A family-led funeral in Ontario: what you can do yourselves

What the law allows

The Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO), which licenses funeral, cemetery and cremation providers, says it plainly: family members can legally provide funeral services for their deceased loved one without a licence, except for arterial embalming. They cannot be paid for this service.

That includes:

• transport of the person who died;
• documentation, including registering the death;
• obtaining a Coroner's Cremation Certificate, required for every cremation, or an Out of Province Certificate if the body will cross a provincial boundary;
• arranging religious or personal ceremonies to mark the death.

Embalming is not required by law in Ontario.

What still needs a licensed provider

• Burial takes place in a licensed cemetery: burial of human remains, including cremated remains, is not permitted elsewhere.
• Cremation or alkaline hydrolysis takes place at a licensed facility.
• Arterial embalming, if you want it, is done by a licensed professional.

You can also mix: do most things yourselves and ask a licensed provider for one service, such as a transfer service to transport the body. The BAO notes that a family may not have a vehicle that allows the dignified transport of a body, and that in some cases it may be advisable to seek the services of a licensed funeral establishment.

The steps, in order

1. The pronouncement of death. For an expected death, call the doctor who was caring for the person; for an unexpected death, call emergency services first.
2. The Medical Certificate of Death. It is completed by a doctor, a nurse practitioner or a coroner, and gives the cause of death.
3. The Statement of Death. Get the form from the municipal clerk and fill it in: it gives the person's details.
4. Registration. Submit both documents to the municipal clerk's office, usually in the municipality where the death occurred. The burial permit is issued when the death is registered, and it is needed before any burial, cremation or alkaline hydrolysis.
5. For a cremation, obtain the Coroner's Cremation Certificate.
6. The ceremony, at home, in a hall, at the graveside or anywhere the place allows.

Prepare well in advance

The BAO recommends planning a family-led death well in advance, and speaking directly with the institutions and organizations that will be involved, such as the hospital or care home, the cemetery or crematorium, and the municipal clerk, so that there is no misunderstanding when the time comes: the BAO notes that hospitals and nursing homes may not know a family-led death is legal. Write down who does what, and keep the forms and the phone numbers in one place.

The ceremony

A family-led funeral often comes with a ceremony that feels very personal: at home, in the garden, in a community hall. When the body or the ashes are present, the family coordinates it, or a licensed funeral establishment does; without them, anyone can host a memorial or a celebration of life. For ideas, see celebration of life ideas, and for the words, how to write a eulogy.

A celebrant can write and lead the ceremony with you, so that the family can simply be there. Celebrance can connect you with a celebrant from our local network in Ontario, at a price shown upfront, with a replacement if your celebrant becomes unavailable. See our celebrants for funerals and celebrations of life. For the other steps after a death, see how to plan a funeral or celebration of life in Ontario.

Sources: thebao.ca: family led death care · thebao.ca: bao cig eng july2025.pdf · ontario.ca: what do when someone dies · ontario.ca: arrange funeral burial cremation alkaline hydrolysis or scattering