{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/54.1-2825.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/54.1-2825.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/54.1-2825.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/54.1-2825.html"}],"law_id":84076,"edition_id":1,"section_id":84076,"structure_id":14038,"section_number":"54.1-2825","catch_line":"Person to make arrangements for funeral and disposition of remains","history":"1989, c. 684; 1998, c. 718; 2010, cc. 324, 380.","full_text":"A\n\nAny person may designate in a signed and notarized writing, which has been accepted in writing by the person so designated, an individual who shall make arrangements and be otherwise responsible for his funeral and the disposition of his remains, including cremation, interment, entombment, or memorialization, or some combination thereof, upon his death. Such designee shall have priority over all persons otherwise entitled to make such arrangements, provided that a copy of the signed and notarized writing is provided to the funeral service establishment and to the cemetery, if any, no later than 48 hours after the funeral service establishment has received the remains. Nothing in this section shall preclude any next of kin from paying any costs associated with any funeral or disposition of any remains, provided that such payment is made with the concurrence of any person designated to make arrangements.B\n\nIn cases in which a person has designated in a U.S. Department of Defense Record of Emergency Data (DD Form 93) or any successor form an individual to make arrangements for his funeral and disposition of his remains, and such person dies while serving in any branch of the United States Armed Forces as defined in 10 U.S.C. § 1481, such designee shall be responsible for making such arrangements.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":301294,"text":"Any person may designate in a signed and notarized writing, which has been accepted in writing by the person so designated, an individual who shall make arrangements and be otherwise responsible for his funeral and the disposition of his remains, including cremation, interment, entombment, or memorialization, or some combination thereof, upon his death. Such designee shall have priority over all persons otherwise entitled to make such arrangements, provided that a copy of the signed and notarized writing is provided to the funeral service establishment and to the cemetery, if any, no later than 48 hours after the funeral service establishment has received the remains. Nothing in this section shall preclude any next of kin from paying any costs associated with any funeral or disposition of any remains, provided that such payment is made with the concurrence of any person designated to make arrangements.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":301295,"text":"In cases in which a person has designated in a U.S. Department of Defense Record of Emergency Data (DD Form 93) or any successor form an individual to make arrangements for his funeral and disposition of his remains, and such person dies while serving in any branch of the United States Armed Forces as defined in 10 U.S.C. § 1481, such designee shall be responsible for making such arrangements.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14038,"edition_id":1,"name":"Preneed Funeral Contracts","identifier":"5","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13923,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:40","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:40","permalink":{"id":241903,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14038,"identifier":"5","token":"54.1\/III\/28\/5","url":"\/54.1\/III\/28\/5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13923,"edition_id":1,"name":"Funeral Services","identifier":"28","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12758,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:19","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:19","permalink":{"id":241753,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13923,"identifier":"28","token":"54.1\/III\/28","url":"\/54.1\/III\/28\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12758,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations Regulated by Boards Within the Department of Health Professions","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12754,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":241105,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12758,"identifier":"III","token":"54.1\/III","url":"\/54.1\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12754,"edition_id":1,"name":"Professions and Occupations","identifier":"54.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":239313,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12754,"identifier":"54.1","token":"54.1","url":"\/54.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":68795,"structure_id":14038,"section_number":"54.1-2820","catch_line":"Requirements of preneed funeral contracts","url":"\/54.1-2820\/","token":"54.1\/III\/28\/5\/54.1-2820","metadata":false},{"id":82829,"structure_id":14038,"section_number":"54.1-2821","catch_line":"Exemptions","url":"\/54.1-2821\/","token":"54.1\/III\/28\/5\/54.1-2821","metadata":false},{"id":86091,"structure_id":14038,"section_number":"54.1-2822","catch_line":"Deposit of money received pursuant to preneed funeral contract","url":"\/54.1-2822\/","token":"54.1\/III\/28\/5\/54.1-2822","metadata":false},{"id":58878,"structure_id":14038,"section_number":"54.1-2822.1","catch_line":"Funeral establishments to maintain preneed records","url":"\/54.1-2822.1\/","token":"54.1\/III\/28\/5\/54.1-2822.1","metadata":false},{"id":55177,"structure_id":14038,"section_number":"54.1-2823","catch_line":"Exemption from levy, garnishment and distress","url":"\/54.1-2823\/","token":"54.1\/III\/28\/5\/54.1-2823","metadata":false},{"id":55129,"structure_id":14038,"section_number":"54.1-2824","catch_line":"Declaration of trust in consideration other than money","url":"\/54.1-2824\/","token":"54.1\/III\/28\/5\/54.1-2824","metadata":false},{"id":84076,"structure_id":14038,"section_number":"54.1-2825","catch_line":"Person to make arrangements for funeral and disposition of remains","url":"\/54.1-2825\/","token":"54.1\/III\/28\/5\/54.1-2825","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":55129,"structure_id":14038,"section_number":"54.1-2824","catch_line":"Declaration of trust in consideration other than money","url":"\/54.1-2824\/","token":"54.1\/III\/28\/5\/54.1-2824","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/54.1-2825\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1989. