How long does it take to get ashes after cremation?

The cremation process depends on several factors and therefore the time it takes to get the remains back varies as well. But, how long does it take to get ashes after cremation?

The cremation process itself can take anywhere from 4 to 15 business days, and that really varies greatly depending on the type of death and how the death occurred, and also if there was a medical examiner involved, that might also add a few days.

And that also depends on the state regulations. For example in Florida, the cremation process will take 10 to 15 business days, and this time frame does not include weekends or holidays and there is no way that it can be expedited. By Florida’s state law, doctors have 72 hours, three days to sign and return the death certificate. After that happens, the medical examiner is notified and can take up to 48 hours or two days to approve the cremation. Once the medical examiner’s approval has been obtained the cremation will be complete within 72 hours or three days.

So, in Florida it takes 10 to 15 business days.

Let’s find out how long does it take to get ashes after cremation in California: There are several steps to have a person cremated. The first step is to bring your loved one into the care of a Funeral Home or Funeral Director, and they are taken to a temperature controlled facility.

Then, they will contact the doctor to begin the process of the completion of the death certificate. By law, in the state of California the death certificate must be filed electronically with the health department, and the process usually takes at least a few days. While the death certificate is being prepared, the Funeral Directors or Funeral Home are also working with the family to get proper authorization to cremate.

They need the legal next of kin to sign documents before they can proceed with the cremation. In California the right to make arrangements is given to the agent listed first in the Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare, and the Funeral Home will need a copy of that document. If there is no agent who is named in a healthcare directive, then the spouse is the next of kin. If there is no spouse, then it is a majority of surviving adult children.

Once the death certificate is filed and the necessary authorizations have been signed by the legal next of kin, the paperwork is sent to the crematory. The actual cremation takes a few hours, but the turnaround for a cremation once the paperwork is sent, is approximately one week. Therefore, the entire process takes about 10-15 business days.

In North Carolina, depending on location, the cremation process can take anywhere from 3-15 business days.

So, how long does cremation take? The right answer will be given by the Funeral Home or Funeral Director in the state where the cremation will happen. They have to know all the regulations and laws that are mandatory in their state.