Owner responsibility ​

These rules may not be current, may not apply in your specific city, and may have additional local requirements. It is the pet owner’s responsibility to:

 

1. confirm whether your city/HOA/landlord allows home burial, and

2. verify the most up-to-date local regulations for your exact address (city + county) before choosing home burial.

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Practical things to consider before choosing home burial

Where burial is allowed, families usually need to consider:

 

• Where you live: city limits matter (some cities prohibit burial entirely). 

• Depth + covering soil: LA County’s minimum depth/cover requirement (if applicable where you live). 

• Utilities: call 811 before digging (gas/electric/water lines).

• Soil + drainage: avoid low spots, runoff paths, or places that flood.

• Distance from water features / wells / storm drains: choose a site that reduces the risk of contamination (see water safety note below). 

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If you choose home burial

First: check your city. Los Angeles County includes many incorporated cities, and some do not allow home burial at all.

 

• City of Los Angeles: Home burial is not allowed (burial only in an established cemetery). 

• City of Santa Monica: Home burial is not allowed (“No person shall bury any dead animal within the limits of the City.”). 

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If you are not inside a city with a ban, then Los Angeles County’s Health & Safety Code includes this general burial rule:

 

Los Angeles County Code (Title 11) — burial depth + nuisance rule

Los Angeles County states it is unlawful to bury a dead animal unless the body is:

• placed three (3) feet below the ground surface and

• immediately covered with at least three (3) feet of soil, and

• buried in a way/location that does not create a public health menace or a nuisance. ​

 

Safety note: wildlife + other pets (very important after euthanasia)

If euthanasia medication was used, do not leave your pet’s body where wildlife or other animals could access it. Secondary poisoning can occur. California wildlife guidance emphasizes secure disposal; if burial is chosen, bury deeply enough to discourage scavenging (their general guidance is ~4 feet and may include lime as a deterrent). 

 

Safety note: protecting groundwater and water quality

To reduce the risk of contaminating water:

• avoid burying near wells or where groundwater is shallow,

• avoid areas where water collects or flows after rain,

• and do not irrigate over the burial site.

California environmental guidance for carcass burial highlights setbacks from wells and the importance of protecting groundwater and managing moisture.