What Are the Burial and Cremation Laws in Missouri?

Missouri imposes no statutory minimum waiting periodMo. Rev. Stat. § 194.350Verified Jul 13, 2026View source before cremation. Person with right of sepulcher per § 194.119 (next-of-kin priority order), or the deceased via prior written authorization (including a preneed contract). Written authorization must be executed before cremation per 20 CSR 2120-2.071(2)(A).

Missouri sets a statutory order for who controls the disposition of remains: military designee named on dod form 93, then surviving spouse, then surviving adult childrenMo. Rev. Stat. § 194.119Verified Jul 13, 2026View source. The state allows you to name your own agent in a signed, written documentMo. Rev. Stat. § 194.119 (via § 404.710 durable power of attorney)Verified Jul 13, 2026View source, and that designation takes priority over the default order. Those wishes can be recorded alongside the rest of an estate plan when you create a revocable living trust.

Embalming is not required by lawMo. Rev. Stat. § 193.145Verified Jul 13, 2026View source in Missouri. No Missouri state law mandates embalming. Funeral homes may not claim it is legally required. Refrigeration is an acceptable alternative. The State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors (Chapter 333) regulates embalming practice standards when it is performed but does not require it as a condition of disposition.

In Missouri, a licensed funeral director is not required — a family may legally direct the disposition itselfMo. Rev. Stat. Chapter 333Verified Jul 13, 2026View source. Missouri does not require a licensed funeral director to be retained for a family-directed funeral or home funeral. Chapter 333 (§ 333.061) requires a license to operate a funeral establishment, and § 333.011(8) defines the regulated "practice of funeral directing" as engaging in the business of preparing and directing burial or disposal of dead human bodies — it does not bar a family acting on its own behalf from directing the disposition.