What Are the Burial and Cremation Laws in Connecticut?
See who controls final arrangements, cremation and burial rules, and permit requirements in Connecticut.
Frequently Asked Questions
Connecticut allows burial on private property. Private burial on private property requires approval from the CT Department of Public Health per CGS 19a-313. The proposed site must have good drainage and suitable soil, adequate distance from wells, watercourses, sewage disposal systems and storm drains, and sufficient groundwater and rock depth (verified by test holes). A survey map showing distances to nearby property lines is required. Legal access from the road (easement or right-of-way) must be recorded on the property deed and filed with the town. The former 350-foot dwelling-proximity rule (CGS 53-332) was repealed effective October 1, 2012, but the DPH application still requires listing any houses within 350 feet of the burial ground and the owners of property within 25 feet. Local zoning ordinances may further restrict or prohibit private burial grounds. A burial permit from the Town Clerk (or other authorized official) is required before any burial, and plots in a private burying ground cannot be sold.
Connecticut has a 48-hour minimum waiting period before cremation. A medical examiner or coroner must authorize the cremation before it proceeds. Person with custody and control per CGS 45a-318; cremation certificate from Chief Medical Examiner, Deputy, associate, or authorized designee required per CGS 19a-323.
No. Natural organic reduction (human composting) is not currently authorized in Connecticut.
Yes. Alkaline hydrolysis (water cremation) is legal in Connecticut.
Connecticut sets a statutory order for who controls the disposition of remains (CGS 45a-318(d)): Person designated in a written instrument per CGS 45a-318(a), then Surviving spouse (unless spouse abandoned the deceased or adjudged incapable per CGS 45a-318(d)(1)), then Surviving adult children — CGS 45a-318(d)(2), and so on. You can also name your own agent to control your remains in a signed, written document before death. You can record those wishes alongside the rest of your estate plan when you create a revocable living trust.
No. Connecticut does not require embalming by law. No state law requires embalming for all deaths. CGS 19a-91 requires that bodies transported by common carrier be washed or embalmed (unless contrary to religious beliefs or customs of the deceased, as determined by the person who assumes custody) and enclosed in a casket and outside box. In cases of death from a reportable communicable disease, additional measures apply per CGS 19a-91. CGS 20-216 requires medical examiner permission before embalming in cases under ME jurisdiction. Refrigeration is an acceptable alternative for preservation.
A licensed funeral director or embalmer is effectively required for disposition in Connecticut. Under CGS 7-65(a), only the embalmer or funeral director licensed by the department (or a reciprocal out-of-state licensee) who assumes custody of the body may obtain the removal, transit and burial permit, which must be secured within five calendar days after death and before final disposition or removal from the state; that same licensee must file the death certificate per CGS 7-62b. The cremation certificate/permit path runs through the medical examiner and registrar (CGS 19a-323). Funeral directing and embalming are licensed professions under Chapter 385 (CGS 20-217, 20-222), and CGS 20-233 exempts only officials of public institutions and federal officers in the discharge of their duty — there is no general family-directed or religious exemption permitting a family to obtain the permit or direct the entire disposition without a licensed funeral director or embalmer. The OLR summary (99-R-0785) likewise states only the embalmer or funeral director may complete the death certificate and the licensee in charge of the burial handles the permit.
Connecticut provides a publicly funded option when a family cannot pay for disposition: Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) Funeral and Burial Allowance. Eligible veterans may also be interred at no cost through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. When a person dies without sufficient estate and has no legally liable relative able to pay for a proper funeral and burial (or upon the death of a State-Administered General Assistance beneficiary), CGS 17b-131 directs the Commissioner of Social Services to provide a proper funeral and burial and pay an allowance not exceeding $1,800 (raised from $1,350 by P.A. 23-204), paid on a proper bill to the funeral director, cemetery or crematory. CGS 17b-84 provides a parallel allowance (also up to $1,800) for State Supplement and Temporary Family Assistance beneficiaries. Both allowances are reduced by funeral funds, prepaid contracts, life insurance naming a funeral home/cemetery/crematory, the net value of liquid estate assets, and outside contributions over $3,400. Veterans: the Connecticut State Veterans Cemetery in Middletown (operated by the CT Department of Veterans Affairs) provides no-cost interment (full casket, cremated remains, or columbarium) for eligible veterans, their spouses, and eligible minor children with a qualifying discharge (Honorable or General Under Honorable Conditions); living veterans may pre-certify. Federal VA national-cemetery burial benefits are separately available to eligible veterans.
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In-depth guides covering Connecticut probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.
