How to handle out-of-state remains transport without overpaying

The expensive default

When a death occurs in one state and the funeral or burial occurs in another, the default path through a destination funeral home's 'shipping' service costs $1,500-$5,000. The line item bundles: ground or air transport from the place of death to the destination, embalming (which is required for most air transport), an air-tray combination unit (a fiberboard outer container plus a casket or alternative cremation container), and the destination home's receiving fee.

Cheaper paths

• Direct cremation in the state of death; mail or drive cremated remains. USPS Priority Mail Express ships cremated remains for $30-$80 in a Cremated Remains kit (the only USPS-approved method). The full out-of-state cremation runs $895-$2,495 versus $3,000-$5,000 for full-body shipping.
• Family-led ground transport (where state law permits). 41 states permit family-led transport of the deceased with proper paperwork. The cost is fuel, time, and a transit permit ($25-$100). Restrictions: typically 24-48 hour timeline, refrigeration may be required for longer trips.
• Mortuary shipping consolidator. Companies like Inman Shipping Worldwide handle airline ticketing, paperwork, and ground coordination at wholesale rates. Family pays $700-$1,500 versus $2,500-$4,500 retail through a destination home.

When full-body shipping is genuinely necessary

Full-body interstate transport is necessary when the family is committed to a traditional funeral with viewing in the destination state and the deceased was not cremated in the state of death. In this case, the cheapest path is to engage a low-cost direct cremation provider in the state of death to handle just the embalming and shipping (some cremation specialists offer this) rather than going through a full-service retail funeral home in either state.

Air transport requires a sealed air-tray combination unit, typically $400-$800 wholesale and $1,200-$2,500 retail. Ground transport (typically up to 800-1,000 miles) avoids the air-tray cost. Refrigerated overnight ground transport runs $800-$1,800 from a specialty mortuary trucking firm.

Pricing source disclosure

Every dollar amount on Cheap Funeral is sourced from each funeral home's published General Price List (GPL) under the FTC Funeral Rule (16 CFR Part 453). The Rule requires every U.S. funeral home to provide an itemized GPL on request — by phone, in person, or in many cases online. Where a home has not published a GPL we mark the listing accordingly rather than estimate.

National benchmarks throughout this article are drawn from the National Funeral Directors Association 2023 Member General Price List Study (NFDA, July 2023), which reports the median U.S. cost of a funeral with viewing and burial at $8,300 and the median direct cremation at $2,495.