When someone dies, the first hours can feel strangely split: grief is immediate and human, while paperwork arrives like a second language. In California, families are often surprised to learn that California home funeral laws do not require you to hire a funeral establishment just to care for your own dead at home. What the law does require is simpler, but still important: the death must be registered, and you must obtain a permit before any final disposition—burial, cremation, or certain kinds of scattering—can happen.
This guide is written for families who want family-led care, are considering a home vigil, or are simply trying to understand how California’s systems affect the choices you’re making about funeral planning. We’ll walk through what the California EDRS death certificate system means in real life, what a disposition permit California families need actually is, how county vital records offices tend to help (or not), and how these legal steps connect to the decisions that come next—like cremation urns, pet urns, cremation jewelry, keeping ashes at home, water burial, and the very practical question: how much does cremation cost.
The simple legal spine of a home funeral in California
California law centers the idea that every death must be registered and that disposition cannot happen until the registration step is underway. The timing matters. The state’s Health & Safety Code requires that each death be registered within eight calendar days after death and prior to disposition. You can read that requirement directly in California Health & Safety Code section 102775.
Once the certificate of death is properly executed and complete, the local registrar issues a permit for disposition. That permit is the document a cemetery or crematory will ask for before they can accept the body for burial or cremation, and it can also specify where cremated remains will be buried or scattered. The permit framework is spelled out in California Health & Safety Code section 103055.
In plain language: you can care for the body at home, but you still have to complete the vital records steps and obtain a permit before burial or cremation can occur. The paperwork isn’t there to push you into a particular kind of service. It’s there because the state tracks deaths, and because disposition involves public health and chain-of-custody safeguards.
EDRS and the reality of “who can file” in California
If you’ve heard people mention EDRS, they’re talking about the Electronic Death Registration System. County vital records programs participate in an EDRS structure administered at the state level, and counties publish instructions for authorized users. Alameda County, for example, notes that its Vital Registration program is part of EDRS administered by the California Office of Vital Records, and it frames the process around funeral directors and designees. That language is visible in Alameda County’s EDRS instructions page. Alameda County Public Health Vital Registration makes it clear that EDRS is designed for registered users and formal workflows.
This is where families who want to file without a funeral home can feel stuck. Not because a home funeral is illegal, but because access to the electronic system is controlled. In practice, many families end up needing county vital records staff to help them initiate the record, route medical certification, or provide a paper alternative when available. A detailed nonprofit resource compiled by the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Southern California describes this friction directly, noting that EDRS is typically accessible to institutions and funeral directors, and that families may need assistance from vital records or may be routed to paper-based processes depending on the county. Funeral Consumers Alliance of Southern California also highlights a point families discover the hard way: counties may not have a single, uniform “DIY filing” playbook, so the experience can vary.
If you’re reading this after a death, it can help to treat EDRS as a system you may touch indirectly rather than personally “log into.” Your goal is not to master software. Your goal is to get the death registered, the medical portion certified, and the disposition permit issued—so you can proceed with the plan you’ve chosen.
The disposition permit: what it is, and why every crematory asks for it
The phrase burial permit California gets used a lot, but what families usually mean is the permit for disposition—sometimes issued as an “Application and Permit for Disposition of Human Remains” through the local registrar. Counties describe who can apply. Riverside University Health System’s vital records information states that any person with the right to control disposition may apply to the local registrar for a permit, and it points readers to the ordered list in Health & Safety Code 7100. Riverside University Health System – Burial Permits is a useful example of how counties frame this step in public-facing language.
Families often expect the “permit” to be something you get at the end of the process, once everything is settled. In California it’s more like a hinge: once the death certificate is properly completed, the permit opens the door for the disposition you’ve chosen. If you’re planning cremation, the crematory will require it. If you’re planning burial, the cemetery will require it. If you are planning certain types of scattering, your county may have additional forms or filing requirements tied to the permit and your chosen location.
Transporting a deceased person in California: what families usually need to know
Because your keywords include transporting deceased California, it’s worth naming what most families actually encounter. If the death occurs under hospice at home, a nurse often pronounces the death and coordinates medical certification steps. If the death is unattended or sudden, the coroner may become involved. The body can remain at home for a period of time for a vigil, but cooling and respectful positioning matter, both for dignity and for practical reasons.
