Source: https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/delaware-home-funeral-laws.html
Timestamp: 2019-02-21 08:52:36
Document Index: 734479112

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 3151', '§ 4204', '§ 4204', '§ 3123', '§ 3123', '§ 3151', '§ 4204', '§ 3159']

Delaware Home Funeral Laws | Nolo.com
Delaware Home Funeral Laws
Learn the rules that govern home funerals in Delaware.
If you are interested in holding a home funeral for a loved one who has died, you’ll need to be aware of the laws that apply. Here is an overview of the rules that govern home funerals in Delaware.
Do You Need a Funeral Director in Delaware?
In all states, it is legal to have your loved one’s body at home after they die. Delaware law does not require you to involve a licensed funeral director in making or carrying out final arrangements. (See, for example, 16 Delaware Code §§ 3151 and 3152 (2018), which allow the “funeral director or person acting as such” to obtain a burial-transit permit.)
Delaware law determines who has the right to make final decisions about a person’s body and funeral services. This right goes first to the deceased person, if they wrote down instructions before their death, and after that to family members in an established order.
To learn the rules and the exact order of priority, see Making Funeral Arrangements in Delaware.
Embalming is usually not required. In Delaware, a body must be embalmed, refrigerated, or placed in a hermetically sealed casket only if disposition does not occur within 24 hours. (See 16 Delaware Administrative Code § 4204-3.0 (2018).) If the body will be transported by “common carrier” -- such as an airplane or train -- it must reach its destination within 24 hours and be contained in a metal or metal-lined and permanently-sealed casket. Otherwise, the body must be embalmed. (16 Delaware Administrative Code § 4204-7.0 (2018).)
If you will not be using a funeral director to carry out final arrangements, you must complete and file the death certificate yourself. Delaware law requires you to file the death certificate with the office of vital statistics within three days of the death and before you dispose of the remains. (See 16 Delaware Code § 3123 (2018).)
The deceased person’s doctor, the chief medical officer of the institution where the person died, or another approved medical provider must complete the medical portion of the death certificate within 48 hours. (16 Delaware Code § 3123 (2018).)
Delaware now uses an electronic death registration system, but you can still obtain paper death certificates from the attending physician, a hospital, or the medical examiner. This person will supply the date, time, and cause of death before returning the certificate to you for completion and filing.
You will need certified copies of the death certificate to carry out certain tasks after the death, such as getting a permit to transport the body to the place of burial or cremation. You may be able to file the death certificate and get certified copies the same day. If not, you will have to make a return trip to pick up the copies. Be prepared to pay a small fee for each copy.
You must obtain a burial-transit permit before you:
handle the final disposition of remains, or
arrange to transport the body by common carrier.
You will need a certified copy of the death certificate to obtain the burial-transit permit from the office of vital statistics. For details, see 16 Delaware Code §§ 3151 and 3152, and 16 Delaware Administrative Code § 4204-8.0.
There are no laws in Delaware that prohibit home burial, but you should check local zoning rules before burying a body on private land or establishing a family cemetery. You can most likely hold a home burial if you live in a rural area.
Some crematories require that you use a funeral director to arrange cremation. If you don’t want to use a funeral director, make sure the crematory is willing to accept the body directly from the family. A medical examiner must issue a permit before a body can be cremated, but there are no laws in Delaware restricting the disposition of the ashes. (For additional details, see 16 Delaware Code § 3159 (2018).)
For more information about cremation, including information on scattering ashes, see Burial & Cremation Laws in Delaware.