This guide aims to answer some key questions about making funeral or cremation arrangements in Idaho. We provide an overview of some legal aspects of making funeral plans specific to Idaho funeral laws and what funeral or cremation costs to expect.
For most families, choosing the funeral home or cremation services provider is the first step in making funeral arrangements. However, you can legally conduct your own funeral arrangements if you so wish in Idaho, and you do not legally have to employ the services of a funeral director.
All funeral service providers must be licensed, and there are in the region of 120 funeral homes and mortuaries in Idaho, so you need to consider what criteria can help you select the right funeral home for your needs. Selecting a funeral service provider can be determined by both your location and what kind of funeral services you require.
Are you looking for a traditional funeral or burial service? Or are you seeking something more contemporary? Is the cost of the funeral an issue? Are you working on a tight budget and looking to save money where you can on funeral expenses?
Obviously, having some clear ideas of what you need from a funeral home helps you decide which one is right for you. Outlining your needs clearly before you start contacting funeral homes can really help you narrow down which provider to select.
Word-of-mouth recommendations or referrals from family or friends have long been a good place to start. However, if you are not in a position to benefit from a sound referral or seek something specific, you may have to resort to contacting funeral homes yourself.
Usually, people look for a reputable funeral business in their own area. Still, it is always advisable to check with more than one funeral home and compare services and prices for a funeral or cremation.
What does an average funeral cost in Idaho?
The average cost of a funeral in the U.S. is $7,848 (according to the NFDA – National Association of Funeral Directors), and this does not include any cemetery fees. This generally means that the full cost of a funeral can amount to nearer to $9,000 when cemetery fees are included.
The cost for a traditional burial is largely dependent on the type of casket you select and the final cost of your cemetery plot and a grave marker. The cost of a funeral can be broken down into several components – the funeral director’s professional service charges, casket, embalming, transportation, and ancillary costs such as flowers, music, prayer cards, obituary, etc.
Direct Cremation Service – Boise $795 Call (208) 470-5030
Prices do vary between funeral service providers for the exact same service. Therefore, it is important that you DO shop around and compare funeral prices between more than one funeral home. That way, you can be sure that you have a “best value” funeral service.
All funeral homes in Idaho must have a general price list (GPL) that outlines their service charges and funeral merchandise prices. According to the Federal Trade Commission’s’ The Funeral Rule, ‘ they must provide a copy of their GPL when they quote you a price.
How much does a cremation cost in Idaho?
A typical cremation funeral service will cost around $3,000 (depending upon the ancillary services/products you select). This is the type of cremation service that replaces a full traditional funeral. However, as outlined below in the section on direct cremation, it is possible to arrange a simple cremation for considerably less than this.
Visit our Guide to Cremation Costs in Idaho by city to learn about prices near you.
Who is responsible for paying for funeral costs in Idaho?
If you have not made provision in a funeral plan, a POD account, life insurance, or sufficient funds made accessible to surviving family, then your next of kin (making the funeral arrangements) will become liable for the funeral expenses.
Check out our Funeral Planning article ‘What is my best and safest option for putting aside money for a funeral?’
Arranging a direct cremation in Idaho
In some cities in Idaho, direct cremation can be arranged for $795. This is the least expensive cremation option for families. Direct cremation means that there are no services. Once all the documentation has been completed, the cremation goes ahead, and then the cremated remains are returned to the family in a temporary container.
Incremental options, such as a private family viewing or an upgraded cremation urn, can be added to a basic direct cremation package for an additional fee. This is proving a no-fuss, affordable and efficient way to manage a disposition when a death occurs. Many families today are opting for direct cremation and then conducting their own memorial services once the cremated remains are returned to the family.
If you are concerned about funeral costs, the DFS Memorials providers in Idaho offer low-cost cremation services and affordable burial services. All DFS Memorials providers guarantee to offer a ‘best value’ direct cremation package.
How do I decide between a burial or a cremation in Idaho?
Choosing burial or cremation is a personal choice. If the deceased left explicit wishes, this can simplify decisions; otherwise, the surviving family may have to decide. Funds for the funeral service can play a significant role in whether a burial or cremation is chosen these days, as cremation is significantly cheaper than a traditional burial service.
Having a preexisting cemetery plot can be important, as burial plots can be quite expensive to purchase these days. If cremation is chosen, a cremation authorization form will need to be signed by the immediate next of kin for the cremation to proceed.
