What Happens to Cremated Remains After Cremation?

After cremation, the remains are returned to the family or placed as directed in the cremation paperwork. Here is what to expect, and the practical and legal points Florida families ask about most.

What cremated remains are

Cremated remains are bone fragments that have been processed into a coarse, sand-like consistency, usually light gray to white. The amount varies with the person’s size and bone structure; for an adult it typically fills a standard adult urn of around 200 cubic inches. Urn size calculator.

How families receive them

Most families collect the remains from the funeral home. They come in the urn you selected or in a temporary container, with paperwork identifying them. Some providers can deliver them or ship them. If the declaration of intent says the remains will go to a cemetery or columbarium, the funeral home may coordinate that directly.

Traveling with or shipping cremated remains

• Flying: the TSA allows cremated remains in carry-on bags, but the container must be X-rayable. A metal or stone urn that produces an opaque image will not be allowed through, and officers will not open a container. Use a temporary container of wood or plastic and bring the paperwork. Some airlines do not accept cremated remains in checked bags; check with your airline.
• Mailing: the U.S. Postal Service accepts cremated remains only by Priority Mail Express, using its official cremated remains packaging (see USPS Publication 139). Funeral homes can often handle this for you.

Dividing remains among family

Families often share remains using keepsake urns or jewelry. Florida law says a division of cremated remains requires the consent of the legally authorized person who approved the cremation, and that cremated remains are not property to be divided in probate. Disagreements are decided by a court (Fla. Stat. 497.607).

Final resting places

• An urn kept at home
• A columbarium niche at a cemetery or church
• Burial in a cemetery plot, often in an urn vault
• Scattering on land or at sea
• Burial or placement at a national cemetery for eligible veterans

Urns, niches and memorial options · Scattering ashes in Florida

If remains are not picked up

Under Florida law, a funeral or direct disposal establishment may dispose of cremated remains that are not claimed within 120 days after cremation, after checking whether the person was an eligible veteran (Fla. Stat. 497.607). If you cannot collect remains, call the funeral home and make an arrangement. How long funeral homes keep ashes.