The question usually shows up in the middle of a harder moment.
A nurse hands you a folder. A funeral home calls back. A family group chat lights up with travel plans, work schedules, and the sudden reality that your loved one is in their care. Somewhere between “What happens next?” and “How do we do this respectfully?” you hear a new word that sounds both technical and final: embalming.
If you’re wondering do you need embalming, you’re not alone—and you’re not behind. Most families have never had to think about it until they’re grieving, sleep-deprived, and trying to make decisions that feel permanent while time feels strangely compressed.
Here’s the truth that brings many people immediate relief: embalming is not automatically required in most situations. Under the Funeral Rule, funeral providers must disclose when embalming isn’t required by law (except in certain special cases) and they generally can’t charge for embalming without permission. According to the Federal Trade Commission, those disclosures are part of what families are entitled to during arrangements.
What matters is your situation—your timeline, the kind of goodbye you want, your beliefs, and the practical realities of care and transportation. This guide will walk you through when is embalming required, when it’s truly optional, and what alternatives (like refrigeration) can look like in real life.
What embalming actually does (and what it doesn’t)
Embalming is a temporary preservation process. It typically involves replacing some bodily fluids with preservative solutions to slow natural changes, reduce the risk of odor, and help with presentation for viewings.
It can be useful, but it’s important to name what embalming does not do. It does not stop time. It does not guarantee a certain appearance. And it does not automatically make a funeral more “proper” or more loving.
If you want a plain-language walkthrough of the process and common safety questions, Funeral.com has two helpful companion reads: What Is Embalming? Process, Safety, and When It’s Needed and Embalming: What It Is, When It Helps, and When You Can Skip It.
And if you’re trying to understand how embalming fits into the bigger picture of services—wake, viewing, visitation, funeral, memorial—this guide can make the language feel less intimidating: Wake, Viewing, Visitation, and Funeral: What Each One Means and How They’re Different.
When embalming is legally required (and why it’s rarer than people think)
Families often hear embalming discussed as if it’s simply part of “what you do.” But the most dependable way to ground the conversation is to separate law from preference. The FTC’s Funeral Rule guidance explains that providers must include required disclosures (including embalming disclosures) and can’t misrepresent legal requirements.
So what are the “special cases”?
They’re usually about time and transportation, and they’re often tied to state or local public health rules. In some places, if burial or cremation won’t happen promptly, the rules require a preservation method after a certain amount of time—often phrased as embalming or refrigeration. That’s why it helps to ask a very specific question in a calm tone: “If something is required here, is it embalming specifically—or is it refrigeration or embalming?”
If you’d like a straightforward myth-busting version of this topic (especially helpful when relatives disagree), Funeral.com also has: Is Embalming Required for a Funeral? Laws, Myths, and Alternatives Explained.
Transportation can change the rules quickly
If your loved one needs to be moved—especially by air, across long distances, or across borders—requirements can shift. Some states and common-carrier situations may require embalming, or they may allow refrigeration plus an approved container.
Funeral.com’s guide, How to Transport Human Remains, breaks down the paperwork, timing, and the common “embalming or refrigeration” issue that can come up when the receiving state has specific rules.
International situations can add another layer. The CDC explains that requirements for importing human remains into the U.S. depend on the purpose of importation, whether the body has been embalmed or cremated, and whether the person died from an infectious disease.
If you’re dealing with travel, you’re not “making things complicated.” You’re facing a real logistical factor that can legitimately affect options.
When embalming is optional but sometimes recommended
Most of the time, embalming isn’t a legal requirement—it’s a tool that may support a family’s plans.
If you’re thinking about embalming and open casket funerals, the key question is really about the kind of viewing you want and how much time you need. A brief family goodbye shortly after death can sometimes happen without embalming, particularly if refrigeration is used and timing is tight. A longer public visitation—especially over multiple days, in warmer conditions, or when travel delays are involved—is where embalming is more commonly recommended because it can make the experience more predictable.
This is also where it helps to clarify vocabulary. Some families picture a “viewing” as a formal open-casket event, while others simply want a quiet moment with immediate family. If you’re unsure what your funeral home means by these terms, you may feel steadier after reading What Happens at a Visitation or Viewing? and Wake vs Viewing vs Funeral vs Celebration of Life: Which Is Right for Your Family. Both can help you describe what you want clearly—without feeling like you need the “right” funeral-industry language first.
Embalming vs refrigeration: what families should know
The most common alternative families consider is embalming vs refrigeration.
Refrigeration is exactly what it sounds like: cooling remains to slow natural changes without chemicals. Many families prefer it when the service will happen soon, when they want a more natural approach, when they’re planning cremation without a formal viewing, or when their beliefs discourage embalming. In many real-world cases, refrigeration also becomes the practical bridge that buys time for relatives to arrive without committing to embalming, as long as local rules and the funeral home’s facilities support it.
You’ll sometimes hear this framed as a “preference,” but it’s more accurate to think of it as a planning choice tied to your timeline. That’s why families who are declining embalming often ask how long a body can be kept without embalming—not because they want to be clinical, but because they’re trying to honor a loved one and make it possible for the people who need to be there to actually arrive. If you’re dealing with a tight timeline, this Funeral.com guide may feel reassuring rather than alarming: Short-Notice Funerals and Quick Cremation Services: What’s Realistic on a Tight Timeline.
If you’re hoping for a viewing without embalming, it helps to say that plainly. Then ask what the funeral home can support with refrigeration, timing, and preparation that doesn’t involve embalming.
Religious and green-burial perspectives
For many families, the embalming decision isn’t only practical—it’s spiritual.
