Legal Requirements for Home Funerals
Last Updated: June 2025
Disclaimer
The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only. Information on this website may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information. Please consult a local professional in your area for complete information relevant to your situation, county/region regulations, and other needs.
Questions
- My person died at a medical facility / other facility. Can I take the body home?
- I'm providing after-death care at home.
- How long can I keep the body at home after death?
- Does my state require the body to be embalmed?
- What methods of disposition are legal in my state?
- What do I need to do to get a death certificate?
- What do I need to do to get a burial-transit permit?
- Is there a wait period before I can receive a burial-transit permit?
Glossary of Terms
- Burial-transit permit: A permit required to transport a body FROM the place of bodycare/vigil TO place of disposition (if death occurs someplace different from bodycare, then this is not needed). May be called a disposition permit. Also called a Removal Certificate.
- Death certificate: Legal record of death.
- Disposition: The manner in which human remains are finally handled (e.g. cremation, burial, composting, etc.).
- Refrigeration at home: Refers to cooling, not commercial refrigeration used in funeral homes. For more information, see Body Care & Cooling.
I'm providing after-death care at home.
How long can I keep the body at home after death and under what conditions?
What are the relevant statutes in my state?
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7-64
The body of each person who dies in this state shall be buried, removed or cremated within a reasonable time after death. The person to whom the custody and control of the remains of any deceased person are granted by law shall see that the certificate of death required by law has been completed and filed in accordance with section 7-62b prior to final disposition of the body. An authorization for final disposition issued under the law of another state which accompanies a dead body or fetus brought into this state shall be authority for final disposition of the body or fetus in this state. The final disposition of a cremated body shall be recorded as the crematory. The provisions of this section shall not in any way impair the authority of directors of health in cases of death resulting from communicable diseases, nor conflict with any statutes regulating the delivery of bodies to any medical school, nor prevent the placing of any body temporarily in the receiving vault of any cemetery. The placing of any body in a
family vault or tomb within any cemetery shall be deemed a burial under the provisions of this section. Any person
who violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a class D felony.
The body of each person who dies in this state shall be buried, removed or cremated within a reasonable time after death. The person to whom the custody and control of the remains of any deceased person are granted by law shall see that the certificate of death required by law has been completed and filed in accordance with section 7-62b prior to final disposition of the body. An authorization for final disposition issued under the law of another state which accompanies a dead body or fetus brought into this state shall be authority for final disposition of the body or fetus in this state. The final disposition of a cremated body shall be recorded as the crematory. The provisions of this section shall not in any way impair the authority of directors of health in cases of death resulting from communicable diseases, nor conflict with any statutes regulating the delivery of bodies to any medical school, nor prevent the placing of any body temporarily in the receiving vault of any cemetery. The placing of any body in a
family vault or tomb within any cemetery shall be deemed a burial under the provisions of this section. Any person
who violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a class D felony.
What are the experiences reported by others who have done this in my state?
Coming soon.
Does my state require the body to be embalmed? Refrigerated?
What are the relevant statutes in my state?
Conn. Agencies Regs. § 19A-36-A39
Human bodies dead of any communicable disease listed pursuant to section 19a-36-A2 shall be prepared for burial by being washed with a disinfecting solution or embalmed or wrapped. [diseases as listed by the commissioner]
Conn. Agencies Regs. § 19A-36-A40
(a) Dead human bodies to be transported by common carrier shall be embalmed or wrapped and then enclosed in a
casket, and outside box or, in lieu of such double container, be enclosed in an impervious container acceptable to the commissioner of health.
(b) Dead human bodies to be removed from the place of death to another location for preparation shall be
temporarily prepared by enclosing in an impervious container. The licensed embalmer having charge of such a body
may sign the certificate required in section 7-62 of the general statutes, but in so doing, such licensed embalmer
obligates himself to further prepare the body as required by section 19a-36-A39 as soon as practicable after arrival at
his regular place of business.
(c) The impervious containers mentioned in subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall be cleansed and washed with
a disinfecting solution after each use.
[Note: Embalming is not required in any state except by very specific conditions.]
Human bodies dead of any communicable disease listed pursuant to section 19a-36-A2 shall be prepared for burial by being washed with a disinfecting solution or embalmed or wrapped. [diseases as listed by the commissioner]
Conn. Agencies Regs. § 19A-36-A40
(a) Dead human bodies to be transported by common carrier shall be embalmed or wrapped and then enclosed in a
casket, and outside box or, in lieu of such double container, be enclosed in an impervious container acceptable to the commissioner of health.