Green burial is another option that can be considered an eco-friendly disposition. If you are unsure whether to choose between burial and cremation, talk to family and friends and discuss the decision with your funeral director.
What legally do I need to know about cremation in Idaho?
Each state has its own laws governing cremation procedures. A crematory and/or funeral home must abide by certain practice standards in disposing of human remains by cremation. However, certain regulations can vary by state. In Idaho, a cremation can only be performed once a ‘Cremation Authorization Form’ has been signed by the legal next of kin and the coroner has issued the cremation permit.
Generally, a mandatory waiting period is 24 hours before a cremation can proceed, but this is not enforced in Idaho. That being said, it usually takes about 3 days to make all the necessary arrangements and complete the paperwork, but an expedited service can be arranged if required.
Visit our Ultimate Guide to Cremation to learn more about cremation, the process, cremation services, laws, and other FAQs.
A casket is NOT required by law for a cremation. All that is required is a suitable rigid container. A cremation container is usually a reinforced cardboard or plywood box. Some funeral homes offer rental caskets if you wish to hold a funeral service before the cremation.
What can we do with the cremated remains? Laws for ash scattering in Idaho
Cremated remains can be interred in a grave plot or niche, stored in a cremation urn at home, or scattered. Today, a multitude of creative cremation artifacts can be created from cremation ashes, such as cremation diamonds, glass jewelry, birdbaths, and portraits, to name but a few.
Check out our Ash Scattering section for more information.
Cremated remains can be scattered in a designated memorial scattering garden, on private land (with the landowner’s consent), or on many public and state lands. If you are considering scattering on public or municipal land, you should check the local zoning ordinance first.
However, there is no ‘cremains police’, and cremated remains are sterile organic matter, so they pose no threat to the environment. As long as you use safe scattering techniques, there really should be no concern about scattering ashes into the atmosphere.
Does the deceased have to be embalmed?
There is no legal requirement or state law stipulating that the deceased has to be embalmed. Idaho law requires that a body be refrigerated or embalmed if the final disposition is not conducted within 24 hours. If the deceased needs shipping, embalming may be required, or if death was due to a communicable disease and a viewing is being held.
Embalming is required if a public service is to be held, and the deceased would be removed from refrigeration for a period exceeding 6 hours.
Can I conduct a home funeral in Idaho?
Conducting your own ‘home funeral’ is a very personal way of saying goodbye. It is perfectly legal to conduct a home funeral in Idaho without requiring the services of a funeral director. This would mean you must file the death certificate and obtain a burial or cremation permit.
If you wish to bury your loved one at home on your own land and establish a family cemetery, you must first check with the local planning commission about any local zoning. You would need to draw up a map of the property showing the burial ground, file it with the property deed, and provide disclosure of the burial if you sell the property.
Visit our guide to Home Funerals: A D.I.Y Funeral or a Family-led Funeral.
How do I get a death certificate in Idaho?
The death certificate is generally prepared and filed by the funeral director. In Idaho, it must be filed with a local registrar within 5 days after the death and before the cremation or burial takes place. [Statute § 39-260] The funeral director will need all the personal information about the deceased in order to file the death certificate. He can order you multiple copies (if required for settling the deceased’s estate), or you can order additional copies yourself at a later date. The original death certificate is filed in the county where the death occurred.
Idaho’s Department of Health and Welfare offers the option of obtaining a certified copy of a death certificate either online, by phone, by mail, or in person. The fee is $14.00. In-person, a copy can be obtained within about 40 minutes. Regular mail takes 5-7 days, and online mail takes 2 days to be processed and then shipping time. Expedited shipping can be arranged.
You do need to produce a suitable ID in order to order copies of a person’s death certificate. You must be the deceased person’s next of kin, a legal representative of the deceased or family members, a government agency, or an investigator. If the death occurred over 50 years ago, anyone can order a copy of the death certificate.
Purchasing a casket or grave marker in Idaho
We have comprehensive and detailed guides to buying a casket or grave marker, so I would recommend you visit these sections for more detailed information. Even though Idaho law states that only licensed funeral homes can sell caskets (Idaho Stature §§ 54-1102 and 54-1103), Federal law (and the ‘Funeral Rule’) requires a funeral home to accept a casket you purchased from a third-party source. Your funeral home cannot charge a fee for this.
