Safe Luxury

Do you have to be embalmed or cremated in the US when you die?

Say you want to plan for whenever you die to do something unconventional like be buried in an underground vault without being embalmed or sky-burial or excarnation would it be allowed? -I know sky burial and excarnation are not the most sanitary ways to do but for the sake of argument assume it is done way out in the middle of nowhere away from people. Sky burial is NOT cremation

Public Comments

1. No! Embalming is only used to perserve the body for the funeral. Jews are forbidden to be embalmed as they are to go out as they came in. The Jews are buried quickly after death becasue of this. The religions where the funeral is not immediate or the body is viewed embalm.
2. you do not have to be embalmed to be buried or to be creamated... to be sky buried one has to be cremated first and your ashes can be spread over sea or land or have the ashes in a closed vase....
3. no, you don't have to be embalmed if it conflicts with your beliefs, but there are restrictions if you are not embalmed. http://www.generations.on.ca/funeral-faq.htm
4. There are severe restrictions on other ways of doing things.. in some states you can legally set it up so that your family and/or friends can do a home cremation even.. it is not an easy process, that you must have set up prior to your own death.. you must have someone willing to do it.. they have to take classes and things.. but there are different alternatives for people.. (I personally think I'd choose to donate my body to the body farm or something similar)