Viewing Without Embalming: Rules, Options and How It Works

You can usually have a viewing without embalming, especially a private one for close family. The FTC says no state law requires routine embalming for every death, and the Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA) says no state requires it when burial or cremation takes place within two days. Refrigeration is the usual alternative. Many funeral homes still require embalming before a public open-casket viewing, but that is their policy, not the law.

Is embalming required for a viewing?

Not by law in most cases. Embalming is the process in which a trained embalmer chemically treats a body to reduce the growth of microorganisms, slow decomposition and restore an acceptable appearance, in the National Funeral Directors Association's words. The FTC Funeral Rule sets out what funeral homes may and may not say about it:

• The General Price List must say that embalming is not required by law except in certain special cases, and that it may be necessary if you choose arrangements such as a funeral with a viewing.
• A funeral home cannot tell you that state or local law requires embalming when it does not.
• It cannot say embalming is necessary for a direct cremation or an immediate burial.
• It may charge for embalming only if the law requires it, you approved it, or it could not reach you after a good-faith effort and you approve it afterward.

What are the alternatives to embalming?

The FTC says that in most cases refrigeration is an acceptable alternative. Other options include:

• Refrigeration. A funeral home or hospital keeps the body in a cooler until the viewing. The FCA of Central Texas calls refrigeration a more affordable, non-invasive alternative to embalming.
• Direct cremation or immediate burial. There is no viewing, so no embalming is needed. A memorial can be held later.
• Cooling at home. The Home Funeral Alliance says that for less than a day, air conditioning or open windows on a cold day may be enough. For longer stays it lists cooling aids such as polymer ice packs, gel packs, dry ice and cooling vests or towels.
• A closed casket. You can hold the gathering without viewing the body at all.

How long can a body be viewed without embalming?

There is no single national limit. What the sources support is this:

• The FCA says embalming is not required in any state when burial or cremation happens within two days. A long delay before a viewing is one situation where embalming can be useful.
• Some states set a clock. Florida's statute says a body may not be held over 24 hours after death unless it is kept at 40°F or below, or is embalmed or otherwise preserved. The FCA of Central Texas says that in Texas, after 24 hours a body must be kept between 34 and 40 degrees, kept in an odor-proof and leakproof container, or embalmed.
• Funeral homes set their own limits for unembalmed viewings. Ask how long the body can be out of refrigeration and whether a viewing window of an hour or two is possible.

Warmth speeds decomposition, so it helps to keep the body refrigerated until shortly before the viewing and to keep the viewing short. Ask the funeral director for their advice.

What will the person look like?

Embalming and cosmetic work are meant to restore an acceptable appearance. Without them, the person may look different from how you remember, and changes increase with time and warmth. Some families find this natural and comforting, and others find it harder. You can ask the funeral director to tell you what to expect, to see the person first, or to arrange a closed casket with a photo or a memory table instead.

Which funeral homes allow it?

Policies vary. The FCA of Central Texas says most funeral directors in its area will not allow a public viewing of a body that has not been embalmed. The FTC advises you to ask for a private family viewing without embalming. Questions to ask:

• Do you allow a private family viewing without embalming?
• Where is the body kept, and do you have your own refrigeration?
• How long can the body be out of the cooler?
• What do you charge for refrigeration, for use of the viewing room and for any preparation?

Funeral homes must give prices by phone. The General Price List lists embalming, other preparation of the body, and use of facilities and staff for a viewing as separate lines, so declining embalming should remove that charge. There is no reliable national figure for what you save, because prices differ from home to home. Compare two or three price lists. Our funeral home fees explained, general price list guide and what is embalming cover the details. You can also use the funeral cost calculator to compare options.

Do religious and cultural traditions affect this?

Yes. The FCA says Muslim, Baha'i and Orthodox Jewish traditions consider embalming a desecration of the body and prohibit it. My Jewish Learning says open-casket viewing is not a traditional Jewish practice and that traditional Jewish law requires burial within 24 hours, with some exceptions. Islamic tradition also calls for burial as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours, after the body is washed (ghusl) and wrapped in a simple shroud. See our guides to Jewish funeral traditions, Muslim funeral traditions and Ghusl washing.

Natural and green burial grounds set their own rules on embalming and body preparation. If you are planning one, ask the cemetery before you agree to any preparation. See green burial guide.

When might embalming be required?

Embalming can be required in limited situations set by state law. This list is not complete. The FCA says embalming is mandated when a body crosses state lines from Alabama, Arkansas and New Jersey, and that several other states require it if public transportation is used. Rules change, so confirm with the funeral director. Some states require embalming or refrigeration after a set time, as above. If a body must travel, ask the funeral director in both places what each state and carrier requires. See transporting a body across states.

Can you hold a viewing at home?

The Home Funeral Alliance says caring for your dead is legal in every state, although in some states the law may require hiring a funeral director for specific tasks. It says a dead body is no more dangerous than when the person was alive, and recommends standard precautions such as hand washing and gloves. If the person died of a serious infectious disease, the hospital will tell you a home funeral is unsafe. The FCA, citing the CDC, says embalming has no public health benefit.

A home viewing needs cooling, a short timeline, and someone who knows the state's paperwork. Our guides to keeping a body at home, cooling a body at home and home viewing without a director cover the steps.

What to do next

1. Decide whether you want a public viewing, a private family viewing or none.
2. Call two or three funeral homes. Ask whether they allow a viewing without embalming and ask for their General Price List.
3. Tell them your timeline, and ask how they will keep the body cool until the viewing.
4. If faith or green burial matters, check with your clergy or the cemetery before you agree to any preparation.