Can I pre-plan a funeral or cremation in Idaho?
Yes, and pre-planning your funeral is a great way to save the surviving family from the stress of making funeral decisions and finding the money to pay for a funeral. You can make pre-need funeral arrangements directly with a funeral home or purchase burial insurance. You should check whether a preneed contract is ‘guaranteed’ or ‘non-guaranteed’ to cover the full costs of the funeral at a later date.
You DO need to consider that funeral prices can change. Funeral companies promote preplanning on the basis that it “locks into today’s prices,” but with the cremation trend increasing and more funeral homes competing for the ‘affordable’ funeral market, the reality is that funeral costs are not as ‘fixed’ as they once were.
Another funeral planning alternative is to document your wishes and put aside the appropriate funds in a POD Payable on Death account or a Totten Trust. This enables the family to access the funds at the time of need and make the funeral arrangements, but you keep in control of your monies and any accrued interest.
Read more in our article ‘What is my best and safest option for putting aside money for a funeral’.
Can I donate my body to science in Idaho?
Yes, donating your body to science can be a great way to meet your end-of-life needs. You provide a ‘gift’ to society and eliminate funeral costs! You can pre-register your interest to donate if you wish, which can help speed the process when a death occurs.
Check out our Body Donation section.
Veterans Funerals in Idaho
Veterans are entitled to certain benefits – a free cemetery plot, grave marker, and US flag. A copy of the DD214 discharge papers is required to claim these benefits, and you would need to contact the local VA office. In many cases, the funeral director will assist you with this or undertake it on your behalf. The VA cemetery in Boise has space for both casketed and cremated remains.
How can I transport a loved one either back to or from Idaho after death?
If a loved one needs to be transported back to a state or country of origin following their death in Idaho, you will need the services of a funeral director who can arrange funeral shipping for you. This generally needs a funeral professional who can coordinate arrangements at the place of death and wherever the body is being shipped to.
If transporting a loved one between states in the United States, you have the option of flying the body or transporting the body by land. Certain regulations do apply on moving a body, and embalming and specific containers to hold the casket will likely be required. Shipping a body can be quite expensive, so the other alternative you have is to have the body cremated at the place of death and then transport back the cremated remains.
Visit our section on Funeral Shipping to read more.
If you do travel regularly for work, pleasure, sport, visiting family, or snow-birding, you may wish to consider our great value Travel Protection Plan. This plan costs just $450 for an individual for lifetime protection against the costly expense of returning a body home if a death occurs 75 miles (or further) from your residence in Idaho. It also provides global coverage. Domestic funeral shipping can cost from $3,000, and International repatriation can start at around $6,900.
Visit our article on Travel Protection: Your Guide to Affordable Funeral Shipping, or click on the link below to enroll today.
The deceased had no life insurance – what do I do if I cannot afford a funeral or cremation in Idaho?
This can be very distressing if you are liable to make funeral arrangements for a lost loved one and do not have sufficient funds. There is very limited financial aid for funerals, and this varies by county. In such cases, the coroner may make arrangements with a funeral home, and costs should not exceed the actual minimal cost of a burial or cremation.
Generally, a fixed amount is set that the county or state will pay for pauper burial assistance. The state is responsible for the disposition of indigents or any individual who becomes Idaho’s responsibility. You need to contact your local County human services or social services to find out what help may be available. Simple cremation is the least expensive disposition option.
Who should I contact if I have a complaint about a funeral home in Idaho?
Hopefully, you will find your funeral home services more than adequate, as most funeral professionals are very dedicated to their vocation. Unfortunately, it does sometimes happen that you may have a complaint or grievance with a funeral home, and you do not manage to resolve it directly with the funeral director.
In this case, you should write your complaint to the Idaho Board of Morticians, which regulates and licenses funeral businesses in Idaho. They can be contacted at the Bureau of Occupational Licenses, 700 West State Street, PO Box 83720, Boise, ID 83720.
Another useful consumer resource is the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Idaho Inc. PO Box 1919, Boise, ID 83701 (an affiliate of the Funeral Consumers Alliance).
I hope this guide has helped to answer some of your immediate questions about making funeral arrangements. Please check out our Funeral Resources section for our full catalog of resources to help you through the process of arranging a funeral. Feel free to contact us if we can be of any assistance with any further questions you may have.
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