BillionGraves is a volunteer project that photographs headstones and transcribes them. Its help center says the purpose is to honor those who have passed away by documenting their headstone and its placement. A record's Life Information Page displays the information about the person as found on the headstone: usually the name, birth date, marriage date and death date. The page can also carry extra photos from users, a Family section that links other family members' records, and a "Find More About" section that sends visitors to MyHeritage, which BillionGraves calls a partner.
If the record is your relative's, you can ask BillionGraves to restrict it or remove it. Its article "Our Family Prefers Privacy. How Can We Remove A Family Record?" says that if a family member provides three pieces of information, BillionGraves will be happy to restrict or remove access to their deceased family member's headstone information.
Checked against BillionGraves' help articles "Our Family Prefers Privacy. How Can We Remove A Family Record?" (modified March 19, 2026), "Remove a record or image from BillionGraves" (modified July 25, 2025), "Using a Life Information Page on BillionGraves.com," "Contact Us- Free Users," "When are the tickets responded to?" and "Create a free BillionGraves account," its ticket link (which took us to a sign-in page), its privacy policy and terms of use (neither shows a date), Google's help page on refreshing outdated content and California's data broker registry, on October 28, 2026. We read the pages; we did not search for anyone, sign in or submit anything.
What BillionGraves will and won't do
- It restricts or removes a relative's record for family. The family-privacy article asks for your relationship to the deceased, the web address of each record, and the type of restriction you want for each one.
- It offers four levels. Public (anyone can see the headstone), Private (only registered BillionGraves users), Restricted (only family members) and Deleted (removed from access by anyone).
- It needs exact links. The article says that because of the number of records on BillionGraves, it needs the exact web address of each record, and that a restriction type must be named for each record.
- Image removal is a narrower route. Its separate article on removing records and images says not all requests for image removal are approved, and that it removes images only if there is an issue, such as a blurry or inappropriate image. If your reason is privacy, use the family-privacy request and name a restriction level.
- It doesn't control search engines. It says changes may take 30 to 60 days, sometimes longer, to show in search results.
How to ask BillionGraves to restrict or remove a record
- Find the record on billiongraves.com and copy its web address. BillionGraves' example shows the pattern billiongraves.com/grave/ followed by the person's name and a number. Copy the address of every record you want changed.
- Choose a level for each record: Private, Restricted or Deleted.
- Open a support ticket. The family-privacy article links to support.billiongraves.com/support/tickets/new. When we opened that link, it took us to a BillionGraves sign-in page, and BillionGraves' privacy policy says you must register for a free account to add, edit or interact with any data, so expect to need one. BillionGraves' help center says accounts are free.
- In the ticket, give the three answers the article asks for: your relationship to the deceased, the web address of each record, and the restriction for each record. BillionGraves' article on removing records says to put the record's web address in the ticket's description box.
- Open one ticket only. The "Contact Us- Free Users" article says multiple tickets for the same issue are merged and send your request to the back of the line.
A suggested wording:
> I am the [relationship] of [name]. Our family prefers privacy. Please apply these restrictions:
>
> [record link]: Deleted
>
> [record link]: Restricted
>
> My relationship to the deceased: [relationship].
Keep it polite. The article says that if you treat staff with disrespect, you will be asked to resend your request without harshness or foul language.
If a headstone names someone who is alive
The family-privacy article is written for a deceased family member's record. None of the articles we read says how BillionGraves handles a living person whose name or birth date appears on a headstone, for example a shared stone carved before both people died. A Life Information Page shows the information as found on the headstone. If a record shows a living person, say so in your ticket, give the record's link, and ask for it to be Restricted or Deleted, or ask what BillionGraves can do. BillionGraves' terms bar users from posting content that "invades another person's privacy," which you can point to.