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 684 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1989 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1998, chapter 718<\/a>; in 2010, chapters 324<\/a> and 380<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":60700,"section_number":"32.1-309.1","catch_line":"Identification of decedent, next of kin; disposition of claimed dead body","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-309.1\/"},{"id":56088,"section_number":"51.5-151","catch_line":"Minimum requirements for local programs; authority","order_by":null,"url":"\/51.5-151\/"},{"id":76263,"section_number":"54.1-2800","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2800\/"},{"id":73758,"section_number":"54.1-2807","catch_line":"Other prohibited activities","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2807\/"},{"id":57356,"section_number":"54.1-2807.01","catch_line":"When next of kin disagree","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2807.01\/"},{"id":75008,"section_number":"54.1-2807.02","catch_line":"Absence of next of kin","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2807.02\/"},{"id":84765,"section_number":"54.1-2818.1","catch_line":"Prerequisites for cremation","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2818.1\/"},{"id":79569,"section_number":"54.1-2818.5","catch_line":"Request for life insurance information; notification of beneficiaries","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2818.5\/"},{"id":80891,"section_number":"54.1-2973","catch_line":"Persons who may authorize postmortem examination of decedent's body","order_by":null,"url":"\/54.1-2973\/"},{"id":61241,"section_number":"57-27.3","catch_line":"Authorization for interment","order_by":null,"url":"\/57-27.3\/"},{"id":54138,"section_number":"64.2-1601","catch_line":"Applicability","order_by":null,"url":"\/64.2-1601\/"},{"id":54266,"section_number":"64.2-2019","catch_line":"Duties and powers of guardian","order_by":null,"url":"\/64.2-2019\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":241929,"object_type":"law","relational_id":84076,"identifier":"54.1-2825","token":"54.1\/III\/28\/5\/54.1-2825","url":"\/54.1-2825\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/54.1-2825\/","token":"54.1\/III\/28\/5\/54.1-2825","dublin_core":{"Title":"Person to make arrangements for funeral and disposition of remains","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 54.1-2825","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> Any person may designate in a signed and notarized writing, which has been accepted in writing by the person so designated, an individual who shall make arrangements and be otherwise responsible for his funeral and the disposition<\/span> of his remains, including cremation, interment, entombment, or memorialization, or some combination thereof, upon his death. Such designee shall have priority over all persons otherwise entitled to make such arrangements, provided that a copy of the signed and notarized writing is provided to the funeral service establishment<\/span> and to the cemetery, if any, no later than 48 hours after the funeral service establishment<\/span> has received the remains. Nothing in this section shall preclude any next of kin<\/span> from paying any costs associated with any funeral or disposition<\/span> of any remains, provided that such payment is made with the concurrence of any person designated to make arrangements. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> In cases in which a person has designated in a U.S. Department of Defense Record of Emergency Data (DD Form 93) or any successor form an individual to make arrangements for his funeral and disposition<\/span> of his remains, and such person dies while serving in any branch of the United States Armed Forces as defined in 10 U.S.C. § 1481, such designee shall be responsible for making such arrangements. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPERSON TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR FUNERAL AND DISPOSITION OF REMAINS (\u00a7\n54.1-2825)\n\nA. Any person may designate in a signed and notarized writing, which has been\naccepted in writing by the person so designated, an individual who shall make\narrangements and be otherwise responsible for his funeral and the disposition of\nhis remains, including cremation, interment, entombment, or memorialization, or\nsome combination thereof, upon his death. Such designee shall have priority over\nall persons otherwise entitled to make such arrangements, provided that a copy\nof the signed and notarized writing is provided to the funeral service\nestablishment and to the cemetery, if any, no later than 48 hours after the\nfuneral service establishment has received the remains. Nothing in this section\nshall preclude any next of kin from paying any costs associated with any funeral\nor disposition of any remains, provided that such payment is made with the\nconcurrence of any person designated to make arrangements.\n\nB. In cases in which a person has designated in a U.S. Department of Defense\nRecord of Emergency Data (DD Form 93) or any successor form an individual to\nmake arrangements for his funeral and disposition of his remains, and such\nperson dies while serving in any branch of the United States Armed Forces as\ndefined in 10 U.S.C. § 1481, such designee shall be responsible for making\nsuch arrangements.\n\nHISTORY: 1989, c. 684; 1998, c. 718; 2010, cc. 324, 380.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}