Home funeral laws in New Hampshire
New Hampshire places no funeral director between a family and their dead. Every step of a funeral, from caring for the body at home to driving to the crematory, can legally be handled by the family alone. Hardly anyone knows this.
What your family may legally do in New Hampshire
Care for the body at home
Legal in every state. Embalming is not required; refrigeration or dry ice does the same job. Families have a day or more, usually several.
File the death certificate and permits yourselves
As next of kin you can complete and file the death certificate and burial-transit permit directly with the local registrar.
Transport the body in the family vehicle
Legal with the burial-transit permit in hand. A station wagon, van or truck bed with a simple box is how it was done for centuries.
Deliver directly to the crematory or cemetery
Many crematories accept families directly. Call ahead; the fee is a fraction of a funeral home's package.
Bury on your own rural land
Usually legal on rural land, subject to county zoning and recording the burial site on the deed. Check the county first.
The common questions
Are home funerals legal in New Hampshire?
New Hampshire places no funeral director between a family and their dead. Every step of a funeral, from caring for the body at home to driving to the crematory, can legally be handled by the family alone. Hardly anyone knows this.
Is embalming required in New Hampshire?
It isn't, despite what many families are told. No state, New Hampshire included, requires embalming for direct cremation or immediate burial; refrigeration is the accepted alternative. A public viewing or certain transport situations can bring it into play, but that's a choice, not a legal default.
Can you be buried on your own property in New Hampshire?
In most of New Hampshire, yes: home burial on your own rural property is legal, provided county zoning permits it and the site gets properly recorded. Cities and suburbs are usually a different story, so start with a call to the county.
Useful New Hampshire facts
- Cremation rate
- New Hampshire cremates at one of the higher rates in the country, roughly 77% of deaths.
- State regulator
- New Hampshire Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers, the body that licenses providers and handles complaints.
Legality summary follows the National Home Funeral Alliance’s legal tracking and state statutes. Laws change: confirm current rules with your state and county before planning a family-directed funeral.
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