USPS Shipping Guidelines for Cremated Remains

The United States Postal Service no longer permits the shipping of cremated remains through Registered Mail, and now requires you to use Priority Mail Express service when shipping to a domestic address. Special "cremated remains" shipping tape is also now available to ensure your box is handled carefully and treated with the respect it deserves.

If shipping to an international address, you must first verify that shipping cremated remains is not prohibited by the destination country, which you can do by checking the Individual Country Listing in the Mailing Standards of the USPS International Mail Manual. Once you have verified that the country accepts cremated remains, you may use either Priority Mail Express International Service or First-Class Package International service using Registered Mail service, as long as the selected method is available in the destination country. Finally, you must complete the appropriate customs declaration form and indicate on the form that the package contains cremated remains.

You can find more information on packaging and shipping cremated remains on the USPS website.

If you have any questions about shipping cremated remains domestically or abroad, please contact Sarah Pojanowski, General Counsel, at sarahp@selectedfuneralhomes.org or 800-323-4219.