Review needs for transporting the deceased's body

Contact the local Funeral Home or Cremation service that has been contracted; they will most likely help facilitate transportation.

Inform them about the current location of the body and ask for their help in determining the best approach.

Good to Know If you're not sure whether arrangements have been made with an end-of-life provider, you may find more information in the deceased's Last Will and Testament, burial instructions, or any paperwork for prepaid burial or cremation services.

Read More For more information about planning a funeral or memorial service, see the "Organize a Funeral" section of the Guide.

Contact a ground shipping company or a commercial cargo airline to transport the deceased's body to where final arrangements will take place.

Funeral Homes will likely help facilitate this process, especially in states that require transportation companies to be a Known Shipper, a designation that allows them to transport a deceased person's body across state lines.

Transporting Final Remains can be complicated because each state has its own laws that regulate the process. Because of this, it's best to work with a Funeral Director to help facilitate.

Examples of various laws include, but are not limited to:

• When transporting bodies via commercial airlines, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requires that a funeral homes be certified as a known shippers
• Some states require a Death Certificate and that the body be Embalmed before shipment
• Some states may allow a surviving family member to transport the body themselves without a licensed funeral director
• Typically, the cost of transport is relative to the weight and distance of the shipment

Good to Know If you do not want to transport the body, you may want to conduct end-of-life arrangements and services where the death occurred, or cremate the deceased and more easily transport their ashes.

Contact the United States embassy in that nation where the death occurred to report it. The embassy will help to coordinate arrangements to transport the body with a third-party provider.

They will also produce documents called the Consular Report of Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad which will act as the official Death Certificate.

Important It will only be issued to surviving family or the executor of the estate. This can be a complex process because many additional documents may also be required.

For example, when transporting bodies via an airline, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requires that the receiving funeral home be certified as a Known Shipper to facilitate the process.

Providers Speak with an Estate Attorney and a local funeral director who can ensure that an authorized person is able to receive the body in the United States.

Review the other steps listed in this task regarding transporting a body within a state, or across state lines.