Transportation is less about “permission to move the body across town” and more about being ready to show that you are the person authorized to control disposition and that you are moving the body as part of a lawful plan. Many families still choose to hire a licensed transporter or a funeral home for transport only, while keeping the vigil and the planning in family hands. Others coordinate directly with a cemetery or crematory once the disposition permit is in place.
Because county practices vary, the most stabilizing approach is to call the local registrar’s office early and ask, in plain language, what they require from a family acting as the decision-maker. You do not need to “sound official.” You need to be clear: who died, where the death occurred, who the next of kin is, and what you are trying to do next.
Where cremation fits into California family-led care
Even when a family begins with home care, many choose cremation for disposition—sometimes because it fits beliefs, sometimes because it offers flexibility, and often because it gives time. Cremation continues to reshape what families plan for in the United States. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate is projected to reach 63.4% in 2025. And the Cremation Association of North America reports a U.S. cremation rate of 61.8% in 2024, reflecting the same broad direction of travel.
When you’re dealing with California paperwork, that trend matters for one simple reason: more families are doing some version of “care now, ceremony later,” and that means permits and authorizations are showing up in more households than they used to. If you want a California-specific plain-English overview of the cremation steps and documents families typically encounter, Funeral.com has a state guide that can help you translate terms like “permit,” “authorization,” and “waiting period” into a real timeline: Cremation Laws in California (2026).
Choosing an urn is not “extra”—it’s part of the plan
After cremation, the question becomes physical: where will the ashes go right now, and where will they go long-term? This is where cremation urns for ashes become less like a product category and more like a practical decision that supports your emotional one. Some families want one primary urn. Others want a shared approach: a primary urn plus several keepsake urns or cremation jewelry so multiple people can hold remembrance without conflict.
If you already know you’ll keep the ashes at home for a while, it can help to start with a sturdy, full-size choice and then decide later whether you will bury, scatter, or divide. Funeral.com’s collection of cremation urns for ashes includes full-size options meant to hold an adult’s remains with dignity. If your home is small, or you want a second vessel for a divided plan, the small cremation urns collection can fit a shelf, a niche, or a shared family approach without feeling like a compromise. And if your intent is explicitly “share among siblings,” keepsake cremation urns for ashes are designed for small portions, which can ease tension when grief and geography pull family members in different directions.
If you want a calm, readable guide to sizing and materials, you can use Funeral.com’s educational article How to Choose a Cremation Urn as a companion while you make decisions. It’s the kind of resource that helps you translate “capacity” into something that feels less abstract.
Keeping ashes at home: comfort, safety, and family agreement
Keeping ashes at home is common, and for many families it’s comforting in a way that’s hard to explain until you’ve lived it. A small memorial corner can feel like an anchor—especially in the weeks after a death when the house is quiet and your brain is still catching up. The challenges are usually practical: where to place the urn so it’s safe, how to talk to children, what to do if family members disagree, and how to plan for “later” without forcing a decision today.
Funeral.com’s guide Keeping Ashes at Home walks through those considerations without superstition or pressure. The most helpful idea is often the simplest one: you can keep ashes at home now and still write down a long-term plan later so your family is not guessing in a future crisis.
Water burial, burial at sea, and scattering: what’s allowed, and what to plan for
Families searching for water burial are usually looking for a goodbye that feels spacious and honest. If the ocean was important to your loved one, a burial at sea or scattering can feel like returning them to a place that held meaning. Federal rules apply in ocean waters. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency explains that a general permit under the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act governs burial at sea, including the release of cremated remains. The federal regulation commonly referenced is 40 CFR 229.1, which is also accessible through Cornell’s Legal Information Institute. Cornell LII includes the language stating cremated remains must be buried no closer than three nautical miles from land.
California also has specific rules for scattering at sea and in certain navigable waters. California Health & Safety Code 7117 describes scattering at sea, including the requirement that scattering not occur within 500 yards of the shoreline and that it may not be done from a bridge or pier. California Health & Safety Code 7117 is worth reading if your plan involves a shoreline ceremony.
For families who want a water ceremony that feels gentle and environmentally aligned, a biodegradable urn can turn a scattered moment into a slow, visible release. Funeral.com’s guidance on Water Burial and Burial at Sea translates “three nautical miles” into planning reality, and the Biodegradable Ocean & Water Burial Urns article helps you understand how different designs float, sink, or dissolve. If you’re already sure you want an eco-forward option, Funeral.com’s biodegradable and eco-friendly urns for ashes collection is a natural place to explore what fits your ceremony and your timeline.
