One complete price of $1,195 — everything handled, nothing added.
From the moment we take your loved one into our care through the return of their ashes.
Around-the-clock transportation across LA County, no mileage fees.
We file the death certificate and cremation permit and coordinate with the physician.
Carried out individually and respectfully at a licensed, state-regulated facility.
A durable urn with a velvet bag, delivered personally within 30 miles (USPS shipping available as a $150 add-on). Upgrade urns available in our store.
The permit chain, the paperwork, the places involved — written out plainly so you know what we're actually doing when we say "we'll handle it."
California moved to the Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS) years ago. Your loved one's attending physician (or the LA County Coroner's physician, in Coroner cases) certifies cause of death directly into EDRS — no paper form, no fax chain. We file the funeral-director portion, the county registrar accepts it electronically, and the state generates the certificate. For LA County, the registrar is in Norwalk. Typical EDRS filing turnaround from certification to certificate availability: 7–10 business days. Certified copies become orderable through the LA County Registrar-Recorder's office at that point.
Before any cremation can occur, California requires a Permit for Disposition of Human Remains (CDPH Form VS 9). We file it electronically with LA County Vital Records. The permit lists the decedent, the receiving funeral director (us), the crematory, and the disposition method. It is checked at the crematory before the retort is loaded. The permit is what makes the cremation legal in LA County — it's not a formality.
California requires written authorization from the legally-recognized next-of-kin under Health & Safety Code § 7100 before cremation. The hierarchy is spelled out: surviving spouse first, then adult children by majority agreement, then parents, then siblings. We'll walk you through who needs to sign in your specific family situation. We handle this via DocuSign in most cases — no office visit needed. For complex family situations (estranged children, blended families, out-of-state relatives), we help the family work out the authorization protocol before we file.
Transport is 24/7 from any LA County location — residence, hospital, hospice facility, SNF, Coroner's office. Our removal team carries California-certified transport credentials and arrives in a discreet, unmarked vehicle. The decedent is transported to our care facility and held in refrigerated storage (36–40°F) until all permits, certifications, and authorizations are in place. The refrigeration period is covered by the $1,195 price — no daily storage fees, even if the EDRS or permit chain takes longer than expected.
The cremation is performed at our California-licensed partner crematory in LA County. One body per retort, ever. California law requires it; we document it. A numbered stainless-steel ID disc is placed with the remains at check-in; it survives the cremation (steel's melting point is well above cremation temperature) and is returned with the ashes. That disc number is matched to the paperwork at every stage — intake, pre-cremation check, post-cremation processing, urn transfer. There is no scenario where remains are returned without a verified chain of ID disc numbers.
Ashes are returned to the family 24–48 hours after cremation. For LA County residents, local hand-delivery is standard and included. For California-based next-of-kin beyond 30 miles, USPS Priority Mail Express ships for an additional $150. For out-of-state return, we ship via USPS Priority Mail Express with signature confirmation (the only shipping method USPS legally allows for cremated remains in the U.S.). Shipping outside the U.S. is more involved — different countries require different clearances — and we handle that case-by-case.
If your loved one passed at home under hospice care, the first steps are: (1) notify hospice; the hospice nurse will come to pronounce if they weren't present. (2) Call us. (3) We dispatch a removal team, typically arriving within 2–3 hours. During that time, you don't need to do anything — just stay with your loved one. If the passing was unexpected and no hospice was involved, dial 911 first; LAFD paramedics will respond, and the LA County Coroner takes jurisdiction. We can step in once the Coroner releases, which varies case by case.
If the LA County Coroner takes jurisdiction (any unexpected or unattended death, or any death the physician declines to certify), the decedent is transported to 1104 N. Mission Rd. for investigation. We file authorization-to-release paperwork while the investigation runs. Release timing varies — straightforward natural-cause cases release within 48–72 hours; cases requiring full autopsy and toxicology can take 10–14 days. The Coroner's office issues the release call when ready; we're on their active-release list, meaning the moment they're clear, pickup is scheduled same-day. We handle Coroner cases weekly and know the system.
No office visit required. A counselor will guide you through everything.