Aquamation (Water Cremation) in Wyoming (2026): Legal Status, Providers & Costs

A family in Wyoming considering aquamation usually isn’t looking for something trendy. They’re looking for something that feels gentler, more aligned with their values, and less complicated than it sounds. Aquamation—also called water cremation or alkaline hydrolysis—is often described as “lower-flame” because it does not use open fire the way flame cremation does. Instead, it uses water, a mild alkaline solution, and heat over time to complete a respectful form of disposition.

In 2026, these questions come up more than they used to. Cremation has become the majority choice in many parts of the U.S., and families are increasingly asking what else is possible besides flame or burial. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate is projected at 63.4% for 2025, and NFDA also reports a 2023 national median cost of $6,280 for a funeral with viewing and cremation. Those aren’t just numbers—they help explain why more families are comparing approaches and planning carefully around both meaning and budget.

This guide focuses on what matters most if you’re searching for aquamation Wyoming answers: whether it’s legal, whether it’s realistically available, what it typically costs, and what you’ll want to ask a funeral home before you commit. Along the way, we’ll also talk about what happens after aquamation—because the decisions about what to do with ashes, keeping ashes at home, and choosing cremation urns or cremation jewelry are often where families need the most steady, practical help.

What aquamation is, in plain language

Aquamation is the common name for alkaline hydrolysis, a process that reduces the body without flame. Many families like the “water-based” idea because it feels calmer, and many people interested in eco-focused planning appreciate that it typically relies on electricity rather than direct fossil-fuel combustion. If you want the industry definition and trend context, the Cremation Association of North America publishes an annual statistics summary that discusses how U.S. cremation rates have risen over time and how growth is beginning to slow as overall adoption climbs.

From a family’s perspective, one of the most comforting details is that aquamation still results in “ashes” in the way people mean it day to day. You receive processed remains that can be placed in cremation urns for ashes, divided into keepsake urns, used in cremation necklaces, or handled the same ways you would after flame cremation.

If you’re already thinking ahead to memorial options, Funeral.com has a broad collection of cremation urns for ashes, including small cremation urns for portioned remains and keepsake urns designed specifically for sharing ashes among family members.

Is aquamation legal in Wyoming

Legality is the first hurdle—and in Wyoming, the legal framework does recognize chemical disposition. Wyoming’s Funeral Service Practitioners Act includes provisions for “chemical disposition” facilities and the required authorizations and recordkeeping around chemical disposition, alongside cremation. You can see these provisions in the Wyoming Legislature’s engrossed act text in HB0025 (Funeral Service Practitioners Act), including sections addressing chemical disposition authorization, permits, and inspections.

Wyoming’s administrative rules also speak directly to chemical disposition as a regulated practice area. For example, the state’s administrative code includes requirements tied to “Cremation, Chemical Disposition, Burial, Embalming or Refrigeration,” shown in Wyoming Administrative Code (Agency 035) Section 4-5, and the permit qualification language for operating a crematory or chemical disposition facility is summarized by Cornell’s Legal Information Institute in 035-6 Wyo. Code R. § 6-2.

That said, “legal” and “available” are not the same thing. Wyoming can recognize chemical disposition in law and rules while still having limited (or no) in-state facilities actually operating. The most reliable way to confirm what is active right now is to ask a local funeral home what facilities they use and, if needed, verify licensure or permitting through the Wyoming Board of Funeral Service Practitioners.

Finding providers in Wyoming and nearby alternatives

If you live in a state with many aquamation facilities, “finding a provider” can be as simple as calling two or three funeral homes. In Wyoming, families often need a two-step plan: first confirm whether any in-state provider is operating and accepting cases, and then have a backup option in a nearby state if local access is limited.

Here’s the practical reality: in many rural and low-population areas, aquamation availability can lag behind legality because the equipment is expensive, permitting can be complex, and demand can be hard to predict. That doesn’t mean you can’t choose it—it just means your funeral home may need to coordinate transport to a facility out of state.

If you’re looking at nearby states, Colorado is often a point of reference because it has specialized facilities offering alkaline hydrolysis. One example is Alkaline Hydrolysis of Colorado, which describes its water cremation services and notes that the method has been legal there for years. Your Wyoming funeral home may also have established relationships with regional providers even if they don’t advertise aquamation on their own website.

When you call funeral homes to ask about aquamation providers Wyoming, it helps to listen for clarity on three things: where the chemical disposition will physically occur, how transportation is handled, and whether the quoted price includes third-party facility fees and transport or only the funeral home’s portion of the work.

What aquamation typically costs in 2026

Families deserve an honest answer to how much does cremation cost and how aquamation compares—without vague reassurance. The most dependable way to think about cost is to separate the disposition method (aquamation vs. flame) from the service style (direct, or with viewing/ceremony). NFDA’s statistics page is helpful here because it shows how often cremation is paired with services, and it provides national median pricing benchmarks. See the National Funeral Directors Association statistics for context on cremation rates and median costs.

For aquamation specifically, national pricing varies widely because availability varies widely. Some families see aquamation priced similarly to direct cremation, while others see it priced higher because it requires longer-distance transportation or because a limited number of facilities serve a large region. Broader reporting has also noted that consumer costs can be similar to cremation in many cases; for example, Time has described aquamation as a growing alternative and noted that costs are often comparable to flame cremation depending on the market.