Green burial and natural burial
If you’re exploring green burial and embalming, it’s common to find that natural burial traditions and many green burial cemeteries avoid embalming. The Green Burial Council notes that green burial is legal in all 50 states and discusses how local regulations and cemetery requirements can shape choices, including embalming expectations in rare contexts.
If you’re weighing environmental values alongside family needs, Funeral.com’s resources can help you think in “real life” terms rather than ideals. Two solid starting points are Green Funerals: Eco-Friendly Options for Saying Goodbye and Green Burial and Natural Burial Grounds: Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Traditional Funerals. And if your family is leaning toward cremation but wants lower-impact choices afterward, you might also explore Eco-Friendly Urns and Biodegradable Options: Water, Soil, and Tree Memorials.
Religious objections to embalming
Religious objections to embalming vary by tradition and community practice, but two commonly referenced examples are Judaism and Islam, where expedited burial and respect for the body can strongly shape choices.
My Jewish Learning explains that embalming is typically prohibited in Jewish tradition, with limited exceptions in circumstances where embalming is required by law or needed for health and safety. Islamic guidance from AMJA similarly connects avoiding embalming to the emphasis on hastening burial. See My Jewish Learning and AMJA.
If your family’s faith is part of this decision, it’s okay to name that directly: “We have religious reasons for avoiding embalming—what options can you offer instead?” Many funeral directors have experience coordinating refrigeration and timing to support religious practice.
Cost and clarity: what embalming changes on the price list
For some families, the question “Do we need embalming?” arrives alongside another: “Are we about to spend money we don’t have?”
Pricing varies by region and provider, but embalming is typically listed as a separate charge on a funeral home’s General Price List. The point isn’t to turn grief into negotiation—it’s to make sure you’re paying for what truly serves your family and your chosen service, especially if you’re considering cost savings by skipping embalming.
If you want to understand costs without spiraling, these Funeral.com guides are designed to be practical and calming: Funeral Costs Broken Down: What You’re Paying For and How to Compare Price Lists, How Much Does a Funeral Cost? Complete Funeral Price Breakdown and Ways to Save, and Average Funeral and Cremation Costs Today: Updated Price Guide and Ways to Compare. If money is the immediate stress point, you may also appreciate the very direct tone of What Is the Cheapest Way to Plan a Funeral?.
For national context, the National Funeral Directors Association reports a 2023 national median cost of $8,300 for a funeral with viewing and burial, and $6,280 for a funeral with viewing and cremation. You can see those figures in the NFDA’s news release: National Funeral Directors Association.
It’s also worth noting how quickly consumer preferences are changing. NFDA’s reporting on its cremation projections points to continued growth in cremation, including a projected 63.4% U.S. cremation rate for 2025. See the NFDA release: Americans Choosing Cremation at Historic Rates, NFDA Report Finds. CANA also publishes annual cremation rate statistics through its industry statistics page: Cremation Association of North America.
If you’re leaning toward cremation and your next question is how much does cremation cost, Funeral.com’s guide is a clear, practical place to start: How Much Does Cremation Cost? Average Prices and Budget-Friendly Options. And if your family is choosing simplicity now and ceremony later, these two explain that path well: Direct Cremation: What It Is, Who It’s For, and How It Works and Direct Cremation: What’s Included, What’s Not, and How Families Can Personalize Later.
A gentle reality check about “policy” vs “law”
One of the hardest parts of this decision is that it can feel like there’s no room to say no.
So here’s a steadying anchor: the FTC’s guidance makes clear that providers must disclose when embalming isn’t legally required (except certain special cases), and they must have authorization to charge for embalming. That doesn’t mean every conversation will feel simple, but it does mean you can ask questions without apologizing for them.
It may also help to remember that “this is what we usually do” is not the same as “this is required.” Sometimes a funeral home is describing what tends to work best for a multi-day open-casket visitation. Other times they’re describing an internal policy that can feel like a rule unless you ask about options.
Questions to ask before you decide
If you’re standing at the crossroads of funeral planning, travel timing, values, and budget, it helps to keep your questions simple and specific.
You can ask whether embalming is required by law in your situation or simply recommended for practical reasons, and then ask what the funeral home can offer if you decline embalming—especially whether refrigeration is available and how it affects the timeline. If you want a private goodbye or even a brief viewing without embalming, it’s fair to ask what the timing would look like and what preparation (non-embalming) options are available. And if transportation is involved, you can ask what the carrier or destination requirements are for transporting an unembalmed body, including whether an approved container and refrigeration can meet the requirement.
The goal isn’t to “win” a discussion. It’s to walk away understanding what’s necessary, what’s optional, and what fits your family.
Choosing what feels respectful to you
Sometimes families choose embalming because they want time for people to arrive, or they want the comfort of a traditional viewing. Sometimes families decline because they’re choosing cremation quickly, following religious practice, seeking natural body care options, or trying to keep costs manageable.
None of those choices are cold. They’re all forms of care.
And when cremation is part of the plan, families often find that the embalming decision is only one chapter in a longer story about remembrance—whether that means keeping ashes at home, scattering, burial, or sharing keepsakes across households. If you’re thinking about what comes after cremation, Funeral.com has several gentle, practical guides: Keeping Ashes at Home: How to Do It Safely, Respectfully, and Legally, Scattering Ashes vs Keeping an Urn at Home: Emotional, Practical, and Legal Things to Consider, and Keepsake Urns and Sharing Urns: When Families Want to Divide Ashes. If a shoreline or ocean ceremony is meaningful to your family, this can help you plan thoughtfully: Understanding What Happens During a Water Burial Ceremony.
