Undertaken With Love

Photo of Pennsylvania state capitol by ScooterFlix

This state's status: Pennsylvania does not restrict the right of families to care for their own dead.

Searchable Online General Statutes

The Pennsylvania Code (searchable) (external link)

Resources Specific to Funeral Law

State Board of Funeral Directors (external link)

Department of Health (external link)

Division of Vital Records

Please help us develop this section by emailing us with books or online sources specifically related to funeral law in Pennsylvania.

In general, regulations promulgated by departments of health, such as required procedures in filing death certificates, must be followed by families caring for their own dead, while regulations promulgated by funeral service regulatory boards are binding only on funeral providers (but may affect home funerals indirectly to the extent that a family chooses to engage the limited services of licensed providers or in a few states is required to do so).

Resources Specific to Home Funeral Laws

Last RIghts of Central Pennsylvania has posted a very useful and clear analysis of how to arrange a DIY funeral in Pennsylvania. An excellent resource!

Organizations and Individuals

Funeral Consumers Alliance chapters (external link). Because FCA chapters are composed of volunteers, their expertise and experience related to home funeral laws vary considerably from one to the next. All of them, however, welcome home funeral practitioners and advocates and are eager to learn from them. If you find that you are accumulating knowledge that is lacking in your closest chapter, why don't you volunteer to be its resource for funeral consumers on home funeral laws in your state?

Rev. Lynn Acquafondata is an end-of-life guide who helps to lead families through the process of caring for their own dead at home. She resides in Pittsburgh. She has offered to keep us informed should any new legislation be introduced in Pennsylvania that affects home funerals.

Please help us develop this section by emailing us with the names of organizations and individuals that serve as noncommercial resources to families serving as their own funeral directors in Pennsylvania. Please include contact information (phone, website, email).