Oregon Home Funeral Laws

Find out what you need to know before having a funeral in Oregon.

Updated by , Attorney · George Mason University Law School

If you are interested in holding a home funeral for a loved one who has died, you'll need to be aware of the laws that apply. Here is an overview of the rules that govern home funerals in Oregon.

Do You Need a Funeral Director in Oregon?

In all states, it is legal to have your loved one's body at home after they die. Oregon doesn't require you to involve a licensed funeral director in making or carrying out final arrangements. See, for example, Or. Rev. Stat. § 432.133 (2024), which permits a "funeral service practitioner or person acting as a funeral service practitioner" to file the death certificate.

Oregon defines a "person acting as a funeral service practitioner" as any person other than a licensed funeral director, "including but not limited to a relative, friend or other interested party, who performs the duties of a funeral service practitioner without payment." (Or. Rev. Stat. § 432.005 (2024).)

Oregon law requires anyone who assumes custody of a body to file a report of death form with the state registrar of the center for health statistics within 24 hours of taking custody of the body. This form is included in the home burial packet described below, or you can obtain it by contacting the Oregon Center for Health Statistics at 971-673-1190. (Or. Rev. Stat. § 432.158 (2024).)

Who Has the Right to Make Funeral Arrangements in Oregon?

Oregon law determines who has the right to make final decisions about a person's body and funeral services.

This right and responsibility goes to the following people, in order:

  • a person you appoint in a written, signed document before your death
  • your spouse
  • your adult child
  • your parent
  • your adult sibling
  • your personal guardian, if you had one at the time of your death
  • your next of kin
  • the personal representative of your estate, or
  • a public health officer.

(Or. Rev. Stat. § 97.130 (2024).)

Appointing a representative. To make a legally valid document naming someone to carry out your final wishes, you must write down what you want, then date and sign your document in front of two adult witnesses. (Or. Rev. Stat. § 97.130 (2024).)

You can download this form and prepare it to appoint your representative. Or, if you prefer, you can make up your own form, as long as the language you use is substantially the same as the statutory form. (Or. Rev. Stat. § 97.130 (2024).)

If you are in the military, you may name the person who will carry out your final wishes in the Record of Emergency Data provided by the Department of Defense.

Who pays for your funeral arrangements? You can either pay for your plans before you die, or you can set aside money for your survivors to use for this purpose. If you don't do either of these things, and there's not enough money in your estate to pay for funeral goods and services, your survivors must cover the costs.

Must the Body Be Embalmed?

Oregon's Mortuary and Cemetery Board rules require a body to be embalmed under specific circumstances, such as when:

  • more than 24 hours have elapsed since the death and the body will be removed from refrigeration and transported, if the body can't reach its destination within six hours (unless it is placed in a sealed rigid container)
  • the person died of HIV or AIDS, diphtheria, hepatitis (B, C, or D), plague, rabies, tularemia, or tuberculosis and the body will be shipped (if religious custom prohibits embalming, the body must be placed in a sealed container)
  • there will be a public viewing and the body will be removed from refrigeration for more than six hours, or
  • the person died of a communicable disease and there will be a public viewing or funeral service.

In all other cases, a body must be refrigerated or embalmed only if final disposition won't occur within 24 hours. Burial or cremation must occur within ten days after the death, unless the Mortuary and Cemetery Board is notified. (See Or. Admin. R. 830-030-0010; 830-030-060; 830-030-070; 830-030-0080 (2024).)

Refrigeration or dry ice can usually preserve a body for a short time. There are resources available to help you learn to prepare a body at home for burial or cremation. The website of the National Home Funeral Alliance is a good place to start.

Getting a Death Certificate in Oregon

If you won't be using a funeral director to carry out final arrangements, you must complete and file the death certificate yourself. Oregon law requires you to file the death certificate with the state registrar of the Center for Health Statistics within five days after the death and before final disposition. (Or. Rev. Stat. § 432.133 (2024).)

You will need to fill in the section for personal information and then present the death certificate to the medical certifier—the deceased person's doctor, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner—within 48 hours of death. The medical certifier will then supply the date, time, and cause of death and return the death certificate to you within 48 hours for filing. (Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 432.005; 432.133 (2024).)

Oregon now uses an electronic death registration system, but you can still file the death certificate yourself. You can obtain a home burial packet, which contains a blank death certificate, instructions, and a report of death form, by calling the Oregon Center for Health Statistics at 971-673-1190. (Oregon vital records officials recommend requesting a home burial packet before the death occurs, such as when the person is in hospice or has been told that death is imminent.) You can also find more information on the Oregon Center for Health Statistics website.

You will need certified copies of the death certificate to carry out certain tasks after the death, such as arranging for the disposition of the body and transferring the deceased person's property to inheritors. You may be able to file the death certificate and get certified copies the same day. If not, you will have to make a return trip to pick up the copies. Be prepared to pay a small fee for each copy.

Getting a Permit to Transport the Body

The deceased person's doctor or the medical examiner will grant permission in writing to move the body for purposes of burial or cremation. (Or. Rev. Stat. § 432.158 (2024).)

Is Home Burial Legal in Oregon?

Oregon law permits you to establish a cemetery if you:

  • own the property
  • have obtained written consent from the county or city planning commission, or, if there is no planning commission, the governing body of the county or city
  • agree to maintain records of all bodies buried on the property, if the planning commission or governing body requires it, and
  • disclose the burials if you sell the property.

(Or. Rev. Stat. § 97.460 (2024).)

Before conducting a home burial or establishing a family cemetery, check with the town or county clerk to see if there are any additional zoning rules you must follow.

For more information, see the Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board website.

What About Cremation?

Some crematories require that you use a funeral director to arrange cremation. If you don't want to use a funeral director, make sure the crematory is willing to accept the body directly from the family. In Oregon, a permit authorizing final disposition is required to cremate a body—no additional cremation permit is necessary. (Or. Rev. Stat. § 432.158 (2024).)

For more information about cremation, including information on scattering ashes, see Burial and Cremation Laws in Oregon.

Getting Help With Home Funerals

Even the staunchest home funeral advocates know that learning to care for one's own dead can be difficult, especially during a time of grief. If you need help, there are people available to coach you through the process. You can find local guides, consultants, and other resources by visiting the National Home Funeral Alliance website. The book Final Rights, by Joshua Slocum and Lisa Carlson, also offers extensive information on the subject.

For more information about final arrangements and documenting your final wishes in advance, see Nolo's section on Getting Your Affairs in Order.

Ready to create your will?

Get Professional Help
Talk to an Estate Planning attorney.
There was a problem with the submission. Please refresh the page and try again
Full Name is required
Email is required
Please enter a valid Email
Phone Number is required
Please enter a valid Phone Number
Zip Code is required
Please add a valid Zip Code
Please enter a valid Case Description
Description is required

How It Works

  1. Briefly tell us about your case
  2. Provide your contact information
  3. Choose attorneys to contact you