Ohio Revised Code
Chapter 4717 | Embalmers, Funeral Directors, Crematories
Section 4717.26 | Procedure for Cremation.

Effective: September 29, 2017
Latest Legislation: House Bill 49 - 132nd General Assembly
(A) The crematory facility may schedule the time for the cremation of a dead human body to occur at the crematory facility's own convenience at any time after the conditions set forth in division (A) or (B) of section 4717.23 of the Revised Code, as applicable, have been met and the decedent or body parts have been delivered to the facility, unless, in the case of a dead human body, the crematory facility has received specific instructions to the contrary on the cremation authorization form authorizing the cremation of the decedent executed under section 4717.21, 4717.24, or 4717.25 of the Revised Code. The crematory facility becomes responsible for a dead human body or body parts when the body or body parts have been delivered to or accepted by the facility or an employee or agent of the facility.
(B) No crematory operator or crematory facility shall fail to do either of the following:
(1) Upon receipt at the crematory facility of any dead human body that has not been embalmed, and subject to the prohibition set forth in division (C)(1) of this section, place the body in a holding or refrigerated facility at the crematory facility and keep the body in the holding or refrigerated facility until near the time the cremation process commences or until the body is held at the facility for eight hours or longer. If the body is held for eight hours or longer, place the body in a refrigerated facility at the crematory facility and keep the body in the refrigerated facility until near the time the cremation process commences;
(2) Upon receipt of any dead human body that has been embalmed, place the body in a holding facility at the crematory facility and keep the body in the holding facility until the cremation process commences.
(C) No crematory operator or crematory facility shall do either of the following, unless the instructions contained in the cremation authorization form authorizing the cremation of the decedent executed under section 4717.21, 4717.24, or 4717.25 of the Revised Code specifically provide otherwise:
(1) Remove any dead human body from the casket or alternative container in which the body was delivered to or accepted by the crematory facility;
(2) Fail to cremate the casket or alternative container in which the body was delivered or accepted, in its entirety with the body.
(D) No crematory facility shall simultaneously cremate more than one decedent or body parts removed from more than one decedent or living person in the same cremation chamber unless the cremation authorization forms executed under section 4717.21, 4717.24, or 4717.25 of the Revised Code authorizing the cremation of each of the decedents or body parts removed from each decedent or living person specifically authorize such a simultaneous cremation. This division does not prohibit the use of cremation equipment that contains more than one cremation chamber.
(E) No crematory facility shall permit any persons other than employees of the crematory facility, the authorizing agent for the cremation of the decedent who is to be, is being, or was cremated, persons designated to be present at the cremation of the decedent on the cremation authorization form executed under section 4717.21 or 4717.24 of the Revised Code, and persons authorized by the individual who is actually in charge of the crematory facility, to be present in the holding facility or cremation room while any dead human bodies or body parts are being held there prior to cremation or are being cremated or while any cremated remains are being removed from the cremation chamber.
(F)(1) crematory facility shall remove any dental gold, body parts, organs, or other items of value from a dead human body prior to the cremation or from the cremated remains after cremation unless the cremation authorization form authorizing the cremation of the decedent executed under section 4717.21 or 4717.24 of the Revised Code specifically authorizes the removal thereof.
(2) No crematory facility that removes any dental gold, body parts, organs, or other items from a dead human body or assists in such removal shall charge a fee for doing so that exceeds the actual cost to the crematory facility for performing or assisting in the removal.
(G) Upon the completion of each cremation, the crematory facility shall remove from the cremation chamber all of the cremation residue that is practicably recoverable. If the cremation authorization form executed under section 4717.21, 4717.24, or 4717.25 of the Revised Code specifies that the cremated remains are to be placed in an urn, the crematory facility shall place them in the type of urn specified on the authorization form. If the authorization form does not specify that the cremated remains are to be placed in an urn, the crematory facility shall place them in a temporary container. If not all of the recovered cremated remains will fit in the urn selected or the temporary container, the crematory facility shall place the remainder in a separate temporary container, and the cremated remains placed in the separate temporary container shall be delivered, released, or disposed of along with those in the urn or other temporary container. Nothing in this section requires a crematory facility to recover any specified quantity or quality of cremated remains upon the completion of a cremation, but only requires a crematory facility to recover from the cremation chamber all of the cremation residue that is practicably recoverable.
(H) No crematory facility shall knowingly represent to an authorizing agent or a designee of an authorizing agent that an urn or temporary container contains the recovered cremated remains of a specific decedent or of body parts removed from a specific decedent or living person when it does not. This division does not prohibit the making of such a representation because of the presence in the recovered cremated remains of de minimus amounts of the cremated remains of another decedent or of body parts removed from another decedent or living person that were not practicably recoverable and that remained in the cremation chamber after the cremated remains from previous cremations were removed.
(I) No crematory facility or funeral director shall ship or cause to be shipped any cremated remains by a class or method of mail, common carrier service, or delivery service that does not have an internal system for tracing the location of the cremated remains during shipment and that does not require a signed receipt from the person accepting delivery of the cremated remains.
(J) No crematory facility shall fail to establish and maintain a system for accurately identifying each dead human body in the facility's possession, and for identifying each decedent or living person from which body parts in the facility's possession were removed, throughout all phases of the holding and cremation process.
(K) No crematory facility shall knowingly use or allow the use of the same cremation chamber for the cremation of dead human bodies, or human body parts, and animals.