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Legal Requirements for Home Funerals
Last Updated: October 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.
For help local to the Nevada area - please see the NHFA Directory listing located here
For help local to the Nevada area - please see the NHFA Directory listing located here
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?
- Are there any circumstances under which I would be required to wait before final disposition?
- 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?
What are the relevant statutes in my state?
Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 451.020
1. Except in cases of dissection provided for in NRS 451.010, and where a dead body shall rightfully be carried
through or removed from the State for the purpose of burial elsewhere, every dead body of a human being
lying within this state, and the remains of any dissected body after dissection, shall be decently buried or
cremated within a reasonable time after death.
Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 440.540
1. Except as provided in subsection 2, the body of any person whose death occurs in this state shall not be interred,
deposited in a vault or tomb, cremated or otherwise disposed of, removed from or into any registration district, or be
held temporarily pending a further disposition more than 72 hours after death, until a permit for burial or removal or
other disposition thereof has been properly issued by the local health officer of the registration district in which the
death occurred.
2. If the person who is to certify the cause of death consents, a body may be moved from the place of death into
another registration district to be prepared for final disposition.
1. Except in cases of dissection provided for in NRS 451.010, and where a dead body shall rightfully be carried
through or removed from the State for the purpose of burial elsewhere, every dead body of a human being
lying within this state, and the remains of any dissected body after dissection, shall be decently buried or
cremated within a reasonable time after death.
Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 440.540
1. Except as provided in subsection 2, the body of any person whose death occurs in this state shall not be interred,
deposited in a vault or tomb, cremated or otherwise disposed of, removed from or into any registration district, or be
held temporarily pending a further disposition more than 72 hours after death, until a permit for burial or removal or
other disposition thereof has been properly issued by the local health officer of the registration district in which the
death occurred.
2. If the person who is to certify the cause of death consents, a body may be moved from the place of death into
another registration district to be prepared for final disposition.
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?
Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 451.065
1. Except as otherwise provided in subsections 2 and 3, no crematory, funeral home, cemetery or other place that accepts human remains for disposition may require the remains to be embalmed or otherwise prepared before their disposition by cremation, interment or otherwise, or before their removal from or into any registration district.
2. The State Board of Health may require embalming or other preparations if necessary to protect the public.
3. If embalming is not required by the State Board of Health pursuant to subsection 2, the Nevada Funeral and
Cemetery Services Board may authorize the embalming of a body if it determines that it is necessary to preserve the
body and the crematory, funeral home, cemetery or other place that accepts human remains for disposition:
(a) Has held the body for at least 72 hours;
(b) Is unable to notify a member of the family or other authorized person to obtain approval to embalm the
body; and
(c) Has no reason to believe that the family or other authorized person does not wish to have the body
embalmed.
1. Except as otherwise provided in subsections 2 and 3, no crematory, funeral home, cemetery or other place that accepts human remains for disposition may require the remains to be embalmed or otherwise prepared before their disposition by cremation, interment or otherwise, or before their removal from or into any registration district.
2. The State Board of Health may require embalming or other preparations if necessary to protect the public.
3. If embalming is not required by the State Board of Health pursuant to subsection 2, the Nevada Funeral and
Cemetery Services Board may authorize the embalming of a body if it determines that it is necessary to preserve the
body and the crematory, funeral home, cemetery or other place that accepts human remains for disposition:
(a) Has held the body for at least 72 hours;
(b) Is unable to notify a member of the family or other authorized person to obtain approval to embalm the
body; and
(c) Has no reason to believe that the family or other authorized person does not wish to have the body
embalmed.
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?
Nevada law mentions burial, entombment, cremation, alkaline hydrolysis, natural organic reduction, donation to medical science, or removal from the state.
What are the experiences reported by others who have done this in my state?
Coming soon.
Are there any circumstances under which I would be required to wait before final disposition?
What are the relevant statutes in my state?
There are no statutes or regulations that address this question.
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?
Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 440.450.
