Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 73 - PROFESSIONS AND VOCATIONS (§§ 73-1-1 — 73-79-1) › Chapter 11 - PRACTICE OF FUNERAL SERVICE AND FUNERAL DIRECTING (§§ 73-11-1 — 73-11-73) › STATE BOARD OF FUNERAL SERVICE (§§ 73-11-33 — 73-11-73) › Section 73-11-69 - [Repealed Effective 7/1/2025] Licensing and regulation of crematory facilities

(1)
No person or party shall conduct, maintain, manage or operate a crematory unless a license for each such crematory has been issued by the board and is conspicuously displayed in such crematory.
(2)
The operator of a crematory facility shall issue a certificate of cremation to the family of each person cremated in the facility. In addition, the operator of the crematory facility shall maintain a log of all cremations performed in the facility, and this log shall match the certificates of cremation that have been issued by the facility.
(3)
No operator of a crematory facility shall knowingly represent that an urn or temporary container contains the recovered cremated remains of specific decedent or of body parts removed from a specific decedent when it does not. This subsection does not prohibit the making of such a representation because of the presence in the recovered cremated remains of de minimis amounts of the cremated remains of another decedent or of body parts.
(4)
The board shall inspect each licensed crematory facility during each licensure period, and at such other times as necessary, to verify that the crematory facility is in compliance with the requirements of this section. Any person who operates a crematory facility in this state without a license, or any person who otherwise violates any provision of this section, is guilty of a felony. Upon conviction for a violation of this section, in addition to any penalty that may be imposed by the court, the board may revoke the person's crematory facility license.
(5)
If the retort of a crematory becomes in need of repair, then the operator of the crematory shall notify the board in writing and by telephone within forty-eight (48) hours of discovery of the need to repair, and no cremation shall be made from the time of discovery until satisfactory proof is provided to the board that the repair has been made.
(6)
The board may promulgate such rules and regulations as deemed necessary for the proper licensure and regulation of crematory facilities in this state. Such rules and regulations shall include, but not be limited to, the following: crematory facility requirements, identification of deceased human beings, cremation process, processing of remains, commingling of human remains, disposition of cremated remains, removal of human remains and proper documentation requirements as prescribed by state agencies.
(7)
Any crematory or funeral establishment may dispose of any remains unclaimed by the family after twelve (12) months after cremation by scattering or burial.
(8)
The crematory retort operator must be a certified crematory operator as defined in Section
73-11-41
.
(9)
No crematory facility licensed by the board shall be used for the cremation of deceased animals.
(10)
A crematory may be constructed on or adjacent to any cemetery, on or adjacent to any funeral establishment, or at any other location consistent with local zoning regulations.
Laws, 2002, ch. 497, § 17; Laws, 2008, ch. 514, § 9; Laws, 2009, ch. 346, § 2; Laws, 2012, ch. 466, § 19, eff. 7/1/2012.
Amended by Laws, 2023, ch. 450, SB 2090,§ 6, eff. 7/1/2023.
Reenacted and amended by Laws, 2021, ch. 311, SB 2098,§ 18, eff. 7/1/2021.
Reenacted by Laws, 2017, ch. 373, HB 465, 19, eff. 7/1/2017.