2023 Nevada Revised Statutes › Chapter 451 - Dead Bodies › NRS 451.024 - Persons authorized to order burial or cremation; order of priority of such persons; acceptance of legal and financial responsibility does not give rise to claim against estate or other person; transfer of authority to another person; unavailability of authorized person.

1. The following persons, in the following order of priority, may order the burial or cremation of human remains of a deceased person:
(a) A person designated as the person with authority to order the burial or cremation of the human remains of the decedent in a legally valid document or in an affidavit executed in accordance with subsection 9;
(b) If the decedent was, at the time of death, on active duty as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, a reserve component thereof or the National Guard, a person designated by the decedent in the United States Department of Defense Record of Emergency Data, DD Form 93, or its successor form, as the person authorized to direct disposition of the human remains of the decedent;
(c) The spouse of the decedent;
(d) An adult son or daughter of the decedent;
(e) Either parent of the decedent;
(f) An adult brother or sister of the decedent;
(g) A grandparent of the decedent;
(h) A guardian of the person of the decedent at the time of death; and
(i) A person who meets the requirements of subsection 2.
2. Any other person may order the burial or cremation of the human remains of the decedent if the person:
(a) Is at least 18 years of age; and
(b) Executes an affidavit affirming:
(1) That he or she knew the decedent;
(2) The length of time that he or she knew the decedent;
(3) That he or she does not know the whereabouts of any of the persons specified in paragraphs (a) to (h), inclusive, of subsection 1; and
(4) That he or she willingly accepts legal and financial responsibility for the burial or cremation of the human remains of the decedent.
3. If a person with authority to order the burial or cremation of the human remains of a decedent pursuant to paragraphs (c) to (h), inclusive, of subsection 1 has been arrested for or charged with murder, as defined in NRS 200.010, or voluntary manslaughter, as defined in NRS 200.050, in connection with the death of the decedent, the authority of the person to order the disposition of the human remains of the decedent is automatically relinquished and passes to the next person in order of priority pursuant to subsection 1.
4. If there is more than one person authorized to order the burial or cremation of the human remains of a decedent within a particular priority class pursuant to paragraphs (d) to (h), inclusive, of subsection 1, a funeral establishment or direct cremation facility may require a majority of the members of the priority class to agree upon a disposition of the remains of the decedent.
5. A person who accepts legal and financial responsibility for the burial or cremation of the human remains of a decedent as described in subparagraph (4) of paragraph (b) of subsection 2 does not have a claim against the estate of the decedent or against any other person for the cost of the burial or cremation.
6. If the deceased person was an indigent or other person for whom the final disposition of the decedent’s remains is a responsibility of a county or the State, the appropriate public officer may order the burial or cremation of the remains and provide for the respectful disposition of the remains.
7. If the deceased person donated his or her body for scientific research or, before the person’s death, a medical facility was made responsible for the final disposition of the person, a representative of the scientific institution or medical facility may order the burial or cremation of his or her remains.
8. A living person may order the burial or cremation of human remains removed from his or her body or the burial or cremation of his or her body after death. In the latter case, any person acting pursuant to his or her instructions is an authorized agent.
9. A person 18 years of age or older wishing to authorize another person to order the burial or cremation of his or her human remains in the event of the person’s death may include such an authorization in a validly executed will or durable power of attorney or may execute an affidavit before a notary public in substantially the following form:
State of Nevada }
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County of ................................ }
(Date) ...................................
I, .............................., (person authorizing another person to order the burial or cremation of his or her human remains in the event of his or her death) do hereby designate .............................. (person who is being authorized to order the burial or cremation of the human remains of a person in the event of his or her death) to order the disposition of my human remains upon my death.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this ........
day of the month of ......... of the year ........
......................................................................
(Notary Public)
10. If the authorized person is not reasonably available or is unable to act as the authorized person, the right of the person to be the authorized person shall pass to the next person or category of persons in the order of priority pursuant to subsection 1.
11. It shall be presumed that an authorized person is not reasonably available to act as an authorized person in accordance with subsection 10 if the crematory, cemetery, funeral establishment or direct cremation facility, after exercising due diligence, has been unable to contact the person, or if the person has been unwilling or unable to make final arrangements for the burial or cremation of the human remains of the decedent, within 30 days after the initial contact or attempt to contact by the crematory, cemetery, funeral establishment or direct cremation facility.
12. If a person with a lower authorization priority than another person pursuant to subsection 1 has been authorized to order the burial or cremation of the human remains of a decedent and, subsequently, a person with a higher authorization priority makes an initial contact with the crematory, cemetery, funeral establishment or direct cremation facility and is available to perform the duties of an authorized person pursuant to this section before the final disposition of the decedent, the person with the higher authorization priority is the authorized person to order the burial or cremation of the human remains of the decedent.
(Added to NRS by 2003, 1880; A 2011, 193, 197; 2015, 1966; 2017, 1698)