(b) Dead human bodies to be removed from the place of death to another location for preparation shall be
temporarily prepared by enclosing in an impervious container. The licensed embalmer having charge of such a body
may sign the certificate required in section 7-62 of the general statutes, but in so doing, such licensed embalmer
obligates himself to further prepare the body as required by section 19a-36-A39 as soon as practicable after arrival at
his regular place of business.
(c) The impervious containers mentioned in subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall be cleansed and washed with
a disinfecting solution after each use.
[Note: Embalming is not required in any state except by very specific conditions.]
What are the experiences reported by others who have done this in my state?
Coming soon.
What methods of disposition are legal in my state?
What are the relevant statutes in my state?
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7-64
“The body of each person who dies in this state shall be buried, removed or cremated within a reasonable time after death. …”
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-207
(12) “Cremation” means the disposition of a body through incineration or alkaline hydrolysis
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-323
(d) No body shall be cremated until at least forty-eight hours after death, unless such death was the result of
communicable disease, and no body shall be received by any crematory that performs incineration unless accompanied by the permit provided for in this section. Alkaline hydrolysis shall not be performed without the permit provided for in this section.
“The body of each person who dies in this state shall be buried, removed or cremated within a reasonable time after death. …”
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-207
(12) “Cremation” means the disposition of a body through incineration or alkaline hydrolysis
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-323
(d) No body shall be cremated until at least forty-eight hours after death, unless such death was the result of
communicable disease, and no body shall be received by any crematory that performs incineration unless accompanied by the permit provided for in this section. Alkaline hydrolysis shall not be performed without the permit provided for in this section.
What are the experiences reported by others who have done this in my state?
Coming soon.
What do I need to do to get a death certificate?
What are the relevant statutes in my state?
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7-62b
(a) A death certificate for each death which occurs in this state shall be completed in its entirety and filed with the registrar of vital statistics in the town in which the death occurred not later than five business days after death if filing a paper certificate and not later than three calendar days after death if filing through an electronic death registry system, in order to obtain a burial permit prior to final disposition. The death certificate shall be registered if properly filed. If the place of death is unknown but the body is found in this state, the death certificate shall be completed and filed in accordance with this section, provided the place where the body is found shall be shown as the place of death.
(b) The funeral director or embalmer licensed by the department, or the funeral director or embalmer licensed in another state and complying with the terms of a reciprocal agreement on file with the department, in charge of the burial of the deceased person shall complete the death certificate through the electronic death registry system, or, if the electronic death registry system is unavailable, on a form provided by the department. Said certificate shall be filed by a licensed embalmer or such embalmer’s designee or a funeral director or such director’s designee, in accordance with the provisions of this section, except when inquiry is required by the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office, in which case the death certificate shall be filed in accordance with section 19a-409. The Social Security number of the deceased person shall be recorded on such certificate. Such licensed funeral director or licensed embalmer shall obtain the personal data from the next of kin or the best qualified person or source available and shall obtain a medical certification from the person responsible therefor, in accordance with the provisions of this section. Only a licensed embalmer may assume charge of the burial of a deceased person who had a
communicable disease, as designated in the regulations of Connecticut state agencies, at the time of death and such licensed embalmer shall file an affidavit, on a form provided by the department, signed and sworn to by such licensed embalmer stating that the body has been disinfected in accordance with the regulations of Connecticut state agencies.
