Funeral Home and Cremation Fraud
What is the funeral rule and how does it protect me?
Short answer
The FTC Funeral Rule (16 CFR Part 453) requires funeral providers to: give you an itemized price list when asked, not require you to buy a package, allow you to buy only the goods and services you want, not charge a handling…
What this usually means
The FTC Funeral Rule (16 CFR Part 453) requires funeral providers to: give you an itemized price list when asked, not require you to buy a package, allow you to buy only the goods and services you want, not charge a handling fee for caskets you purchase elsewhere, and not claim embalming is legally required (it almost never is).
What to do next
- Start the PathAfter checklist for situation-aware first steps.
- Find California county help for coroner contacts, vital records, cost tools, and paperwork.
- Open the First 72 Hours Call Log before making calls.
- Open the Documents to Find Checklist when you are ready for paperwork.