# QR codes on memorials and headstones

> A memorial QR code must be legible for decades on stone, which means a sandblasted or laser-etched code of 5–10 cm at error correction H — and, more importantly, a URL that will still resolve long after the person who chose it.

Source: https://useqr.app/qr-codes-on/headstones · Last reviewed 2026-08-21 · UseQR is free forever, MIT licensed, no signup.

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| Typical scan distance | **50 cm–1 m** |
|---|---|
| Minimum code width | **5–10 cm** |
| Error correction | **H** |

## The permanence problem is not the stone

Granite lasts centuries. Domains lapse in a year. A memorial code pointing at a hosted
memorial-page service is a promise that the service will outlive the family — and most such
services do not last a decade.

The most durable options, in order:

1. A page on a **domain paid up for the longest term available**, with the renewal recorded
   in the estate documents.
2. A page on a **large institutional site** — a church, a cemetery trust, a university — that
   has an existing permanent web presence.
3. An **archive.org** permalink, which at least has a preservation mandate.

Whatever is chosen, write down what the code points to somewhere other than the stone.

## Marking

- **Sandblasted** into granite and paint-filled dark is the most durable and highest
  contrast.
- **Laser etching** on polished granite gives excellent contrast but is shallower and
  weathers faster.
- **Applied plaques** — ceramic or stainless — can be replaced if the destination changes,
  which is a genuine advantage.

## Specification

- **5–10 cm**, modules at 1.5 mm or more.
- Error correction **H** — lichen, weathering and chipping are certain over decades.
- Paint-fill the dark modules; unfilled etching relies on shadow and fails in flat light.
- Position where rain runs off rather than pools, and where lichen is least likely — not
  under a tree.

## Cemetery permission

Many cemeteries and burial authorities have rules about what may be added to a memorial.
Check before commissioning.

## Try it

- https://useqr.app/url
- https://useqr.app/size-calculator
- https://useqr.app/validate