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Options in Your State

Choose a state to see whether water cremation and human compostingare legal there, what "legal" does and doesn't mean, and where to look if they aren't. Burial and flame cremation are available nearly everywhere.

Last verified October 7, 2026. Nothing you choose here is saved or sent anywhere; it all runs in your browser.

Use the state where the death occurred or where you plan to arrange services.

Pick a state above to see its options, or browse all 51 jurisdictions below.

"Legal" is not the same as "available."

A law means the state allows the method. It doesn't mean a licensed facility is operating near you. California's composting law, for example, doesn't take effect until 2027, and Maryland's took about a year and a half to implement after it passed. Always ask a funeral home which facilities are actually operating, and get an itemized price in writing.

All states at a glance

Water cremation is legal in 26 states and human composting in 14.11 allow both, and 21 of the 50 states appear on neither list.

Where water cremation and human composting are legal, by state, verified October 7, 2026
StateWater cremationHuman compostingDetails
AlabamaLegalNot listed
AlaskaNot listedNot listed
ArizonaLegalLegal
ArkansasNot listedNot listed
CaliforniaLegalLegal, effective 2027
ColoradoLegalLegal
ConnecticutLegalNot listed
DelawareNot listedLegal
District of ColumbiaNot listedNot listed
FloridaLegalNot listed
GeorgiaLegalLegal
HawaiiLegalNot listed
IdahoLegalNot listed
IllinoisLegalNot listed
IndianaNot listedNot listed
IowaNot listedNot listed
KansasLegalNot listed
KentuckyNot listedNot listed
LouisianaNot listedNot listed
MaineLegalLegal
MarylandLegalLegal
MassachusettsNot listedNot listed
MichiganNot listedNot listed
MinnesotaLegalLegal
MississippiNot listedNot listed
MissouriLegalNot listed
MontanaNot listedNot listed
NebraskaNot listedNot listed
NevadaLegalLegal
New HampshireNot listedNot listed
New JerseyNot listedLegal
New MexicoNot listedNot listed
New YorkNot listedLegal
North CarolinaLegalNot listed
North DakotaNot listedNot listed
OhioNot listedNot listed
OklahomaLegalNot listed
OregonLegalLegal
PennsylvaniaNot listedNot listed
Rhode IslandNot listedNot listed
South CarolinaLegalNot listed
South DakotaNot listedNot listed
TennesseeLegalNot listed
TexasNot listedNot listed
UtahLegalNot listed
VermontLegalLegal
VirginiaNot listedNot listed
WashingtonLegalLegal
West VirginiaLegalNot listed
WisconsinNot listedNot listed
WyomingLegalNot listed

"Not listed" means the state doesn't appear on the list we used, not necessarily that the method is banned. Water cremation: Cremation Association of North America (CANA), as of March 2026. Human composting: National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), as of September 2025. Individual state statutes were not read, and published counts sometimes disagree (some press reports cite 28 or 29 states for water cremation). We follow the named lists and tell you to confirm. D.C. does not appear on either list, and we did not check it separately.

Want the reasoning behind these lists?

Read how each method works, what the research does and doesn't show, and how to compare them.

The full state guideCompare all optionsAdd this to a Final Day Plan

This tool is general information, not legal advice. State laws change quickly; confirm with your state funeral board or a licensed funeral director. We re-check these lists at least quarterly.