(c) The medical certification portion of the death certificate shall be completed, signed and returned to the licensed funeral director or licensed embalmer no later than twenty-four hours after death by the physician or advanced practice registered nurse in charge of the patient’s care for the illness or condition which resulted in death, or upon the death of an infant delivered by a nurse-midwife, by such nurse-midwife, as provided in section 20-86b. In the absence of such physician or advanced practice registered nurse, or with the physician’s or advanced practice registered nurse’s approval, the medical certification may be completed and signed by an associate physician, an advanced practice registered nurse, a physician assistant as provided in subsection (d) of section 20-12d, a registered nurse as provided in section 20-101a, the chief medical officer of the institution in which death occurred, or by the pathologist who performed an autopsy upon the decedent. No physician, advanced practice registered nurse, physician assistant, registered nurse, nurse-midwife, chief medical officer or pathologist shall sign and return the medical certification unless such physician, advanced practice registered nurse, physician assistant, registered nurse, nurse-midwife, chief medical officer or pathologist has personally viewed and examined the body of the person to whom the medical certification relates and is satisfied that at the time of the examination such person was in fact dead, except in the event a medical certification is completed by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, physician assistant, registered nurse, nurse-midwife, chief medical officer or pathologist other than the one who made the determination and pronouncement of death, an additional viewing and examination of the body shall not be required. Such physician, advanced practice registered nurse, physician assistant, registered nurse, nurse-midwife, chief medical officer or pathologist shall certify to the facts of death through the electronic death registry system, or, if the electronic death registry is unavailable, on a form provided by the department. If a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, physician assistant, registered nurse, nurse-midwife, chief medical officer or pathologist refuses or otherwise fails to complete, sign and return the medical portion of the death certificate to the licensed funeral director or licensed embalmer within twenty- four hours after death, such licensed funeral director or embalmer may notify the Commissioner of Public Health of such refusal. The commissioner may, upon receipt of notification and investigation, assess a civil penalty against such physician, advanced practice registered nurse, physician assistant, registered nurse, chief medical officer or pathologist not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars. The medical certification shall state the cause of death, defined so that such death may be classified under the international list of causes of death, the duration of disease if known and such additional information as the Department of Public Health requires. The department shall give due consideration to national uniformity in vital statistics in prescribing the form and content of such information.
(d) If the cause of death cannot be determined within twenty-four hours after death and inquiry is not required by the Chief Medical Examiner, the medical certification may be completed in such manner as may be provided by regulation, adopted by the Commissioner of Public Health in accordance with chapter 54. The attending physician or advanced practice registered nurse shall give the licensed funeral director or licensed embalmer notice of the reason for the delay and final disposition of the body shall not be made until a signed medical certification is obtained from the attending physician or advanced practice registered nurse.
(e) When a death is presumed to have occurred within this state but the body cannot be located, a death certificate may be prepared by the Chief Medical Examiner upon receipt of an order of a court of competent jurisdiction, which shall include the finding of facts required to complete the death certificate. Such death certificate shall be filed with the Department of Public Health and marked “presumptive” and shall show on its face the date of filing and shall identify the court and the date of decree.
(f) The Commissioner of Public Health may by regulation, adopted in accordance with chapter 54, provide for the extension of time periods prescribed for the filing of death certificates in cases where compliance therewith would result in undue hardship.
(a) A death certificate for each death which occurs in this state shall be completed in its entirety and filed with the registrar of vital statistics in the town in which the death occurred not later than five business days after death if filing a paper certificate and not later than three calendar days after death if filing through an electronic death registry system, in order to obtain a burial permit prior to final disposition. The death certificate shall be registered if properly filed. If the place of death is unknown but the body is found in this state, the death certificate shall be completed and filed in accordance with this section, provided the place where the body is found shall be shown as the place of death.
(b) The funeral director or embalmer licensed by the department, or the funeral director or embalmer licensed in another state and complying with the terms of a reciprocal agreement on file with the department, in charge of the burial of the deceased person shall complete the death certificate through the electronic death registry system, or, if the electronic death registry system is unavailable, on a form provided by the department. Said certificate shall be filed by a licensed embalmer or such embalmer’s designee or a funeral director or such director’s designee, in accordance with the provisions of this section, except when inquiry is required by the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office, in which case the death certificate shall be filed in accordance with section 19a-409. The Social Security number of the deceased person shall be recorded on such certificate. Such licensed funeral director or licensed embalmer shall obtain the personal data from the next of kin or the best qualified person or source available and shall obtain a medical certification from the person responsible therefor, in accordance with the provisions of this section. Only a licensed embalmer may assume charge of the burial of a deceased person who had a
communicable disease, as designated in the regulations of Connecticut state agencies, at the time of death and such licensed embalmer shall file an affidavit, on a form provided by the department, signed and sworn to by such licensed embalmer stating that the body has been disinfected in accordance with the regulations of Connecticut state agencies.
