Rules and Regulations

The Laws and Regulations that govern the Funeral Practices establish that the funeral industry most inform consumers of the goods and services it offers, and therefore, the following is required:

1. Prices for services and goods offered by funeral agents must be detailed in writing for consumers that request it.

2. Embalming is done only with the family’s authorization, except when the Law requires it. This is usually the case when a cadaver is transported from or to another state or country, or when the death was do to a contagious disease.

3. The sale of coffins is prohibited by Law when the cadaver is going to be disposed of by cremation. In this case, the funeral agent should provide the consumer the alternative of a simple wooden coffin or another alternative to the traditional coffin (it could be a body bag). This law specifies that it is not necessary to embalm a cadaver when:

• the corpse is to be cremated,
• it is to be buried immediately,
• the wake will be held with a closed coffin.

Also, this Law establishes that the consumer has the right to request a price list that must include the following information: general costs, cost of coffin, and cost for other services.

This Law was signed on January 1, 1984 and came into effect on April 30, 1984. it is administered by the Federal Trade Commission, Division of Enforcement, Washington, D.C. 20580.

In case of any claims, you can write to the address above or call the Department of Consumer Affairs (DACO by its Spanish acronym) in Puerto Rico.