Section 23-18.2-3 - Removal of gravestones and memorialsNo fence, tomb, monument, or gravestone or fragment of a gravestone within any cemetery or burial place shall be destroyed or injured or shall be removed except in accordance with the provisions of this section. Any gravestone or other memorial for the dead may be removed for the purpose of repair or replacement, reproduction, or preservation and display in an accredited museum upon:
(1) The consent of the owner of the burial lot in which the gravestone or memorial is placed or the consent of a lineal descendant of the deceased or, if the owner or lineal descendant is unknown, with the consent of the burial ground authority, and(2) The order of the superior court for the county in which the burial lot is located. Upon written application of a consenting owner, lineal descendant, or burial ground authority, the court may, after a hearing, with notice of the hearing having been given to interested parties and otherwise as the court deems appropriate, order the removal of the gravestone or memorial, if it finds that removal is necessary or desirable for the protection and preservation of the gravestone or memorial.R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-18.2-3