Skip to main content
Create

Cremation cost in Florida: prices from 134 funeral homes

Direct cremation in Florida has a median price of $1,550 across the 128 funeral homes that price it, collected through September 2026. Burial costs are here too.

Direct cremation, median
$1,550

Direct cremation, median

Cremation with a memorial service, median
$2,790

Cremation with a memorial service, median

Funeral with viewing, then cremation, median
$5,825

Funeral with viewing, then cremation, median

What Florida funeral homes charge

Direct cremation128 funeral homesMedian$1,550Most charge$795 to $3,300
Cremation with a memorial service (services, before urn)48 funeral homesMedian$2,790Most charge$1,878 to $3,996
Funeral with viewing, then cremation (services, before urn)15 funeral homesMedian$5,825Most charge$5,040 to $8,656
Immediate burial75 funeral homesMedian$4,025Most charge$2,426 to $6,625
Traditional funeral (services, before casket and cemetery)36 funeral homesMedian$5,410Most charge$4,610 to $6,660

“Most charge” is the middle 80% of prices: one home in ten charges less, one in ten charges more.

Each price is the funeral home’s own charge, and cremation prices include the crematory fee. Government fees, such as the permit and certified copies of the death certificate, are usually added on top.

The traditional funeral figure counts the funeral home’s services only: the casket, vault and cemetery come on top, so a burial usually costs well above it. A funeral with viewing before cremation includes a rental casket and the crematory fee, which is why it can show the higher figure.

Florida has about 768 funeral home establishments (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Prices differ widely between them, so call two or three before choosing: every funeral home must give you its prices over the phone.

Direct cremation by area

Only Florida funeral homes are counted, even where a metro area crosses a state line. An area needs prices from at least 8 funeral homes to be shown.

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL25 funeral homesMedian$2,205Most charge$795 to $3,342
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL22 funeral homesMedian$1,195Most charge$795 to $2,469
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL14 funeral homesMedian$1,340Most charge$824 to $3,557
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL11 funeral homesMedian$1,335Most charge$995 to $2,035
Jacksonville, FL9 funeral homesMedian$1,895Most charge$975 to $3,870
Rest of Florida47 funeral homesMedian$1,500Most charge$825 to $3,078

What to know in Florida

Cremation rules in Florida

  • Florida law makes it unlawful to cremate a body until 48 hours have passed since the death (s. 872.03), and that section lists no exceptions.
  • A cremation cannot happen until a legally authorized person gives written authorization and signs a declaration of intent saying what will be done with the ashes (s. 497.607).
  • Once the family agrees in writing to a time, the cremation must be performed within 48 hours after that time (s. 497.607).
Read more
  • The legally authorized person is chosen in a set order: the person's own written directions first, then the person named on their DD Form 93 if they died in military service, the surviving spouse, an adult child, a parent, an adult sibling, an adult grandchild, a grandparent, then the next closest relative (s. 497.005(43)).
  • If no family member exists or is available, a guardian, personal representative, attorney in fact, health surrogate, the medical examiner, or a friend willing to take responsibility can act as the legally authorized person (s. 497.005(43)(b)).
  • The district medical examiner must review every death where the body is to be cremated, dissected, or buried at sea (s. 406.11(1)(c)).
  • The funeral director who first takes custody must get a burial-transit permit before final disposition and within 5 days after death (s. 382.006).
  • Florida does not require embalming, but a body must be embalmed or refrigerated within 24 hours of death.
  • A licensed direct disposal establishment can provide cremation without embalming, viewings, or funeral services, and it may not hold itself out as a funeral home (s. 497.601).
Sources (8)

