According to law, does a dead body have to be embalmed?
No. Most states, however, require embalming when death was caused by reportable contagious disease, when remains are to be transported from one state to another by a common carrier, or if final disposition is not to be made within a prescribed number of hours. In Iowa, a body must be buried within 48 hours of the time of death if the body is not to be embalmed. Back To Top Isn’t burial space becoming scarce? While it is true some metropolitan areas have limited available cemetery space, there is enough space set aside for the next 50 years without creating new cemeteries in most areas of the country. In addition, land available for new cemeteries is more than adequate, especially with the increase in entombment and multi-level grave burial.
