Before any new burial ground, cemetery or graveyard can be opened up, established, started or operated in any town, village, city, county, township, school district or any other political subdivision of the state, in any county of class one, it shall be necessary first to obtain a written petition, addressed to the county commission of the county having jurisdiction thereof, signed by a majority of the assessed taxpaying citizens and conservators of minors owning property in the township in which it is proposed to locate such burial ground, cemetery or graveyard, giving their consent to the opening up of a burial ground, cemetery or graveyard, which petition shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the county commission, not less than ten days before the first day of the term of the commission to which it is to be presented, and remain on file for public inspection, and the petition by the clerk shall be laid before the commission at the first term thereafter and in order to secure a permit it must appear affirmatively that a majority of the taxpaying citizens and conservators of minors owning property in such township in which it is proposed to locate the burial grounds, cemetery or graveyard, have signed the petition, then and in that event only shall the county commission issue its permission to the person or persons, association or corporation desiring to establish a burial ground, cemetery or graveyard; provided, no minor shall be counted on such petition and that no person or persons to whom any real estate has been deeded, transferred, conveyed or donated for the purpose of making him, or her or them, eligible for signing such petition shall be counted for or against such petition; without first securing permission from the county commission, it shall be unlawful to open up, establish, start or operate a new burial ground, cemetery or graveyard; provided further, that the provisions of this section shall be of no force and effect as to lots, tracts or parcels of land which have been or may be made available for use as a cemetery or graveyard by any zoning order.
§ 214.250, RSMo