Fees you will pay in Florida

  • The Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics charges $5 for the first certified death certificate, which includes a search of one calendar year.
  • Each additional certified copy costs $4 from the Bureau of Vital Statistics.
  • Ordering online through VitalChek costs more: a $15 state fee for the first certificate, which includes a $10 rush fee, plus a $7 VitalChek processing fee.
Read more
  • County health departments set their own fees, so a copy ordered locally may cost a different amount.
  • Copies that show the cause of death are confidential for 50 years and go only to close family, someone with an interest in the estate, or someone acting for them.
  • Medical examiner approval is charged by each district. Miami-Dade County charges $75 per case for a cremation review, effective October 1, 2025.
  • The Orange County (District Nine) Medical Examiner charges $60 for each cremation approval, effective October 1, 2025.
Sources (4)

Help paying for a cremation

  • In Florida, indigent burials and cremations are handled by the city or county, and each sets its own qualifications.
  • Miami-Dade County's Indigent Cremation Services covers deaths in the county, even if the person did not live there, and families on Food Stamps, Medicaid, TANF, or SSI pay $150.
  • Miami-Dade families who cannot show current government assistance are charged $475, and a case can take 8 weeks or more.
Read more
  • Broward County's Indigent Cremation Program covers deaths in Broward when household income is at or below 100% of the federal poverty guidelines and there is no life insurance.
  • Broward charges $150 if the family chooses to claim the ashes, and processing can take 8 weeks or more.
  • When a death results from a crime, the Attorney General's Bureau of Victim Compensation may pay up to $7,500 for funeral or burial costs, but only after all other sources are used.
  • Florida has nine national cemeteries that accept cremated remains, and eligible families can schedule a burial by calling (800) 535-1117.
Sources (5)

Price lists and your rights

  • Anyone who asks in person must be handed a printed price list to keep before any discussion of choices, showing at least the highest and lowest priced product and service (s. 497.152(12)(b)).
  • Florida licensees must give accurate retail prices over the phone when you ask (s. 497.152(12)(c) and s. 497.282).
  • If you ask, a licensee must break down the prices of simpler options such as direct disposition (s. 497.152(12)(a)).
Read more
  • No one may require you to buy a casket for cremation or claim that one is required (s. 497.152(11)(e)).
  • Federal rules do not require funeral homes to post price lists online, though some do.
  • Complaints to the Division of Funeral, Cemetery, and Consumer Services must be in writing on its complaint form, mailed to 200 East Gaines Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0361 or faxed to (850) 413-4958.
  • The Division says investigations are typically completed within 60 days, and you can call it at 850-413-3039 or 800-323-2627 toll free in Florida.
Sources (3)

Scattering ashes in Florida

  • The Division of Funeral, Cemetery, and Consumer Services says ashes can be spread on any Florida lands, but not in any Florida fresh water.
  • Before scattering on private property, check with your landlord or condo association and look at local zoning and deed restrictions, because scattering could be seen as creating a cemetery.
  • Florida State Parks allows scattering away from developed areas and at least 200 feet from any lake, spring, river, ocean, or wetland, and asks you to confirm the spot with park management first.
Read more
  • In state parks, ashes should be spread out rather than buried or left in a pile, and no marker or plaque may be placed.
  • Ashes do not have to be buried, since the cremation itself is the final disposition, and you do not have to buy an urn.
  • Ashes are not property that can be split up in an estate, and dividing them requires consent from the legally authorized person who approved the cremation (s. 497.607(2)).
  • If no one claims the ashes within 90 days, the funeral or direct disposal establishment may scatter them at sea or place them in a scattering garden or church columbarium (s. 497.607(3)).
Sources (3)

