Keeping Ashes at Home: What You Need to Know

After a cremation, families receive their loved one's ashes — and many aren't sure what to do next. Keeping them at home, at least for a while, is one of the most common choices. Here's what you need to know about doing it legally, safely, and meaningfully.

Is Keeping Ashes at Home Legal?

Yes, everywhere in the United States. There are no federal laws requiring cremated remains to be buried, scattered, or otherwise disposed of within any particular timeframe. The remains legally belong to the next of kin or the person who authorized the cremation, and they may be kept at home indefinitely.

Religious perspectives vary: the Catholic Church asks that ashes be kept together and eventually given a proper burial; some traditions hold that the spirit cannot rest until the remains are interred. Many families make their own choices regardless of formal religious teaching. If this matters to you, consult your religious community.

How to Store Ashes Respectfully

A few practical guidelines:

Use a proper urn or sealed container. The temporary plastic containers provided by most cremation providers are functional but not permanent. A sealed urn provides dignity and protects against accidental spills.
Choose a stable location. A shelf, mantle, or cabinet where the urn won't be disturbed is ideal. Avoid locations where it could be knocked over by children or pets.
Avoid extreme temperature and humidity. Cremated remains are stable, but a very damp environment is not ideal for most urn materials. A climate-controlled interior space is fine.
Consider security. If you have young children, a location that is out of reach or in a closed cabinet may be wise.

Choosing an Urn

If you're using a temporary container, consider transitioning to an urn that reflects the person's personality and your family's aesthetic. Options range from simple and traditional to highly customized:

Classic ceramic, wood, marble, or metal urns
Custom photo urns or personalized designs
Biodegradable urns (for families planning future scattering or burial)
Companion urns (designed to hold the ashes of two people — popular for spouses)
Keepsake urns (miniature urns that hold a small portion, allowing multiple family members to have ashes)

Dividing Ashes Among Family Members

Many families divide cremated remains among family members — particularly when multiple people want to keep a portion. This is legally permissible in the U.S. (you're not required to keep remains together), though the Catholic Church discourages it. Keepsake urns, cremation jewelry, and small sealed containers are all designed for partial remains.

Planning for Long-Term Disposition

Many families keep ashes at home for years — sometimes decades — without a final plan. This is okay, but it's worth thinking through:

What will happen to the ashes when you die? Note your wishes in your own estate documents so your family knows your intentions.
If multiple family members share custody of the remains, discuss what happens if one person moves, becomes incapacitated, or dies.
Eventual options include scattering, burial, columbarium placement, or incorporating into memorial objects — none of these have to happen immediately.

Related Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it legal to keep cremated remains at home?

Yes — in the United States, there is no federal law prohibiting families from keeping cremated remains at home. The ashes legally belong to the next of kin or the person who arranged the cremation. You may keep them in an urn, a decorative container, or any other vessel in your home indefinitely. There is no requirement to bury, scatter, or otherwise dispose of cremated remains within any particular timeframe. Some state laws have specific regulations about the transportation of cremated remains (such as requirements for sealed containers when traveling by air — the TSA allows cremated remains through security if they can be screened without opening), but keeping them at home is universally permitted. Religious considerations may vary: the Catholic Church, for example, asks that cremated remains be kept together (not divided among family members) and ultimately given a proper burial, but individual families make their own choices.

How should you store cremated remains at home?

Cremated remains should be stored in a sealed, dignified container to protect them and to prevent accidental spills. Considerations: use a properly sealed urn or container — temporary plastic containers from the cremation provider are functional but many families prefer something more meaningful; keep the urn in a location where it won't be knocked over or disturbed; avoid extremes of temperature and humidity (don't keep them in an uninsulated garage or a very damp basement) although cremated remains are not sensitive in the way organic material is; consider security and access — if you have young children, pets, or frequent visitors, choose a location and container that prevents accidents; and think about what happens to the remains when you die — many families who choose to keep ashes at home later wish they had made plans for eventual disposition, including noting the preference in their own will or estate documents.

What should you do with ashes if you can't keep them long-term?

If keeping ashes at home indefinitely doesn't feel right, or if circumstances change (a move, a family decision), options for eventual disposition include: scattering in a meaningful location (following applicable rules — see our guide to scattering ashes legally); burial in a cemetery plot (either the deceased's own reserved plot, a family plot, or many cemeteries accept cremated remains in existing graves); placement in a columbarium niche (a small compartment in a mausoleum structure designed for urns); green burial of the urn in a natural burial cemetery; incorporation into memorial jewelry, glass, or art; donation of a portion to a scattering service at sea or in a meaningful natural location; and for veterans, burial at a national cemetery with full honors. There is no right answer — what matters is what feels right for the family and honors the person's memory.