Shipping Cremains

The United States Postal Service offers the only legal method of shipping cremated remains domestically or internationally. When a family member assumes the responsibility of shipping a loved one’s cremated remains, they can trust the USPS Priority Mail Express® Service.

You may be reading this brochure because:

• A relative, someone you know, or a pet has died and been cremated, and you need to ship the remains to someone at another location within the United States or another country.
• You and your family have opted to distribute the cremated remains of a loved one between family members at other locations within the United States or another country.
• You are sending cremated remains to an artisan or craftsperson to incorporate the remains into blown glass, jewelry, or other works of art.

There are specific requirements for preparing, packaging, and shipping human or animal cremated remains. The Postal Service is here to help you understand how to meet these requirements and take the necessary steps to protect this special mailing. By following these requirements, you can be confident that you have done everything you can so that your loved one’s remains can arrive at the intended destination safely.

Death away from home

It is less expensive to have someone cremated and send the cremated remains back than it is to ship the body only to have a cremation when your love one returns. In these cases, cremains would be shipped.