Source: http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/burial-cremation-laws-arkansas.html
Timestamp: 2016-07-27 19:22:59
Document Index: 402129733

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 20', '§ 20', '§ 8', '§ 8', '§ 20', '§ 20']

Burial & Cremation Laws in Arkansas | Nolo.com
Burial & Cremation Laws in Arkansas
Each state has laws affecting what happens to a body
after death. For example, most states have unique rules about embalming, burial
or cremation, scattering ashes, and how to get a death certificate. Here are
some answers to common questions about post-death matters in Arkansas.
How do I get a death certificate? Who can order a death certificate? Is embalming required? Is a casket necessary for burial or cremation? Do I have to buy a casket from the funeral home? Where can bodies be buried in Arkansas? Where can we store or scatter ashes after cremation? Learn more.
In Arkansas, a death must be registered with the local or state vital records office within ten days. (Arkansas Code § 20-18-601.)
If you need to order copies of a death certificate after the time of death has passed, contact the health department in the county where the death occurred or visit the Arkansas Department of Health online. From the ADH website, you can download a mail-in order form or order death certificates online.
must provide a copy of your own photo ID at the time your request the death certificate. The first certified copy of an Arkansas death certificate costs $10; additional copies are $8 each.
In Arkansas, the following individuals are permitted to apply for a certified copy of a death certificate:
the spouse or immediate family member of the deceased person
the authorized representative of the deceased person or of one of the people named above, or
other person who demonstrates that the record is necessary for the determination or protection of his or her personal property rights.
For more details, read Arkansas Code § 20-18-305.
Arkansas, a body must be embalmed or refrigerated if final disposition does not occur within 24 hours, unless cremation is planned. For cremation, the allowed waiting period is 48 hours. (Arkansas Health Department Vital Records Regulations § 8.1.) Additionally, a body must be embalmed if it is to be transported by common carrier, such as an airplane or train. (Arkansas Health Department Vital Records Regulations § 8.0(c).)
You can find Arkansas’s regulations for cremation containers in Rule I, Section 15 of the Arkansas Embalmers & Funeral Directors Rules. To find the rules, see the link at the end of this article.
Federal law requires funeral homes to accept caskets that consumers have purchased from other sources, such as an online retailer. You may also build your own casket, if you prefer.
Where can bodies be buried in Arkansas?
In Arkansas, a body must be buried in an established cemetery. (Arkansas Code § 20-17-902.)
If you want to bury a body on private land, you may be permitted to establish a family graveyard. Contact the local health department and check town and county zoning laws before you proceed.
You must register a family graveyard with the county clerk before holding a burial. (See Arkansas Code § 20-17-901, requiring all cemeteries to be registered with the county.)
Arkansas, there are few limits on where you may keep or scatter ashes. Ashes may be stored in a crypt, niche, grave, or container at home. If you wish to scatter ashes, you have many options. Cremation renders ashes harmless, so there is no public health risk involved in scattering
ashes. Use common sense and refrain from scattering ashes in places where they would be obvious to others.
You are allowed to scatter ashes on your own private property. In Arkansas, if you want to scatter ashes on someone else’s private land, you must get written permission from the landowner. You can find this requirement in Rule IV, Section 4(E)(3) of the Arkansas Embalmers & Funeral Directors Rules. To read the rules, see the link at the end of this article.
To read the rules governing funeral services providers in Arkansas, visit the website of the Arkansas Board of Embalmers & Funeral Directors.
For more information about funeral laws in Arkansas, see Making Funeral Arrangements in Arkansas.