Full-Body Burial at Sea: The Rules and the Options
The short answer: yes, a full body can be buried at sea in the United States, and you do not need a permit application to do it. The EPA's general permit covers it, on three conditions: the burial happens at least three nautical miles from land, in water at least 600 feet deep (1,800 feet in a few areas off Florida and the Gulf coast), and the body is prepared so that it sinks quickly and stays down. Within 30 days afterwards, someone must report the burial to the EPA. There is no fee. What you do need is a boat able to reach that depth and a funeral home or operator who knows how to prepare the casket or shroud. Eligible veterans and their dependents can also be buried at sea by the US Navy at no cost, though the family does not go aboard.
This page is about burying a body. If you have ashes, scattering them at sea is far simpler (three nautical miles, any depth) and what to do with ashes covers it. If you are still choosing between burial and cremation, start with cremation vs. burial.
The Rules, in Plain Terms
The permit sits in federal regulations at 40 CFR 229.1, under the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act. The EPA's own page lists what it allows and what it does not.
| Rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| At least 3 nautical miles from land | Measured from the low-water line, or from a line drawn across the mouths of bays and rivers. A bay or harbour does not count. |
| At least 600 feet deep | 1,800 feet in parts of east-central Florida, the Dry Tortugas, and from west of Pensacola to the Mississippi River Delta. This usually means much further out than three miles. |
| Must sink rapidly and permanently | The casket or shroud has to be weighted and prepared (details below). A floating casket is the outcome everyone is trying to avoid. |
| Only materials that break down | Natural flowers and wreaths are fine. No plastic flowers, no headstones, no monuments, no metal or plastic wreaths. |
| Human remains only | Pets cannot be buried with the person under this permit, and their ashes cannot be mixed in. |
| Report within 30 days | To the EPA region the boat left from, using the EPA's online Burial at Sea Reporting Tool. No death certificate is needed with the report. |
No application is needed beforehand, and there are no EPA fees for the burial or the report. The permit does not replace state and local rules about moving a body on land, so the funeral home still handles the death certificate and any transit permit, exactly as it would for a cemetery burial.
Preparing the Body: Casket or Shroud
This is the part that most families do not expect, and the part where an experienced operator matters most.
In a casket. The EPA's recommendations, taken from the Navy's guidelines, are specific:
- Use a casket without plastic parts; the EPA suggests considering a metal casket, as the Navy uses.
- Drill at least twenty 2-inch holes, spread over the top, bottom and both ends, so the casket floods and air escapes. The holes can be covered with cloth or paper so the body is not visible, but not with tape.
- Add weight, such as sand or concrete (not lead), to bring the total to at least 300 pounds. Weighting the foot end helps it sink feet first.
- Secure it with at least six stainless steel bands, chains or natural fibre ropes. Ordinary shipping straps break down too quickly in seawater.
In a shroud. If no casket is used, the EPA recommends wrapping the body in a natural fibre shroud and adding weight, such as a steel chain. Many families who choose a sea burial for simplicity or environmental reasons prefer this. It is also lighter to carry on a smaller vessel.
Ask the funeral home directly whether they have prepared a body for sea burial before. If they have not, ask whether the boat operator does the preparation or can tell them exactly what is needed. This is not something to work out on the day.
Finding a Boat
The permit allows you to use your own boat or one you are authorised to use, but in practice families use a specialist. A few things narrow the choice:
- Depth. Reaching 600 feet of water takes a short trip off some parts of the West Coast and a long one off much of the East Coast and Gulf. Ask how far out they go, how long the trip is, and what happens if the weather turns.
- Size. The boat needs space and equipment to carry and lower a 300-pound casket safely. Not every charter boat that scatters ashes can do a full-body burial.
- Who comes. Ask how many people can be aboard, whether there is shelter, and how the committal itself is done.
- Paperwork. Ask whether they file the EPA report for you. Most specialists do, but confirm it, because the 30-day duty falls on whoever carries out the burial.
Prices vary widely by coast, distance and vessel. Ask for an itemised quote that separates the boat, the casket preparation and the funeral home's own charges. What to do if a funeral home overcharges has the questions to ask about any quote.
The Navy Option for Veterans
The US Navy runs a burial at sea programme for members of the uniformed services, retirees, honourably discharged veterans, civilian mariners of the Military Sealift Command, and their dependents. There is no charge for the burial itself.
What families should know before choosing it:
- The family does not attend. The committal is carried out from a Navy ship during its normal operations. Afterwards, the commanding officer writes to the family with the date, time and position of the burial.
- It takes time. The Navy says the average wait is 12 to 18 months from when the remains reach the port.
- Caskets go to two ports only. Casketed remains are accepted only at Norfolk, Virginia and San Diego, California. Cremated remains are accepted more widely.
- Getting there is your part. Arrange with the funeral home how the remains will reach the port and who pays for it.
To start, the person with the right to decide on the funeral contacts Navy Mortuary Affairs for the request packet. You will need the death certificate, the burial transit permit (or cremation certificate), and the discharge papers, usually the DD-214. Numbers for Mortuary Affairs change; check the current one on the Navy's own site.
If the family wants to be there, a civilian operator is the way to do it, and some families do both: a service at home with military funeral honors, then a private civilian burial at sea. Veteran burial benefits covers what else the VA may pay for.
Who Gets to Decide
A sea burial cannot be undone, and there is no grave to visit afterwards. That makes it one of the decisions most likely to cause a disagreement if it was not clearly the person's own wish.
If they asked for it in writing, that settles most arguments. If they mentioned it once, or only some of the family remember it, talk before booking. The legal order of who decides is set by state law; who decides the funeral arrangements explains how it works and what to do if two people with equal standing disagree.
Making It a Goodbye
The ceremony on the boat is usually short: a few words, a reading, a moment of silence, the committal, and flowers or petals on the water. Some families circle the spot once before heading back. The captain can give you the exact coordinates, and many families keep them.
Not everyone who loved them will fit on the boat, or be able to face the trip. Consider a service on land before or after, so everyone has somewhere to gather. Some families stream the committal for those at home, if the boat has signal that far out.
Without a grave, people often look for another place to go back to. The coordinates, a framed chart of the spot, a bench by the shore, or an online memorial where everyone can add what they remember can all do that work.
Quick Answers
Is it legal to bury a body at sea in the US? Yes, under the EPA's general permit, at least three nautical miles from land and in water at least 600 feet deep, with the body prepared to sink. Report it to the EPA within 30 days.
Do I need a permit? No application is needed beforehand. The general permit already covers it; the only paperwork for the EPA is the report afterwards.
Can you be buried at sea without a casket? Yes. The EPA recommends a natural fibre shroud with added weight, such as a steel chain.
Can a family attend a Navy burial at sea? No. The Navy carries out the committal during ship operations and writes to the family afterwards with the date, time and location. Families who want to be present use a civilian operator.
Can I be buried at sea with my pet? Not under the general permit. It covers human remains only.
A burial at sea leaves no headstone, but the stories do not have to go with it. GetMemorial gives your family a permanent place for their photos, tributes and memories, one everyone can visit and add to. Start an online memorial whenever you are ready.
