District of Columbia · funeral and cremation law
Funeral and cremation law in District of Columbia
Who decides, what has to wait, and what a funeral home must tell you. Every fact links to its statute. Not legal advice.
- Permits before disposition
The District of Columbia requires a funeral director who first assumes custody of a dead body to obtain several things before final disposition: authorization from the person with the legal right to control disposition, a final-disposition permit, and a filed death certificate. For cremation, resomation, or burial at sea, additional authorization from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is required. In D.C., the permit and authorization process matters just as much as the family's choice between burial and cremation. A family should expect the final-disposition paperwork to be part of the process.
The estate letter · District of Columbia
After the funeral: settling the estate, one month at a time
Twelve months of steps with District of Columbia's own numbers and deadlines. Read the checklist now, or sign up there for one email a month.
Get the estate letter- Month 1The first things to gather
- Month 2Work out what the estate is
- Month 3Get the authority to act
- 9 more months
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Prices in District of Columbia
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Cost guides
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Estate checklist for District of Columbia
After the funeral: what the executor does, month by month, with District of Columbia's numbers and deadlines.