Smoking (of any kind) is prohibited on cemetery property.
No commercial or student photography of any kind will be permitted.
The Goleta Cemetery District requests that the recreational flying of drones does not take place over cemetery grounds.
Pets must be on a leash and under control at all times. Pets, other than service animals, are not permitted on the grass; they are only allowed on paved areas. Waste is to be picked up and properly disposed.
All items left on the grounds will be picked up and removed by grounds staff on Wednesday mornings.
Anything of a permanent or semi-permanent nature not owned by the Cemetery District, (some examples being, but NOT limited to, trees, plants, shrubs, benches, memorial structures, planters) is not permitted on or near gravesites or on District owned property. Only one approved memorial marker (as described in these Rules and Regulations) is permitted on a gravesite.

Burial services at the gravesite are to begin no earlier than 9:00 am and conclude with the gravesite available to staff for closing no later than 3:00 pm; Monday through Friday. No services on Saturday or Sunday. No services on holidays designated as such by the Board of Trustees.
Interment Order and Authorization documents must be completed fully and signed by appropriate next of kin / designee at least 24 hours prior to time of service in addition to payment being received in full.
All caskets or urns must be interred in a vault or liner of a durable material approved by the cemetery authority.
No body shall be received for interment unless it is in a proper container acceptable to the cemetery authority.
Caskets, urns, or any receptacle containing human remains or cremated remains are not to be opened on cemetery grounds.
Single (Full) plots, without a casket interment, will hold up to six (6) cremation urn interments.
Single (Full) plots, with a casket interment, will hold up to two (2) cremation urn interments, and they must be interred under the Memorial Marker.
No more than two cremation urns in a cremation plot.

Only markers that can be installed with the surface flat and flush with the lawn will be permitted. A limited number of exceptions to this may be granted in areas of existing upright monuments by management on a case-by-case basis, depending upon (but not limited to) size of marker, number of plots owned, and proximity to other uprights.
Only one marker is permitted per plot.
Markers are to be made of granite, marble, or bronze.
Granite and marble markers must be one solid piece of stone. (Markers that are hollow, or created from multiple pieces, will not be accepted.)
Markers must be at least 3" thick.
Maximum dimensions (width by depth) permitted are:
      Single (Full Plot) Marker: 28" x 16"
      Double (Full Plots) Marker: 40" x 16"
      Cremation (Plot) Marker: 16" x 10"
Markers will only be placed by District staff, or an agent approved by management. No alteration of the placement of the marker, including the border area, will be permitted by other than District staff.

Flowers are to be placed only in the vases provided by the District, or on top of or around the marker. Flowers or other items may not extend down onto the plot, or onto an adjacent plot. No fencing, borders, etc.
No more than two District provided vases are permitted on each plot.
Vases made of a material or design that would be considered by management to be unsafe and present a possible hazard to staff or visitors will be removed.
Food, beverages, balloons, banners, candles, lights, or any other items or objects that management considers unsafe, or might impede the safe and routine operation of cemetery equipment and personnel, will be removed from the gravesite.

Veterans Memorial and Veterans Niches

District Office hours are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm; Monday through Friday.
Cemetery grounds are open Monday – Friday, 7 am – 5 pm during Pacific Standard Time, and open Monday – Friday, 7 am – 5:30 pm during Daylight Saving Time. On weekends & holidays the grounds open at 8:00 am.
All visitors are expected to conduct themselves and their activities in a manner appropriate for a cemetery, as determined by the cemetery authority.
No alcoholic beverages are permitted on cemetery grounds.
Smoking (of any kind) is prohibited on cemetery property.
No commercial or student photography of any kind will be permitted.
The Goleta Cemetery District requests that the recreational flying of drones does not take place over cemetery grounds.
Pets must be on a leash and under control at all times. Pets, other than service animals, are not permitted on the grass; they are only allowed on paved areas. Waste is to be picked up and properly disposed.
All items left on the grounds will be picked up and removed by grounds staff on Wednesday mornings.

Inurnment services at the niche site are to begin no earlier than 9:00 am and conclude with the niche available for closing no later than 3:30 pm; Monday through Friday. No services on Saturday or Sunday. No services on designated holidays.
Inurnment Order and Authorization documents must be completed fully and signed by appropriate next of kin /designee at least 24 hours prior to time of service, in addition to receipt of payment in full.
No more than two sets of cremated remains in a single niche, and two urns can only be inurned in the same niche, at the same time. Niches will not be reopened for a second urn. Niches are approximately 9.5 inches square. Urns are not to be opened on cemetery grounds.

Please Note:
Niches at the Veteran’s Memorial Monument (near the flag pole) are reserved for veterans and their spouse.
Niches in 5 South are for all who qualify for interment in our cemetery.

5 South Niches

Memorial markers (niche plates) are to be identical in size, shape, color and material as the acceptable marker for the particular niche feature displayed in the District office.
No other items other than the memorial marker (niche plate) may be affixed, either temporarily or permanently, to the niche face (shutter). Any items found so affixed will be immediately removed by staff and disposed of.

Flowers are to be placed only on the concrete walkway in front of the niche feature, and not blocking or obstructing other niches. Flowers are not to be placed on top of niche feature. Flowers, or any items placed on top of niche feature will be immediately removed by staff.
Flowers are not to be affixed in any fashion to the niche face (shutter). Flowers so affixed will be immediately removed by staff.
Vases made of a material or design that would be considered by management to be unsafe and present a possible hazard to staff or visitors will be removed.
Food, beverages, balloons, banners, candles, lights, or any other items or objects that management considers unsafe for a cemetery, will be removed from the niches.

To request our printed brochure, please email:

Rick Bower, SDA
District Manager
info@GoletaCemetery.com

or call us at (805) 967-3608