This section of our newsletter is where we take time to respond to your inquiries. If you have an inquiry you’d like to submit for inclusion in an upcoming issue, simply let us know.
Q1:
If I have a funeral home in an adjoining county that has no hospital, nursing home, etc. and they use a funeral home in our county for cremations, is that funeral home/crematory in our county permitted to issue that "out of county" funeral home a permit after hours, if they are appointed as deputy registrars?
A1:
That is a great question! The simplest way to think about it is to determine where the death occurred not where the funeral home or the crematory is located. The disposition permit has to be issued by the county registrar or an appointed registrar of the county where the death occurred. Meaning, you or your appointees can live/work in an adjoining county, but can only issue disposition permits for deaths that occurred in the county where you are the registrar. It matters not where the decedent goes to be cremated, donated, or transported, and it matters not where the funeral home or crematory is located.
Q2:
Should we be contacting our funeral homes to instruct them not to use copies of previous permits with our signatures on them?
A2:
Several of your peers in other counties are “recalling” those pre-signed, pre-numbered disposition permits. Meaning, they are asking the funeral homes to destroy them or bring them back. On December 19th, via email, I sent out the new form for the disposition permit and the application for disinter/reinter. Those are what you should be using going forward, and what your appointed deputies should use going forward. I would suggest you call your funeral homes and inform them of the new process.
Q3:
Should funeral homes issue disposition permits for one another if appointed as a local deputy registrar?
A3:
In my opinion, it maybe awkward for one funeral home to request a disposition permit from another funeral home. However, I trust your knowledge and relationships with your funeral homes, and I trust your judgment. It is your decision.You can appoint one in your county, or you can appoint one in each of your funeral homes in your county, and remember that you need to have those permits available 24/7.
