<?xml version="1.0"?>
<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>84765</law_id><section_number>54.1-2818.1</section_number><catch_line>Prerequisites for cremation</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>57-39.19</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="54.1">Professions and Occupations</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="III">Professions and Occupations Regulated by Boards Within the Department of Health Professions</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="28">Funeral Services</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="3">Licensure of the Practice of Funeral Service, Funeral Directors and Embalmers</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>No dead human body shall be cremated without permission of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner as required by &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Cremations and burials at sea" href="/32.1-309.3/">32.1-309.3</a> and visual identification of the deceased by the next-of-kin or his representative, who may be any person designated to make arrangements for the <span class="dictionary">disposition</span> of the decedent&#x2019;s remains pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Person to make arrangements for funeral and disposition of remains" href="/54.1-2825/">54.1-2825</a>, an agent named in an advance directive pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Suggested form of written advance directives" href="/54.1-2984/">54.1-2984</a>, or any guardian appointed pursuant to Chapter 20 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/64.2-2000/">64.2-2000</a> et seq.) of Title 64.2 who may exercise the powers conferred in the order of appointment or by &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Duties and powers of guardian" href="/64.2-2019/">64.2-2019</a>, or, in cases in which the <span class="dictionary">next of kin</span> or his representative fails or refuses to provide visual identification of the deceased, by any other person 18 years of age or older who is able to provide positive identification of the deceased. If no such <span class="dictionary">next of kin</span> or his representative or other person 18 years of age or older is available or willing to make visual identification of the deceased, such identification shall be made by a member of the primary <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement agency of the city or county in which the person or institution having initial <span class="dictionary">custody</span> of the body is located, pursuant to <span class="dictionary">court order</span>. When visual identification is not feasible, other positive identification of the deceased may be used as a prerequisite for cremation. Unless such act, decision, or omission resulted from bad faith or <span class="dictionary">malicious</span> <span class="dictionary">intent</span>, the <span class="dictionary">funeral service establishment</span>, <span class="dictionary">funeral service licensee</span>, <span class="dictionary">crematory</span>, cemetery, primary <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer, sheriff, county, or city shall be immune from civil liability for any act, decision, or omission resulting from cremation. Nothing in this section shall prevent a <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement agency other than the primary <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement agency from performing the duties established by this section if so requested by the primary <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement agency and agreed to by the other <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement agency.</p></section></text><history>1998, c. 867; 2010, c. 377; 2011, c. 88; 2014, cc. 228, 355, 583; 2015, c. 670.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
