Do I have to use a vault?

There is no California State law that requires the use of a burial vault. However, most cemeteries require the casket to be placed in a protective outer container suitable to keep the ground above it from sinking. Years ago graves were dug by hand. Today heavy earth moving equipment is used. That equipment may travel on top of many graves to reach the specific location. Vaults and Concrete grave liners provide adequate strength to keep the earth from sinking. Earth burial is often selected by those who choose the cremation process. As is the case with a casket, the urn or urn vault is buried on the family gravesite or in a special urn memorial garden.

Is embalming required by law?

In California, except in certain special cases, embalming is not required by law. Embalming may be necessary, however, if you select certain funeral arrangements, such as a funeral with viewing. If you do not want embalming, you usually have the right to choose an arrangement which does not require you to pay for it, such as direct cremation or immediate burial.   Embalming sanitizes and provides temporary preservation of the body, decelerates the decomposition process, and enhances the appearance of a body disfigured by traumatic death or illness.   Embalming makes it possible to lengthen the time between death and the final disposition, thus allowing family members time to arrange and participate in the type of service most meaningful to them.