If the record is a transcription mistake
BillionGraves' article on removing records and images is written for its volunteers. It says a transcription mistake can be soft-deleted with Delete Record under the three dots next to the pencil on the transcription page, and restored later, and that BillionGraves doesn't let individuals delete records outright, to prevent mistakes. For a hard deletion, it says to contact customer support with the record's web address. To correct a detail instead, its Life Information Page article says to click the pencil icon, choose Edit Record, type the correct information and click Save.
What a request covers
- The record on BillionGraves, at the level you choose.
- Not search results right away. BillionGraves says search engines may take 30 to 60 days, sometimes longer.
- Maybe not MyHeritage. A Life Information Page links to MyHeritage, which BillionGraves calls a partner whose website may contain more information about the person. Its terms say that user submissions referred by MyHeritage are also licensed to MyHeritage. None of the pages we read says whether a restriction reaches MyHeritage, so ask in your ticket.
- Not other memorial sites. If the same person has a memorial on Find a Grave or an obituary on Echovita, ask each site separately.
How long does it take?
The family-privacy article gives no timeframe for applying a restriction; it says BillionGraves is happy to take the steps to address your concerns "in a timely manner." For the ticket itself, BillionGraves says free users' tickets are answered in the order received, and that over a weekend or in peak season you may wait 24 to 72 hours to several days. It says no live agents work on Saturday, Sunday or major U.S. holidays, and that paying BG+ members' tickets go first. Search results can take 30 to 60 days or longer to catch up.
If it doesn't work
- Reply on the same ticket. Don't open a new one; BillionGraves says duplicates are merged and pushed back.
- Postal address. BillionGraves' terms give one postal address, and it is for copyright notices: BillionGraves Holdings, Inc., Copyright Monitor, 1881 W Traverse Parkway, Ste. E #555, Lehi, Utah 84043. Its privacy policy says to use its Contact Us form, which is the same ticket link, if you think BillionGraves isn't following the policy.
- Clear the old search result. Once the record is restricted or deleted, Google may still show the old version. Google's Refresh outdated content tool is for content that has been removed from a site but still appears in Google Search: click Request refresh, enter the page's address and submit. See how to remove your home address from Google search results for the wider picture.
BillionGraves isn't one of the sites in Defynta's free scan, and Defynta doesn't file requests with it: this one is do-it-yourself.
Who runs BillionGraves. BillionGraves Holdings, Inc., which its terms describe as a Utah company. Its privacy policy says it applies solely to information collected by the website and its mobile apps, and it doesn't mention state privacy rights. We did not find BillionGraves on California's data broker registry (searched October 28, 2026), so a registry-based request is not a route here. File directly.
A relative's other listings
A headstone record is one trace of someone who has died; people-search sites often keep another. How to remove a deceased relative's listing from data brokers covers the documents those sites ask for and the order to work in.
Related pages
- Find a Grave, a memorial site that removes living people's memorials on request
- Echovita, an obituary site with a family removal form
- How to remove a deceased relative's listing from data brokers
- How to remove your home address from Google search results
- Where data brokers get your information
Full list: the master opt-out guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can I remove my relative's grave record from BillionGraves?
You can ask, as a family member. BillionGraves' family-privacy article says that if you give your relationship to the deceased, the exact link to each record and the restriction you want, it will restrict or remove access to the headstone information. One of the levels is Deleted, which removes it from access by anyone.
Can I hide it from everyone except family?
You can ask for that. The Restricted level means the headstone can only be seen by family members. Private means only registered BillionGraves users can see it.
Who counts as family?
The article says "a family member" and doesn't define which relatives qualify. State your relationship plainly in the ticket.
Do I need an account?
The ticket link took us to a BillionGraves sign-in page. BillionGraves' help center says accounts are free.
How long does it take?
The article gives no timeframe for the restriction itself. Over a weekend or in peak season, free users' tickets can take 24 to 72 hours to several days to answer, and search engines may take 30 to 60 days or longer to update.
Does it cost anything?
None of the pages we read mention a fee for a restriction or removal request, and BillionGraves says accounts are free.
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