ArrangeDeskCremation arrangements: the steps a funeral home tracks
Updated October 22, 2026 · For independent funeral homes
Cremation is now chosen for a large share of deaths in the U.S., and direct cremation cases can move fast. That speed makes it easy to miss an authorization or a waiting period. A standard checklist for cremation cases keeps every step visible.
Requirements differ by state and sometimes by county. Use this as a starting point and adjust it to your rules.
Authorization
- Confirm who has the legal right to authorize cremation under your state’s rules.
- Get the signed cremation authorization form.
- Note any implanted devices, such as pacemakers, that must be removed.
- Record wishes for the remains: urn, scattering, burial or division among family.
Permits and waiting periods
- File the death certificate.
- Obtain medical examiner or coroner approval where your state requires it for cremation.
- Obtain the cremation or disposition permit.
- Observe any mandatory waiting period your state sets before cremation.
Cremation and return
- Schedule with the crematory and confirm identification procedures.
- Receive the cremated remains and verify identification.
- Arrange the urn or container chosen by the family.
- Return the remains to the family, or arrange the agreed disposition.
Memorial service, if any
Many families hold a memorial service after cremation, sometimes weeks later. Track it as part of the same case so the service details aren’t separate from the paperwork.