Mailing Ashes: USPS Rules and Safer Packaging

There are moments in grief when the practical details feel almost surreal. You may be holding a temporary container from the crematory, trying to make decisions through a haze, and then realizing that part of your plan involves distance. A sibling lives across the country. A jeweler needs a small portion for a pendant. A cemetery is in the town where your loved one grew up. Or maybe you are simply trying to bring a pet home to the person who loved them most. In those situations, “mailing ashes” stops sounding abstract. It becomes a real question: how do you do this safely, respectfully, and within the rules?

As cremation becomes more common, more families run into this scenario. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate was projected to reach 63.4% in 2025. The Cremation Association of North America reports the U.S. cremation rate at 61.8% for 2024. Those numbers reflect a simple reality: more families are choosing cremation, and more families need clear guidance about what to do with ashes, including how to ship them when the memorial plan spans more than one place.

When families decide to mail cremated remains

Most families don’t plan to ship ashes at the beginning. It becomes part of the story later, when the “next step” is finally clear. Sometimes it’s a practical decision, like sending remains to a cemetery, columbarium, or funeral home in a different state. Sometimes it’s deeply personal, like sharing small portions with adult children who each want their own tribute. And increasingly, it can be creative: families may mail a small portion to an artisan for cremation jewelry or a cremation necklace, or send remains ahead to a location where a scattering or water burial ceremony will happen.

Pet loss creates the same need, often with even less emotional bandwidth available. If you are mailing pet urns for ashes to a family member, or sending a portion to be turned into a keepsake, the rules and packaging principles are essentially the same. The key is building a packaging “system” that protects both the remains and the people handling the package along the way.

The most important USPS rule: cremated remains can only go by Priority Mail Express

In the U.S., the carrier matters. USPS states that it is the only shipping company that ships cremated remains (human or pet ashes) and that domestic shipments must use Priority Mail Express. USPS also notes that the inner container must be properly sealed, and the outer shipping package must be one of the USPS Priority Mail Express cremated remains kits. You can see this guidance on the USPS shipping restrictions page under cremated remains: USPS Shipping Restrictions & HAZMAT.

That requirement is also reflected in USPS standards. Publication 52’s section on cremated remains states that cremated remains may only be mailed domestically via Priority Mail Express, and that mailers must use USPS-produced cremated remains packaging (BOX-CRE). USPS Publication 52 (451.22 Cremated Remains) spells out the service requirement and the BOX-CRE packaging requirement in plain terms.

In other words, if you are searching “mail cremated remains USPS” and hoping there is a workaround with another service, the safest answer is no. The rules are designed to protect visibility and handling, and they are not optional.

Why BOX-CRE matters (and why older advice online can be confusing)

If you have looked around online, you may have seen older instructions that mention a special label, or advice that implies you can use any sturdy box if it is marked correctly. The reason it feels inconsistent is that USPS has tightened and clarified the packaging rules over time. A 2025 Federal Register rule explains that USPS would require cremated remains to be shipped in the cremated remains packaging supplied by the Postal Service, noting that previously mailers could use another box if it was marked with a specific label. Federal Register (Feb. 19, 2025) Cremated Remains Packaging Requirements provides that context.

Today, the practical takeaway is simple: plan to use USPS-provided cremated remains packaging (BOX-CRE), and plan to ship using Priority Mail Express. USPS Publication 139 repeats this clearly and walks you through the packaging steps: USPS Publication 139 (How to Package and Ship Cremated Remains).

Think in layers: the safest packaging is a system

When families picture shipping ashes, they often imagine the decorative urn being shipped as-is. Sometimes that is appropriate, but often the safest approach is to focus on the inner container first, then build outward. USPS Publication 139 explains that the inner primary container must be strong, durable, properly sealed, and “sift-proof,” meaning loose powder cannot leak out. Publication 139 also recommends placing that sift-proof container into a sealed plastic bag, then cushioning it so it cannot shift in transit.

USPS Packaging Instruction 10C confirms the same layered approach and makes one point that families often miss: the rules apply not only to ashes, but also to related items such as keepsakes and jewelry, as long as the packaging requirements are met. USPS Packaging Instruction 10C lays out the “primary receptacle,” the sealed plastic bag, the cushioning, and the requirement to use USPS-produced BOX-CRE outer packaging.

Here is what that layered system looks like in real life:

• A sealed, sift-proof inner container that can’t leak.
• A sealed plastic bag around the inner container, as a second barrier.
• Enough cushioning that the inner container cannot move when the box is gently shaken.
• The USPS-produced Priority Mail Express cremated remains outer packaging (BOX-CRE).

That is the core. Everything else you do is about reducing risk and increasing clarity.

Safer packaging habits that reduce stress and prevent problems

Even when you follow the official instructions, it helps to think like someone who will never open the box, never meet your family, and will handle it the way any package is handled. Safer packaging is not about distrust. It is about acknowledging the reality of transit and giving yourself the peace of mind that you did everything you reasonably could.

Start with the inner container. Many families receive cremated remains in an inner bag inside a temporary container. If you are not sure whether the remains are already in a sealed bag, it is worth confirming before you do anything else. If you need help understanding what cremated remains typically look like when they are returned, and how inner bags and containers work, you may find Are Cremation Ashes Loose in the Urn? reassuring and practical.