The funeral director or person acting as undertaker is responsible for obtaining and filing the certificate of death with the local health officer, or his or her deputy, in the registration district in which the death occurred, and for securing a burial or removal permit prior to any disposition of the body.
Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 440.370
The statement of facts relating to the disposition of the body must be signed by the funeral director or person acting as undertaker or by an authorized representative of the crematory if the body is cremated.
Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 440.490
The funeral director or person acting as undertaker shall present the completed certificate of death to the local registrar within 72 hours after the occurrence or discovery of the death. If a case is referred to the coroner, he or she shall present a completed certificate to the local registrar upon disposition of the investigation.
The funeral director or person acting as undertaker is responsible for obtaining and filing the certificate of death with the local health officer, or his or her deputy, in the registration district in which the death occurred, and for securing a burial or removal permit prior to any disposition of the body.
Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 440.370
The statement of facts relating to the disposition of the body must be signed by the funeral director or person acting as undertaker or by an authorized representative of the crematory if the body is cremated.
Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 440.490
The funeral director or person acting as undertaker shall present the completed certificate of death to the local registrar within 72 hours after the occurrence or discovery of the death. If a case is referred to the coroner, he or she shall present a completed certificate to the local registrar upon disposition of the investigation.
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?
Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 440.500.
1. Except as provided in subsections 2 and 3, if a certificate of death is properly executed and complete, the local
health officer shall then issue a burial or removal permit to the funeral director. The permit must indicate the name of the cemetery, mausoleum, columbarium or other place of burial where the human remains will be interred, inurned or buried.
2. In case the death occurred from some disease that is held by the Board to be infectious, contagious, or
communicable and dangerous to the public health, no permit for the removal or other disposition of the body may be granted by the local health officer except under such conditions as may be prescribed by the Board.
3. The Board may by regulation provide for the issuance of the burial transit permit prior to the filing of the completed death certificate if that requirement would result in undue hardship.
Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 440.510.
If the interment or other disposition of the body is to be made within the State, the wording of the burial permit may
be limited to a statement by the local health officer and over his or her signature that a satisfactory certificate of death having been filed with him or her as required by law, permission is granted to inter, remove or otherwise dispose of the body of the deceased. The permit must include the name, age, sex, social security number and cause of death of the decedent, the name of the place where the human remains will be interred, inurned or buried, and any other details required on the form prescribed by the Board.
Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 440.580
Each sexton or person in charge of any burial ground shall endorse upon the permit the date of interment, over his or her signature, and shall return all permits so endorsed to the local health officer of his or her district within 10 days from the date of interment or within the time fixed by the local health officer or by the Board.
1. Except as provided in subsections 2 and 3, if a certificate of death is properly executed and complete, the local
health officer shall then issue a burial or removal permit to the funeral director. The permit must indicate the name of the cemetery, mausoleum, columbarium or other place of burial where the human remains will be interred, inurned or buried.
2. In case the death occurred from some disease that is held by the Board to be infectious, contagious, or
communicable and dangerous to the public health, no permit for the removal or other disposition of the body may be granted by the local health officer except under such conditions as may be prescribed by the Board.
3. The Board may by regulation provide for the issuance of the burial transit permit prior to the filing of the completed death certificate if that requirement would result in undue hardship.
Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 440.510.
If the interment or other disposition of the body is to be made within the State, the wording of the burial permit may
be limited to a statement by the local health officer and over his or her signature that a satisfactory certificate of death having been filed with him or her as required by law, permission is granted to inter, remove or otherwise dispose of the body of the deceased. The permit must include the name, age, sex, social security number and cause of death of the decedent, the name of the place where the human remains will be interred, inurned or buried, and any other details required on the form prescribed by the Board.
Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 440.580
Each sexton or person in charge of any burial ground shall endorse upon the permit the date of interment, over his or her signature, and shall return all permits so endorsed to the local health officer of his or her district within 10 days from the date of interment or within the time fixed by the local health officer or by the Board.
What are the experiences reported by others who have done this in my state?
Coming soon.
Questions? Feedback?
Do you have questions about this information or want to offer feedback? Email us.
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