If your plan involves hiring someone to scatter cremated remains for you, California regulates “cremated remains disposers.” The California Department of Consumer Affairs Cemetery and Funeral Bureau publishes a booklet for CRDs that summarizes lawful scattering and related requirements. California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau – Cremated Remains Disposers Booklet is a practical reference if you’re trying to understand that pathway.
Pet ashes: when grief is both smaller and just as real
Home care and DIY planning conversations often include a quieter grief: the loss of a pet. Families can be surprised by how intensely they feel it, and by how much comfort it brings to choose a memorial that matches the bond. Pet urns are not a lesser version of a human memorial. They are a way of saying, “This relationship mattered.”
If you’re choosing pet urns for ashes, the same general questions apply—size, placement, long-term plan—but the memorial style often becomes more personal. Some families want a simple vessel. Others want a piece that resembles their companion, which is where pet figurine cremation urns can feel like an act of recognition as much as a container. For families who want to share a small portion among household members, pet keepsake cremation urns can help. And if you’re still deciding, the broader collection of pet cremation urns gives you a range of styles without forcing you into anything formal.
Cremation jewelry: a small, private way to carry someone with you
Cremation jewelry tends to be chosen for reasons families don’t always say out loud. It can be a way to keep a person close while also living your life—going back to work, sitting in traffic, traveling, and having ordinary days again. Cremation necklaces, bracelets, and small pendants are designed for tiny portions of ashes, and they are often used alongside a primary urn rather than instead of one.
If that idea feels right, you can browse Funeral.com’s cremation jewelry collection, or focus specifically on cremation necklaces. For an overview that answers “how does it work?” and “what should we know before we buy?” Funeral.com’s Journal also offers a gentle explainer that connects urns, pet urns, and jewelry in one place: Cremation Urns, Pet Urns, and Cremation Jewelry: A Gentle Guide.
Cost questions are normal: how much does cremation cost, really?
When families ask how much does cremation cost, they are rarely looking for a perfect national average. They’re trying to avoid financial shock and make sure their choice is sustainable. Cremation pricing can vary widely by region, but the structure is often consistent: basic services, transportation (sometimes with mileage limits), required care/holding, crematory fee, permits, and death certificates. Then comes memorialization—an urn, keepsakes, a service, cemetery placement, or scattering plans.
If you want an everyday-language breakdown that helps you compare quotes without getting lost, Funeral.com’s guide How Much Does Cremation Cost? lays out typical price bands and the line items that change the final number. For California readers, it can also help to check county-specific cost dynamics and paperwork expectations, because permits and certificate copies can influence the total in small but real ways.
A consumer note: your rights matter, even when you’re grieving
Even if you plan family-led care, you may still interact with licensed providers for transport, cremation, refrigeration, or certificate copies. You deserve clear pricing and honest explanations. California’s Cemetery and Funeral Bureau maintains consumer resources and publishes a Consumer Guide to Funeral and Cemetery Purchases. You can access it through the Bureau’s consumer page. California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau – Consumer Resources is a good bookmark if you’re trying to understand what you must buy (usually less than you fear) versus what is optional (often more than you expected).
How to hold all of this at once: law, love, and the next step
Home care is not about skipping honor. It’s about placing honor where it belongs: in the hands of people who loved the person who died. California’s paperwork—EDRS workflows, registrars, permits—can feel like it was built for institutions instead of families, and sometimes it is. But the legal requirements themselves are not designed to take the body away from you. They are designed to make sure the death is recorded and the disposition is lawful.
If you’re trying to create a plan that feels both practical and human, it can help to think in a simple sequence. First, get the death registered and the permit issued. Then, carry out the disposition you’ve chosen. After that, allow yourself time to decide what kind of memorialization fits your family: a primary urn, small cremation urns to share, keepsake urns, a piece of cremation jewelry, a decision to keep ashes at home for now, or a carefully planned scattering or water burial.
If you want a broader guide that gently organizes those decisions into a workable plan, Funeral.com’s How to Preplan a Funeral can help you document choices in a way your future self—and your family—will thank you for. Not because planning removes grief, but because it removes some of the confusion that grief makes harder.