If you want a step-by-step view of what typically drives cremation totals (transport, paperwork, the cremation fee, death certificates, upgraded containers, and optional memorial choices), Funeral.com’s guide on how much does cremation cost breaks down common fees in plain language. And if your family is specifically comparing water-based and flame options, this recent overview of aquamation vs. flame cremation cost can help you understand why quotes can look surprisingly different between providers.

In Wyoming, the simplest way to avoid surprise is to ask for a written, itemized estimate that clearly states: the disposition method, whether transport is included (and from where to where), the third-party facility fee (if any), the container included, and what happens if there are delays or additional permits.

The questions to ask before you choose a funeral home

Even when a funeral home is compassionate and experienced, aquamation can involve more moving parts than a standard in-town cremation. A few direct questions—asked gently but clearly—can save your family stress later.

• Where will the aquamation take place, and what is the facility’s name and location?
• Is the facility permitted/licensed for chemical disposition, and can you share how families can verify it through the state board?
• What transportation is included in the quote, and what mileage or out-of-area fees could apply?
• What remains will we receive, in what container, and when?
• How do you handle scheduling if the facility is out of state or has limited availability?

If you want a broader planning mindset—especially if your family is balancing emotion, logistics, and cost—this is where funeral planning becomes less about “choosing a package” and more about choosing a timeline and a set of decisions you can live with. Sometimes families choose a simple disposition now and plan a memorial later when travel, weather, and emotional bandwidth are better.

What happens after aquamation: urns, keepsakes, and keeping ashes at home

In many families, the hardest moment isn’t choosing aquamation. It’s the moment after, when the remains come home and the next question arrives: what to do with ashes. There is no universal “right” answer. There is only what feels steady and respectful for your people.

Some families choose one centerpiece urn. Others divide remains so more than one household can hold a meaningful portion. This is where small cremation urns and keepsake urns become practical tools, not just products. A portioned plan can reduce conflict (no one feels “left out”) and can also support different grief styles within the same family.

If you’re thinking about a shared plan, you can explore Funeral.com’s keepsake cremation urns and small cremation urns for ashes. If you want one primary memorial urn, start with the broader cremation urns collection and then narrow by style, material, and capacity.

Many Wyoming families also ask about keeping ashes at home. This is common, and for many people it’s a temporary step that becomes longer-term because it feels comforting. If you want practical guidance on safety, visitors, children, pets, and respectful placement, this Funeral.com Journal guide on keeping ashes at home walks through the emotional and practical side without judgment.

Cremation jewelry and carrying a small portion of ashes

Sometimes an urn feels like a “home” for the remains, but a person still wants something closer—something that can travel to an anniversary dinner, a quiet hike, or a hard day at work. That is often why families consider cremation jewelry, including cremation necklaces designed to hold a very small portion of ashes.

If you’re exploring jewelry, it helps to focus on durability, closure type, and how the piece is filled and sealed. Funeral.com’s cremation jewelry guide explains what to look for and how to handle filling safely. For shopping, you can browse cremation jewelry or go straight to cremation necklaces if a necklace is what you have in mind.

Water burial and biodegradable urn options

Families searching for aquamation are often drawn to nature-forward memorial ideas, including water burial. If your family is considering a lake, river, or ocean ceremony, the practical details matter—especially around drift, timing, and material breakdown. Funeral.com’s guide to water burial urns explains how different designs float, sink, and dissolve, which can help you choose a container that matches the type of goodbye you want.

Because Wyoming families may travel for memorials—returning to a family cabin lake, a favorite fishing spot, or a coastal place connected to a loved one—planning the “after” can be just as important as planning the disposition. If your funeral home is coordinating out-of-state aquamation, you can still plan a Wyoming-centered memorial later with an urn that feels right for home or for a ceremony outdoors.

Pet aquamation, pet urns, and memorial options for companions

Many families first hear about aquamation through pet aftercare, because some communities have offered pet alkaline hydrolysis longer than human availability. If your family is also navigating the loss of a companion animal, or you want to understand memorial options for pets alongside human planning, it can help to know that the same “after” decisions apply: urn size, keepsakes, jewelry, and what feels comforting day to day.

Funeral.com’s collection of pet urns for ashes includes a wide range of styles, including artistic pet figurine cremation urns and shareable pet keepsake cremation urns. For families who want a wearable option, there is also a dedicated pet cremation jewelry collection.

A gentle way to decide when everything feels heavy

If you’re reading this soon after a death, you may feel pressure to decide quickly—especially if weather, travel, work schedules, or finances are pressing in. If you’re planning ahead, you may feel pressure to “get it all right.” In either case, it can help to narrow the decision to three steady questions: Is aquamation available close enough to be manageable? Is the quote transparent enough to be trusted? And does this method align with how your person lived and what your family needs to grieve well?

Wyoming families can choose aquamation within a legal framework that recognizes chemical disposition, but availability may still require coordination and transport. And even when aquamation is the right choice, the memorial decisions that follow—choosing cremation urns, deciding on keeping ashes at home, or selecting cremation jewelry—are where a family often finds its real sense of peace. Take it one decision at a time. You don’t have to solve the whole story today.

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