Water cremation and composting

  • Florida licenses water cremation (alkaline hydrolysis) providers as cinerator facilities, the same license a flame crematory holds, and the Board of Funeral, Cemetery, and Consumer Services rules on their applications.
  • Chapter 497 and the Board's cinerator rules in Chapter 69K-22 do not name alkaline hydrolysis. The law defines cremation as any mechanical or thermal process that reduces a body to ashes and bone fragments, and a cinerator as any facility where bodies are cremated (s. 497.005(16) and (22)).
  • A cinerator facility cannot open before the Division issues its license, and it must pass an inspection before the license is issued and at each renewal (Rules 69K-22.001 and 69K-22.002).
Read more
  • The Board's May 7, 2026 minutes record an alkaline hydrolysis applicant approved on the condition that it pass an on-site inspection by Division staff, with a second inspection required once its equipment is installed.
  • Human composting (natural organic reduction) is not named in Chapter 497 and is not among the forms of final disposition the law lists: earth burial, aboveground interment, cremation, burial at sea, anatomical donation, and delivery to a medical institution (s. 497.005(35)).
  • Licensed establishments must post their current license where the public can see it, and the Division's Licensee Search tool shows whether a provider is licensed.
Sources (5)

Checked against these sources in September 2026.

Florida cremation questions

How long after death can you be cremated in Florida?

Not until 48 hours after the death, under s. 872.03. The medical examiner must also review the death and a legally authorized person must sign a written authorization first.

Who can authorize a cremation in Florida?

The legally authorized person under s. 497.005(43), in this order: the person's own written directions, then the person named on their DD Form 93 if they died in military service, the surviving spouse, an adult child, a parent, an adult sibling, an adult grandchild, a grandparent, and then the next closest relative. If no family member is available, a guardian, personal representative, or a willing friend can act.

How much is a death certificate in Florida?

From the state Bureau of Vital Statistics, the first certified copy is $5 and each additional copy is $4. Online orders through VitalChek and county health department orders cost more or vary.

What is the medical examiner fee for cremation in Florida?

Each district sets its own fee. Miami-Dade charges $75 per case and Orange County charges $60 per approval, both effective October 1, 2025.

Does Florida pay for cremation if you can't afford it?

Counties run these programs, not the state. Miami-Dade and Broward both offer indigent cremation for deaths in their county, with family fees of $150 for those who qualify.

Does Florida victim compensation cover funeral costs?

Yes. The Bureau of Victim Compensation may pay up to $7,500 toward funeral or burial costs for an eligible crime victim, after other sources of payment are used.

Do Florida funeral homes have to give prices over the phone?

Yes. Florida law requires licensees to give accurate retail prices by phone when you ask (s. 497.152(12)(c) and s. 497.282).

How do I file a complaint against a funeral home or crematory in Florida?

Fill out the complaint form from the Division of Funeral, Cemetery, and Consumer Services and mail it to 200 East Gaines Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0361 or fax it to (850) 413-4958. Complaints cannot be made by phone.

Can you scatter ashes in Florida?

Yes. The state regulator says ashes can be spread on any Florida lands but not in Florida fresh water, and you should check landlord, condo, zoning, and deed rules first.

Is water cremation legal in Florida?

Yes. Florida's statutes do not name it, but the state licenses alkaline hydrolysis providers as cinerator facilities, the same license a crematory needs, and each must pass an inspection before it can open. Check any provider's license with the Division before you sign.

Is human composting legal in Florida?

Florida's funeral law does not mention human composting, and it is not among the forms of final disposition listed in s. 497.005(35).

Where these prices come from

Every funeral home must give an itemized General Price List to anyone who asks. Some post it on their website. We have the price lists of 134 Florida funeral homes, where a business with several locations often uses one list for all of them, and computed each service’s price from its line items, the same way for every home.

Homes that post prices online may charge less than homes that do not, so treat these figures as a guide and ask for the price list of any home you are considering.

Run a funeral home here and something has changed? Email support@lovekept.co and we will update or remove your listing. Download these figures (CSV), free to reuse with credit to Lovekept.

By the Lovekept editorial team. Prices last updated September 2026.

See all 134 funeral homes

Estimate your own cost, or compare states.

Get an estimate for your ZIP code and the services you choose, compare cremation costs in every state, or see what a funeral with burial costs, cemetery included.

Estimate your cremationFuneral and burial costsCompare states