QR Codes on Headstones: Are They Allowed, and How Long Do They Last?
A QR code on a headstone opens a memorial page on the phone of anyone who visits: photos, their story, sometimes a slideshow. Before you order one, three questions are worth answering, and the companies that sell them rarely answer them plainly. Will the cemetery allow it? How do you put one on a stone that is already standing? And how long will it keep working?
A note on who wrote this: we sell a QR code plaque (Embrance). Nothing on this page depends on which plaque you buy, and we compare ours with the others, prices included, in QR code headstone plaques compared.
Do cemeteries allow QR codes?
The cemetery decides, and some say no. What governs it is each cemetery's own rules, and those rules usually say that anything which changes a monument needs the cemetery's approval first.
Veterans' headstones issued by the government: no. The Department of Veterans Affairs says the headstones, markers and medallions it provides remain the property of the United States "in perpetuity and should not be defaced or altered in any way", and that applies in a private cemetery as well as a national one. The visitor rules we read for national cemeteries say decorations "will not be secured to" headstones or markers, and defacing one in a national cemetery carries a $500 fine. In 2022 a group of members of Congress asked for QR codes to be allowed at veterans' cemeteries; we found no sign that the rules have changed.
Arlington National Cemetery: no. In 2013 its advisory committee discussed QR codes on headstones and, as the Washington Post reported at the time, "decided to stick with its policy of not allowing QR codes at grave sites".
Catholic cemeteries: ask first, and expect rules on how it is fixed. The Diocese of Brooklyn's cemeteries require an application with a sketch before any stonework. The Catholic Cemeteries Association in Cleveland warns, in its rules for crypt and niche fronts, that adhesives can discolor granite or make it brittle; it generally does not allow inserts on flat markers, and requires any insert to be set flush with an outdoor epoxy. Rules differ from one diocese to the next, so ask the cemetery itself.
What to do: call the cemetery office before you order. Ask whether a QR plaque is allowed, where on the stone it may go, and whether it must be fitted by a monument company. If they say yes, ask for it in writing, or at least note who you spoke to and when.
Adding a code to a headstone that is already in place
There are four ways to do it, from the cheapest to the most permanent.
1. An adhesive plaque you fix yourself. Most plaques sold online, ours included, come with an outdoor adhesive on the back. It is the cheapest way and needs no tools, but the adhesive is the part most exposed to the weather.
2. A plaque fitted by a monument company. A monument company can drill and pin a plaque or set it into the stone with outdoor epoxy. This costs more, and it is the method some cemeteries require.
3. A separate marker beside the headstone. A small stone or metal marker at the foot of the grave, with the code on it, leaves the headstone untouched. It needs the cemetery's approval like any other marker.
4. Engraved into the stone. A monument company cuts the code into the granite. It cannot fall off, but it cannot be moved either, and it is priced by quote.
If you fix an adhesive plaque yourself, the makers' instructions between them cover the essentials. Clean the spot with rubbing alcohol and let it dry. Choose a smooth, polished face rather than rough stone. Fix it when it is above 50°F, because the adhesive needs warmth to cure. Press it hard and hold it for up to a minute.
Where on the stone. Put it on an upright face, above the reach of a string trimmer. The National Park Service's guide to grave markers names mowers and string trimmers as one of the most common causes of damage in a cemetery. Leave the inscription clear.
Can it be taken off later? Yes, but it may leave a mark. When more than a thousand unauthorized QR stickers were stuck to graves in Munich in 2025, the stones were partly damaged and discolored when the stickers were removed. None of the plaque makers we checked publishes instructions for removing one.
How long does a QR code plaque last?
Three things wear out, at different speeds.
The metal and the etch. Anodized aluminum is the most common metal. The etch is cut into it, so it cannot rub off, but the dyed color can fade in strong sun over the years, and black holds its color best. Stainless steel and titanium carry no dye to fade. MyFarewelling, a funeral planning site, estimates 10 to 15 years outdoors for an anodized aluminum medallion and 25 years or more for stainless steel. Those are estimates rather than test results, and we found no independent test of these plaques on a headstone.