If you are transferring remains into a different container, choose a vessel that closes securely and is suitable for handling. Many families choose sturdy, travel-friendly materials for the shipment itself and then decide on display options later. If you want guidance on materials, closures, and how the plan should drive the choice, How to Choose a Cremation Urn is a useful companion, and you can browse cremation urns for ashes once you have a clearer sense of what “secure” means for your specific plan.

If the goal is sharing, many families prefer to keep the main portion together while sending smaller portions to relatives. That is where keepsake urns and small cremation urns become part of the funeral planning conversation. If you want the plain-language “how big are they and why do families choose them” explanation, see Keepsake Urns Explained.

For pet families, the same principle applies. If you are shipping a pet’s remains to a family member, or dividing a portion among loved ones, you can explore pet cremation urns, or choose something more specific like pet figurine cremation urns or pet keepsake cremation urns depending on whether your plan is to keep everything together or share small portions.

Mailing ashes for jewelry and keepsakes

One of the most common reasons families ship a small portion is to create something wearable or shareable. Cremation jewelry is designed to hold a tiny amount of ashes, and it often becomes a way for siblings or parents to carry connection without dividing the entire remains. If that is your plan, it helps to think of the jewelry as one part of a broader memorial system: a primary urn for most of the remains, and a small symbolic portion for jewelry.

You can explore cremation jewelry and cremation necklaces to understand the range of styles and closures. For the practical questions families always have—how it is filled, what’s included, and how to keep it secure—Cremation Jewelry 101 is a calm, detailed guide. If you are specifically mailing a small portion to an artisan, Mailing Ashes for Jewelry walks through the USPS-focused packaging logic in a way that reduces guesswork.

What to verify before you ship

Packaging is half of “safe.” The other half is verification—making sure your package is going to the right place, at the right time, with the right expectations. USPS Publication 139 recommends including complete return and delivery addresses and even suggests placing an additional piece of paper inside the box with sender and recipient addresses and contact information in case the shipping label becomes detached. Publication 139 also notes that for international shipping, the contents must be identified on the customs declaration form, and the destination country must permit the shipment.

• Confirm the recipient’s full legal name and the exact delivery address (including apartment numbers and ZIP code).
• Confirm someone can receive the package promptly, especially if the destination is a business that has limited hours.
• Decide whether you are shipping the full remains or a portion, and ensure your inner container matches that choice.
• If shipping internationally, verify that the destination country permits cremated remains and that Priority Mail Express International is available; USPS rules require both. See Publication 52 (451.22) and Publication 139.
• Keep copies of any paperwork you have (cremation certificate, funeral home documentation), and consider including a copy if appropriate for the receiving party’s needs.

If you are feeling anxious while you wait, that is normal. Many families find it grounding to have a “home base” plan in place for the portion that remains with them—whether that is a temporary container, a primary urn, or a small keepsake. If you need practical reassurance about secure placement and spill prevention, keeping ashes at home is often the next helpful read.

International mailing: the rules are stricter, and planning matters more

International shipping is possible in some cases, but it is not something to improvise. USPS Packaging Instruction 10C states that international shipments are permitted via Priority Mail Express International when permitted by the destination country, and it adds an important requirement: for international mail, a funeral urn is required as the primary receptacle, and it must be sealed and sift-proof. USPS Packaging Instruction 10C is the clearest place to see that distinction between domestic and international requirements.

USPS Publication 52 also emphasizes destination verification and the requirement to list the contents on the applicable customs declaration form. Publication 52 (451.22 Cremated Remains) summarizes those conditions, and Publication 139 explains the paperwork and preparation details in a family-friendly format. If you are shipping internationally because your loved one is being laid to rest in another country, this is the moment to slow down and treat the logistics as part of the memorial care—not just a task to get through.

How shipping decisions connect to the bigger memorial plan

Many people treat shipping as a separate task, but it is usually one chapter of a longer story. If you are mailing ashes to share among family, you are also deciding how to memorialize across multiple homes. That is where cremation urns, keepsake urns, and cremation jewelry become connected rather than separate categories. A primary urn may live at home now and later be placed in a columbarium. Keepsakes may be given at a memorial gathering months later. Jewelry may be worn daily as the grief becomes quieter and more integrated.

Cost can influence these choices, too, especially when families are balancing meaningful memorialization with a tight budget. NFDA reports a 2023 national median of $6,280 for a funeral with cremation. NFDA Statistics is a helpful reference point, and Funeral.com’s how much does cremation cost guidance can help you understand what drives price changes and where families can simplify without feeling like they are cutting corners on care.

If your plan includes scattering or a ceremony on water, shipping may be part of getting the remains to the right place at the right time. In that case, pairing a shipping plan with a clear ceremony plan can reduce second-guessing. Funeral.com’s water burial guide can help translate the rules and timing into something that feels manageable and respectful.

And if you are simply not ready to decide, that is allowed. The “right” memorial plan does not have to happen on anyone else’s timeline. If you need a gentler approach to decision-making, what to do with ashes can help you separate immediate needs from long-term choices.