4.3 Shipping, Forwarding & Receiving Remains

4.3 Shipping, Forwarding & Receiving Remains

Quick Answer: Forwarding of remains is the originating funeral home’s FTC-listed service of taking the body into care, preparing it as agreed, and arranging transfer to the common carrier or other receiving point. Receiving of remains is the destination funeral home’s FTC-listed service of taking custody after shipment and providing local care. Embalming is often required in practice for air shipment; transit permits and carrier documents are mandatory; airline fees are usually cash advances. Never swap the definitions of forwarding and receiving on the NBE.

FTC Definitions: Forwarding vs Receiving

The FTC Funeral Rule requires funeral providers who offer these services to list them on the General Price List with prices and descriptive language. For exam purposes, lock these definitions:

Critical exam trap: The firm that ships out is forwarding. The firm that accepts the shipment in is receiving. Families say “we’re shipping Mom to Ohio” while standing in Florida—the Florida firm forwards; the Ohio firm receives. GPL prices for these items are not the full traditional funeral; they are minimal service packages to which families add ceremonies, merchandise, and local disposition options.

Common Carrier and Airline Requirements

Common carriers (airlines, sometimes rail or specialized mortuary transport companies) set conditions of carriage for human remains. Practical standards the director must anticipate:

• Advance booking of remains as cargo or on designated flights; human remains are not ordinary checked baggage.
• Approved shipping containers — typically a combination unit (often an air tray with a wood or metal inner container / combination unit meeting carrier specifications).
• Embalming — frequently required by airlines or by receiving jurisdictions for interstate/air shipment even when not “required by law” for local immediate burial; know the difference between legal mandates and carrier/practical requirements (FTC misrepresentation rules still forbid saying embalming is required by law when only a carrier requires it—disclose the true reason).
• Hermetically sealed containers — airtight sealed cases may be required when remains are not embalmed, when decomposition is a concern, for certain international itineraries, or whenever the carrier/receiving authority demands a sealed unit. Teach the concept: hermetic seal = airtight enclosure, not a brand name of casket.
• Labeling and handling — “Human remains,” contact information, upright orientation if required, and coordination with cargo staff—not public terminal drama.
• Identification — wristbands, permanent ID on the container, and paperwork matching the decedent’s legal name.

Embalming and Preparation for Shipping

Although embalming is not universally required by law for every disposition, shipping preparation often includes embalming because:

• Airlines and receiving funeral homes expect stable, presentable remains.
• Delays, heat, and multi-leg itineraries increase preservation risk.
• Some states or foreign authorities impose preparation standards before entry.

If the family refuses embalming, explore whether a hermetically sealed container and carrier acceptance are possible, document the refusal and risks, and verify the receiving firm and destination rules will still accept the shipment. Never force an illegal or undisclosed embalming charge (FTC prior-approval rules apply when you charge for embalming).

Transit Permits and Documentation Packet

Before remains leave your care for another city or state, assemble a packet that typically includes:

• Burial-transit / disposition / transit permit (state terminology varies) authorizing transport
• Certified copies of the death certificate as required by carrier or destination
• Burial/transit permits for the receiving state if required by that jurisdiction
• Embalming report / preparation report when applicable
• Authorization to ship from the person with right of disposition
• Identification documents and chain-of-custody signatures between firms
• Consignee contacts (receiving funeral home name, address, 24-hour phone)
• Passports/consulate paperwork for international cases

Cemeteries and crematories at the destination will not “sort it out later” without legal permits. Incomplete packets are a top cause of cargo holds and family crises.

International Shipments (High-Level Awareness)

International transport multiplies requirements:

• Consulate or embassy of the destination country may require additional certificates, seals, or appointments.
• Apostille or authentication of U.S. documents may be needed.
• Hermetic sealing, zinc-lined containers, or specific embalming standards appear more often on international checklists.
• Import permits at the destination and coordination with a receiving funeral firm abroad are essential.
• Timelines stretch—set realistic expectations; do not promise next-day international delivery.

NBE level: know that international cases need extra official paperwork and often stricter containers, not the detailed customs code of every nation.

Receiving Funeral Home Duties and Temporary Sheltering

When you are the receiving firm:

1. Meet the shipment or arrange secure transfer from the airport/cargo facility per your agreement.
2. Verify identity against accompanying documents before any further preparation or public viewing.
3. Inspect and document condition of container and remains; photograph damage if firm policy supports claims.
4. Confirm permits and authorizations are sufficient for the planned local disposition or ceremony.
5. Contact the authorizing agent / family for local arrangement decisions (services, merchandise, cemetery).
6. Provide temporary sheltering — secure, respectful custody in your care until disposition; refrigeration or other preservation as needed and authorized.
7. Do not discard originating chain-of-custody records; retain them in the case file.

Exam trap: Scheduling cremation or burial on the receiving end before verifying ID and paperwork. Receiving starts with reconciliation, not assumptions.

Cost Components and Cash Advances

Break costs into categories families and the FTC understand:

NBE-style item: the carrier’s shipping charge is normally not buried inside “forwarding of remains” as if it were staff service—it is transportation imposed by the airline/common carrier.

Coordination Workflow (Both Ends)

NBE Exam Traps: Forwarding vs Receiving and Related Errors

Scenario: Family in Arizona wants burial in Michigan. Arizona firm: removal, embalming for air transit, air tray, transit permit, flight booking, cash-advance freight → forwarding. Michigan firm: airport pickup, shelter, local funeral, graveside → receiving plus whatever local services they select. Two GPLs, two SFGS relationships, one coordinated shipment.

Bottom line: Label the parties correctly (forward vs receive), meet carrier and permit rules, document identity at both ends, separate service prices from cash-advance transportation, and never let exam wording reverse the FTC definitions.