The adhesive. Industrial outdoor tapes hold up well in long weathering tests, but the published tests are on aluminum, glass and painted metal, not stone. On a headstone, heat, frost, damp and cleaning all work at the bond. A plaque fitted with epoxy by a monument company is the more permanent choice.
The page behind the code. This is the part most likely to fail, and it has nothing to do with the weather. The code opens a page on the seller's website, and it works for as long as the seller keeps that page running. Sellers differ: LifesQR includes 35 years, several promise it for "lifetime" or say it will "always stay online", and some, including us, publish no term. Whoever you buy from, ask how long the page is kept and whether you can download everything on it.
Privacy: anyone can scan it
A code on a headstone opens its page for anyone who walks past, so treat that page as public. Leave off a home address, phone numbers, and anything that tells a stranger when the house will be empty. Some sellers let you keep the page private or behind a password, which also means a casual visitor at the grave cannot see it.
If you are choosing a plaque
Our plaque opens a page where a slideshow of their photos plays, under their name and dates, with their obituary if you add one, and it has their photo etched beside the code. It is anodized aluminum, the size of a credit card, with a strong outdoor adhesive. You can see it with their photo, and our comparison of every plaque we could price shows where others suit a family better.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are QR codes allowed on headstones?
It depends on the cemetery. Some allow them with approval, some require a monument company to fit them, and government-issued veterans' headstones must not be altered at all. Call the cemetery office before you order, and ask where on the stone it may go.
Can you put a QR code on a veteran's headstone?
Not on a headstone or marker issued by the government. The VA says they remain federal property and should not be altered in any way, and the national cemetery visitor rules we read say decorations will not be secured to them. Arlington National Cemetery decided in 2013 to keep its policy of not allowing QR codes.
How do you add a QR code to an existing headstone?
Four ways: an adhesive plaque you fix yourself, a plaque drilled or set in epoxy by a monument company, a separate small marker beside the headstone, or a code engraved into the stone. Ask the cemetery first, because some allow only a monument company to change a headstone.
How do you attach a QR code plaque to a headstone?
Clean a smooth, upright face of the stone with rubbing alcohol and let it dry, fix the plaque when it is above 50°F, and press it firmly for up to a minute. Place it above the reach of a string trimmer and clear of the inscription.
Can a QR code plaque be removed from a headstone?
Yes, but removing an adhesive plaque can mark the stone. When stickers stuck to graves in Munich in 2025 were taken off, the stones were partly damaged and discolored. Fix a plaque only where you mean it to stay.
How long does a QR code on a headstone last?
Three things wear out: the metal, the adhesive and the page. Anodized aluminum is estimated at 10 to 15 years outdoors and stainless steel at 25 or more, though these are estimates. The code only works for as long as the seller keeps its page running, so ask how long that is before you buy.
What happens to the QR code if the company goes out of business?
The code keeps its pattern but opens nothing once the page behind it is gone. Keep your own copies of the photos and anything written for the page, ask the seller whether you can download it all, and choose a plaque with the web address etched beside the code.
Sources, checked 25 September 2026: 38 CFR part 38 and 38 CFR 1.218; the visitor rules of Baltimore and Fort Logan national cemeteries; Rep. Mike Thompson's letter, 11 March 2022; Matt McFarland, Arlington National Cemetery debated allowing QR codes on tombstones, Washington Post, 20 November 2013; Catholic Cemeteries of the Diocese of Brooklyn, Rules and Regulations; Catholic Cemeteries Association of the Diocese of Cleveland, 2021 Rules and Regulations; Evaheld, Adding a QR code to an existing headstone; LegacyMarker and LifesQR fitting instructions; National Park Service, Preservation Brief 48: Grave Markers; AP on the Munich QR stickers, February 2025; MyFarewelling on QR codes for headstones; Products Finishing, Why does anodize fade?; 3M, VHB tape durability summary; Funeral.com on QR medallions.