(c) The medical certification portion of the death certificate shall be completed, signed and returned to the licensed funeral director or licensed embalmer no later than twenty-four hours after death by the physician or advanced practice registered nurse in charge of the patient’s care for the illness or condition which resulted in death, or upon the death of an infant delivered by a nurse-midwife, by such nurse-midwife, as provided in section 20-86b. In the absence of such physician or advanced practice registered nurse, or with the physician’s or advanced practice registered nurse’s approval, the medical certification may be completed and signed by an associate physician, an advanced practice registered nurse, a physician assistant as provided in subsection (d) of section 20-12d, a registered nurse as provided in section 20-101a, the chief medical officer of the institution in which death occurred, or by the pathologist who performed an autopsy upon the decedent. No physician, advanced practice registered nurse, physician assistant, registered nurse, nurse-midwife, chief medical officer or pathologist shall sign and return the medical certification unless such physician, advanced practice registered nurse, physician assistant, registered nurse, nurse-midwife, chief medical officer or pathologist has personally viewed and examined the body of the person to whom the medical certification relates and is satisfied that at the time of the examination such person was in fact dead, except in the event a medical certification is completed by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, physician assistant, registered nurse, nurse-midwife, chief medical officer or pathologist other than the one who made the determination and pronouncement of death, an additional viewing and examination of the body shall not be required. Such physician, advanced practice registered nurse, physician assistant, registered nurse, nurse-midwife, chief medical officer or pathologist shall certify to the facts of death through the electronic death registry system, or, if the electronic death registry is unavailable, on a form provided by the department. If a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, physician assistant, registered nurse, nurse-midwife, chief medical officer or pathologist refuses or otherwise fails to complete, sign and return the medical portion of the death certificate to the licensed funeral director or licensed embalmer within twenty- four hours after death, such licensed funeral director or embalmer may notify the Commissioner of Public Health of such refusal. The commissioner may, upon receipt of notification and investigation, assess a civil penalty against such physician, advanced practice registered nurse, physician assistant, registered nurse, chief medical officer or pathologist not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars. The medical certification shall state the cause of death, defined so that such death may be classified under the international list of causes of death, the duration of disease if known and such additional information as the Department of Public Health requires. The department shall give due consideration to national uniformity in vital statistics in prescribing the form and content of such information.
(d) If the cause of death cannot be determined within twenty-four hours after death and inquiry is not required by the Chief Medical Examiner, the medical certification may be completed in such manner as may be provided by regulation, adopted by the Commissioner of Public Health in accordance with chapter 54. The attending physician or advanced practice registered nurse shall give the licensed funeral director or licensed embalmer notice of the reason for the delay and final disposition of the body shall not be made until a signed medical certification is obtained from the attending physician or advanced practice registered nurse.
(e) When a death is presumed to have occurred within this state but the body cannot be located, a death certificate may be prepared by the Chief Medical Examiner upon receipt of an order of a court of competent jurisdiction, which shall include the finding of facts required to complete the death certificate. Such death certificate shall be filed with the Department of Public Health and marked “presumptive” and shall show on its face the date of filing and shall identify the court and the date of decree.
(f) The Commissioner of Public Health may by regulation, adopted in accordance with chapter 54, provide for the extension of time periods prescribed for the filing of death certificates in cases where compliance therewith would result in undue hardship.
What are the experiences reported by others who have done this in my state?
Coming soon.
What do I need to do to get a burial-transit permit?
Is there a wait period before I can receive a burial-transit permit?
What are the relevant statutes in my state?
