# Decedent chain of custody form

Template published by FuneralHQ, November 11, 2026. A blank custody record for funeral homes, crematories and removal teams. It follows the FuneralHQ chain of custody guide (https://www.funeralhq.com/blog/funeral-home-chain-of-custody-guide). State law, permits and facility policy govern the exact requirements, so adapt the checkpoints and verification rules to your reviewed policy.

Rules for every entry:

- Record the person who performed each event. A shared login or device name is not a person.
- Check two identifiers at every transfer and critical step, and read them; a scan alone does not prove identity.
- On any mismatch, missing tag, unreadable label or incomplete authorization: stop, record the exception and escalate.
- Never overwrite an entry. Strike it through once, add the correction, the reason, your initials and the time, and have the approver initial it.

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## Case

| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Firm / location | |
| Case number | |
| Decedent full legal name | |
| Date of birth | |
| Date of death | |
| Identifier 1 used for checks (for example, case number) | |
| Identifier 2 used for checks (for example, date of birth or facility ID) | |
| ID tag, QR or barcode number applied at first custody | |
| Disposition (cremation / burial / transfer / other) | |
| Authorizing person and relationship | |

## Custody events

For each event, record: date and time, from and to (location or party), who released and who received (printed name, organization, signature), both identifiers checked, the tag/QR/barcode ID scanned, authorizations checked, the second verifier where policy requires one, and any exception.

| # | Event | Date / time | From | To | Released by (name, signature) | Received by (name, org, signature) | ID 1 / ID 2 checked | Tag / QR / barcode ID | Authorizations checked | Second verifier | Exception / notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First custody: removal from place of death | | | | | | [ ] / [ ] | | | | |
| 2 | Transport handoff | | | | | | [ ] / [ ] | | | | |
| 3 | Facility admission (intake) | | | | | | [ ] / [ ] | | | | |
| 4 | Move to holding or refrigeration | | | | | | [ ] / [ ] | | | | |
| 5 | Preparation or care movement | | | | | | [ ] / [ ] | | | | |
| 6 | Outtake: release to crematory or cemetery | | | | | | [ ] / [ ] | | | | |
| 7 | Crematory intake | | | | | | [ ] / [ ] | | | | |
| 8 | Pre-cremation verification (authorization, permits, waiting period, medical device) | | | | | | [ ] / [ ] | | | | |
| 9 | Cremation (start and end time, unit, ID disc or tag) | | | | | | [ ] / [ ] | | | | |
| 10 | Cremated remains placed in container and labeled | | | | | | [ ] / [ ] | | | | |
| 11 | Cremated remains holding | | | | | | [ ] / [ ] | | | | |
| 12 | Release to authorized recipient | | | | | | [ ] / [ ] | | | | |
| 13 | | | | | | | [ ] / [ ] | | | | |
| 14 | | | | | | | [ ] / [ ] | | | | |

## Personal effects received at admission

| Item | Description | Kept / released to | Date | Signature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | |
| | | | | |

## Release of cremated remains or final release

| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Recipient name | |
| Relationship and authority to receive | |
| Identification checked (type, last four digits only) | |
| Container and label ID | |
| Date and time released | |
| Released by (name, signature) | |
| Recipient signature | |

## Exceptions and corrections

| Date / time | What happened | Action taken | Recorded by | Approved by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | |
| | | | | |