Apply for an exhumation licence

Exhumation means to remove a body from a grave (also called a lair in Scotland). You might do this because you want to move a person’s remains to another place.

How to apply

You’ll need to use a solicitor to apply for an exhumation.

Your solicitor needs to:

• get information from the burial ground administrator 
• ask for permission from the sheriff court

If the sheriff court gives permission, you can arrange the exhumation with the burial ground administrator.

You can choose to have a ceremony led by a funeral director, religious minister, faith leader or celebrant.

There may be more than one body in a grave. If other people have been buried more recently than the person you want to exhume, your solicitor will need to get permission to exhume their remains too.

Cost of an exhumation

The cost of each exhumation will vary in each case.

Your solicitor should be able to give you an estimate of the cost.