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7-65
(a) The embalmer or funeral director licensed by the department, or licensed in a state having a reciprocal agreement on file with the department and complying with the terms of such agreement, who assumes custody of a dead body shall obtain a removal, transit and burial permit from the registrar of the town in which the death occurred or the town in which the embalmer or funeral director maintains a place of business not later than five calendar days after death, and prior to final disposition or removal of the body from the state. The embalmer or funeral director who assumes custody and control of the body and obtains a removal, transit and burial permit from the registrar of the town in which the embalmer or funeral director maintains a place of business shall be obligated to file the death certificate, in accordance with the provisions of section 7-62b, in person, through an electronic registry system or by certified mail, return receipt requested. The removal, transit and burial permit shall specify the place of burial or other place of interment and state that the death certificate and any other certificate required by law have been returned and recorded.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7-69
No person except a licensed embalmer or funeral director licensed by the department, or licensed in a state having a reciprocal agreement on file with the department and complying with the terms of such agreement, shall remove the body of a deceased person, except that once the body of a deceased person has been embalmed or prepared in accordance with the Public Health Code and applicable provisions of the general statutes, a licensed embalmer or funeral director may authorize an unlicensed employee to transport such body. No person except a licensed embalmer or funeral director licensed by the department, or licensed in a state having a reciprocal agreement on file with the department, shall remove the body of any deceased person from this state to another state until a removal, transit and burial permit has been issued in accordance with section 7-65. No removal, transit and burial permit shall be issued unless the death certificate has been signed by a licensed embalmer or funeral director licensed by the department, or licensed in a state having a reciprocal agreement on file with the department and complying with the terms of such agreement. In the case of a deceased person who, at the time of death, had a communicable disease specified by the Public Health Code, the permit shall certify that the body was prepared in accordance with the regulations of the Public Health Code. Such permit shall be sufficient to permit the burial of such deceased person in any town in this state other than the town in which such person died, without a burial permit from the registrar of the town where such person is to be buried. If the body of a deceased person is brought into the state for burial or cremation and is accompanied by a removal, transit and burial permit, or a permit for final disposition indicating the manner and place of final disposition of the body, issued by the legally constituted authorities of the state from which such body was brought, such permit shall be received as sufficient authority for burial or cremation; except that, if such body is not accompanied by such permit, the person or persons in charge of such body shall apply for a burial permit to the registrar of vital statistics of the town in which such body is to be buried, and such registrar shall issue such permit when furnished with such information as to the identity of the deceased person and the cause of death as is required by section 7-62b concerning a person dying in this state. Any person who violates any provision of this section, or who knowingly signs a false permit or knowingly allows a false permit to be used in lieu of a permit required by this section, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.
[Of note: Burial transmit permits are generally issued when the death certificate is filed.]
(a) The embalmer or funeral director licensed by the department, or licensed in a state having a reciprocal agreement on file with the department and complying with the terms of such agreement, who assumes custody of a dead body shall obtain a removal, transit and burial permit from the registrar of the town in which the death occurred or the town in which the embalmer or funeral director maintains a place of business not later than five calendar days after death, and prior to final disposition or removal of the body from the state. The embalmer or funeral director who assumes custody and control of the body and obtains a removal, transit and burial permit from the registrar of the town in which the embalmer or funeral director maintains a place of business shall be obligated to file the death certificate, in accordance with the provisions of section 7-62b, in person, through an electronic registry system or by certified mail, return receipt requested. The removal, transit and burial permit shall specify the place of burial or other place of interment and state that the death certificate and any other certificate required by law have been returned and recorded.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7-69
No person except a licensed embalmer or funeral director licensed by the department, or licensed in a state having a reciprocal agreement on file with the department and complying with the terms of such agreement, shall remove the body of a deceased person, except that once the body of a deceased person has been embalmed or prepared in accordance with the Public Health Code and applicable provisions of the general statutes, a licensed embalmer or funeral director may authorize an unlicensed employee to transport such body. No person except a licensed embalmer or funeral director licensed by the department, or licensed in a state having a reciprocal agreement on file with the department, shall remove the body of any deceased person from this state to another state until a removal, transit and burial permit has been issued in accordance with section 7-65. No removal, transit and burial permit shall be issued unless the death certificate has been signed by a licensed embalmer or funeral director licensed by the department, or licensed in a state having a reciprocal agreement on file with the department and complying with the terms of such agreement. In the case of a deceased person who, at the time of death, had a communicable disease specified by the Public Health Code, the permit shall certify that the body was prepared in accordance with the regulations of the Public Health Code. Such permit shall be sufficient to permit the burial of such deceased person in any town in this state other than the town in which such person died, without a burial permit from the registrar of the town where such person is to be buried. If the body of a deceased person is brought into the state for burial or cremation and is accompanied by a removal, transit and burial permit, or a permit for final disposition indicating the manner and place of final disposition of the body, issued by the legally constituted authorities of the state from which such body was brought, such permit shall be received as sufficient authority for burial or cremation; except that, if such body is not accompanied by such permit, the person or persons in charge of such body shall apply for a burial permit to the registrar of vital statistics of the town in which such body is to be buried, and such registrar shall issue such permit when furnished with such information as to the identity of the deceased person and the cause of death as is required by section 7-62b concerning a person dying in this state. Any person who violates any provision of this section, or who knowingly signs a false permit or knowingly allows a false permit to be used in lieu of a permit required by this section, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.
[Of note: Burial transmit permits are generally issued when the death certificate is filed.]
What are the experiences reported by others who have done this in my state?
Coming soon.
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